The long history of the project to dredge the Kra Canal connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand.
This article therefore examines how the idea of canal excavation has been discussed throughout Thai history.
The canal excavation project linking the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand is a large-scale project that has been discussed in every era of Thai history from the Ayutthaya period to the present day. It is also one of the largest investment projects that has been talked about throughout history. What is interesting is that there have been significant events related to the canal excavation between the two sides of the sea, which have always been a concern for Thailand. This article therefore examines how the idea of canal excavation has been discussed throughout Thai history.
The inception of the idea and project of digging a canal to connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand during the Ayutthaya period
Excavating canals is not a new concept in Thailand, but rather something that has been happening for a long time with important historical evidence that has become a legacy until the present day. This is because canal excavation is essential for developing transportation systems and is related to the deployment of military forces for warfare purposes.
One important example of a canal is the Mahachai-Sanamchai Canal (Phraputtachao-Luang Carnal to Mahachai-Cholamak Canal), which connects the Chao Phraya River to the Tha Chin River, with the purpose of shortening travel distance to Phetchaburi, crossing Singkhon Pass to Tanintharyi and Myeik.
Image 1: The route of the Mahachai-Sanamchai Canal
Regarding the excavation of the Kra Canal, when historical evidence was considered, it was found that during the reign of King Narai the Great (King Ramathibodi III of Ayutthaya) in the year 1793, Monsieur de la Mare, a French engineer who came with the embassy of King Louis XIV of the Kingdom of France, conducted a survey to find a new sea trade route between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
From the study of Monsieur de la Mare, it was found that a canal could be dug from Songkhla (through the Songkhla Lake) to connect to Dawei. The French government saw the advantage of this issue from the trade with European countries, which controlled the Malacca Strait at that time, especially the Dutch and Portuguese.
However, after King Narai the Great passed away and the dynasty changed from the Ayutthaya Kingdom to the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty, which had a policy of opposing foreigners, the project was terminated.
The project to excavate the Kra Carnal during the early Rattanakosin period
The concept of digging the Kra Canal in Thailand dates back to the early Rattanakosin era, around the year 1793 (during the reign of King Rama I), when Somdet Phra Bawornrajchao Maha Sura Singhanat, Prince of Front Palace (Wang Na) ordered the construction of the strategic strategic canal in the area of Kraburi district, connecting the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand for military transportation purposes, to reinforce the fleet in case of a Burmese invasion. This would save time on the arduous journey of navigating around the Malacca Strait.
However, at that time, there was no serious action taken regarding the canal excavation, and initially, the concept of excavating the Kra Canal emphasized the importance of canal excavation for military purposes more than for economic purposes.
During the period from 1853 to 1868 AD during the reign of King Rama IV, the idea of dredging the Kra Canal was revived once again, this time through proposals by the British Empire and French.
In the year 1853, English citizens were granted permission by King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) to dig a canal in the area of Kra Canal, spanning from Ranong province to Chumphon province in present-day, which was the shortest distance.
However, after beginning the canal excavation project for some time, the project had to be cancelled as the English engineer discovered that the Tanintharyi Mountains posed a significant obstacle to digging the canal through that area. In order to proceed with the project, a very high budget was required, which led to the cancellation of the project.
Image 2: The narrowest part of Thailand
Source: Fine Arts Department, "Culture, Historical Development, Identity, and Local Wisdom of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province" (Fine Arts Department, 2001) cited in Suchit Wongthet, "The Southern Frontier of Ayutthaya, Starting from Prachuap Khiri Khan Province" (Matichon Online, January 12, 2017) https://www.matichon.co.th/columnists/news_424702 accessed February 1, 2022.
However, when British Empire successfully occupied the Malay Peninsula and turned it into a trading station, British Empire fully benefited from the trading station in the the Malacca Strait. The canal digging did not provide any trade benefits to British Empire. As for the Siamese government, from the reign of King Rama III to King Rama IV, important wars of Siam, such as with Burma, reduced in significance due to defeat in the wars against British Empire. Therefore, the necessity of digging canals for military purposes decreased.
