Asia/Pacific News
Kra Canal "Not a Viable Project," Says Thai Ambassador
Damrong Kraikruan,Thailand's Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, has said the long-envisioned Kra Canal "is not a viable project," Singaporean media reports.
As previously reported, the project would allow ships to access the Gulf of Thailand from the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
The latest comments come following news last month that a group of retired generals had come together to form the Thai Canal Association for Study and Development as part of a renewed push to see the start of the canal's construction.
Damrong has since shut the idea down, explaining that the area is unable to offer deep sea port capabilities, and will not be able to secure required financial support.
As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, while Singapore has lost its title as the world's busiest container port in recent years to China's Shanghai port, it is still by far the world's biggest bunker market by volume, and the implications for Singapore of any such canal could be significant.
However, industry experts have said that, if the canal were to be constructed, it would take time for Singapore to feel any economic impact.
