'Land bridge' will harm natureListen to this articleThis photo show a vast mangrove forest covering an area of 189,431 rai from south of Muang district to north of Kapoe district in Ranong Biosphere Reserve. In 2026, the government might hope to solicit bids for the Kra Isthmus Land bridge megaproject, intended to reduce cargo transit times between the Pacific and Indian oceans. This is where the land bridge poses its most serious long-term risk -- habitat fragmentation. The land bridge is expected to raise GDP, but it is reasonable to ask: for whom, and at what price? If the land bridge cannot be built with credible safeguards that protect this living corridor, the wisest course is to rethink it radically -- or cancel it.

Source: Bangkok Post December 31, 2025 00:06 UTC