The Lower House has made a regrettable decision on the study of the Land Bridge project. Instead of allowing the House to launch a study and promote public participation, a majority of lawmakers on May 29 voted 266:174 to let the cabinet handle the study. The decision undermines the parliamentary principle of checks and balances.
It has become common practice for both the Lower and Upper Houses to establish subcommittees to study controversial public projects. These parliamentary studies do not carry legal force; however, they serve as an important mechanism for scrutiny and public participation, as committees often invite stakeholders from all sides to take part. They are also part of the public record and inform parliamentary debates. Yet MPs in the 266-vote bloc argued that "multiple reviews" had already been conducted and that additional scrutiny would duplicate existing work. But is that the case? Since the project was first floated under the Prayut Chan-o-cha government in 2018, there have been at least three feasibility studies. The first two were conducted by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP). The proposed project -- costing more than one trillion baht -- includes a land transport corridor across the southern peninsula, with deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong connected by road and rail.
