Thailand is building a canal through itself
The Thai government has proposed building a 128-kilometer canal through Thailand's Isthmus of Malacca, bypassing the Strait of Malacca. The project, which would be 450 meters wide and 25 meters deep, would cost around $28 billion and take 10 years to build. It would eliminate 1,200 kilometers of shipping lanes, reducing fuel costs and CO₂ emissions. It would also boost the Thai economy and allow Chinese ships to bypass the US military presence near Singapore. However, the canal's construction would displace thousands of people and damage the natural ecosystem. The canal would also divide Thailand and allow Muslim insurgents in the south to expand their movements. Furthermore, it would create tensions with Thailand's regional neighbors and require sophisticated logistics to compete with Singapore. Finally, Thailand would become heavily indebted and placed at the center of a global geopolitical rivalry between China, the US, and India. Because of all these problems, the Thai canal project faces considerable resistance. Nevertheless, the Thai government intends to connect the two seas and announced a $36 billion land bridge across the isthmus in November 2023, which is planned to include highways, railways, and pipelines. Whether this project, or the original Thai canal, will ever be built remains to be seen.
German translation and voiceover: Lukas Jesussek
Sources under the English version: • Thailand’s $28BN Canal Across Itself Proposal