The Government of Thailand has announced plans that the first of three phases of the THB 1-trillion (US$ 27 billion) Southern Land Bridge project will start operations in 2030.

The project aims to link the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. It involves the construction of ports, an inter-city motorway, and railway tracks. The first of three construction phases will start in 2026 and commence operations in late 2030, with the second phase beginning in 2031 and completing in late 2034, and the third phase starting in 2035 and concluding in late 2036. The project includes a THB 330.81 billion (US$9 billion) port in Ranong, facing the Andaman Sea, and a THB 305.67 billion (US$8.3 billion) port in Chumphon, facing the Gulf of Thailand, with the inter-city motorway and railway tracks costing THB 358.52 billion (US$9.7 billion). The design and environmental impact assessment for the ports is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The design of railway tracks and the inter-city motorway will be finalized in 2025, and the government plans to select a contractor by Q3 2025, signing the contract in early 2026.