Later, when French people asked for permission to dig a canal adjacent to the British Empire one in 1858-1869, the government of King Rama V refused. Additionally, they were afraid that if the canal was dug, Siam might have to give up the Melayu Peninsula to France, as was the case during the reign of King Rama V and King Rama VI, who did not see any benefits for Siam in digging the canal and were concerned about the nation's security.
The return of the project to dig the canal connecting the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand, since the era of Luang Pradit Manutham
In the year 1935, as Ministry of Interior under the government of Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena restored and proposed a plan to dig a canal in the area of Kra Canal, in order to alleviate the impact of the global economic crisis after World War I. However, the project had to be discontinued due to budgetary problems in the country.
Until the start of World War II, Thailand, under the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, declared war as an ally of the Japanese government and joined the Axis powers. Thailand's role as a puppet state during the war prevented it from being classified as a defeated nation, but it was obliged to pay war reparations to United Kingdom. (Despite this, the Free Thai Movement helped ensure that Thailand did not fall into the category of defeated nations.)
In the year 1946, the United Kingdom conducted negotiations to end the state of war with Thailand, with the condition that Thailand must agree to a “Complete Agreement.” The important point of this complete agreement was related to the issue of digging a canal connecting the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand. The United Kingdom stipulated in the agreement that 'the Thai government undertakes not to cut a canal across the Kra Canal to connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand, without the prior agreement of the Government of the United Kingdom.
The full agreement thus became a limitation for Thailand in carrying out the project of excavating a canal connecting the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand, as Thailand had to suspend the project for 12 years. One of the reasons for these factors could be seen as maintaining the benefits of the British colonialism in Malaya, and another reason was that England believed that excavating the canal between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand would pose a threat to the security of India in the strategic Indian Ocean, which would be used as a military transportation route if Japan were to seize the area.
However, the project to dig a canal connecting the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand was not completely abandoned. The idea of digging this canal is still regularly discussed and studied.
In 1958, during the government of Thanom Kittikachorn, there was an idea to dig the Kra Canal again, but the government could not find a solution that would benefit the country without causing negative consequences.
In 1960, Chao Chaokawyuen, the founder and owner of Thai Oil Company Limited and Laemthong Corporation Limited, requested permission to dredge the Kra Canal. However, the National Security Council proposed to suspend the project to avoid issues of land division.
In the year 1971, the government allowed the National Energy Office to study the feasibility of excavating the Kra Canal, but it could not be carried out due to unfavorable political conditions.
In 1972, Chao proposed the results of a feasibility study for the Kra Canal excavation project. In this project, Mr. Chao hired a company from the United States to act as a consultant. The Cabinet acknowledged the proposal, but did not announce any policies due to the events on October 14, 1973, which caused Thanom's government to flee the country. As a result, the project was not carried out.
In 1982, Prem Tinsulanonda's government approved a resolution to proceed with the project to excavate the Kra Canal. However, the project could not be carried out due to a new government coming into power in 1983.
In 1983, General Harn Leelanont, the commander of the Fourth Army Region, considered reviving the project to dig the Kra Canal, but the project was suspended due to concerns that it could lead to security problems.
In 1997, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's government had an idea to resume the Kra Canal dredging project, but no action was taken. The government ended when Chavalit resigned, and the project was not implemented.
In 1999, during the government of Chuan Leekpai, members of the House of Representatives urgently sent two letters regarding the excavation of the Kra Canal to address economic issues. The Cabinet acknowledged the letters on April 5, 1999, and assigned relevant government agencies to consider and report back to the Secretary-General of the Cabinet for further presentation to the Cabinet.
In the year 2001, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, announced a policy to continue the Klong Dan dredging project, citing that dredging the canal would lead to job creation and investment, and would help solve the economic crisis. The government established a national committee to study the feasibility of dredging the canal, which was led by the Ministry of Transport and took 18 months to complete the study and released the findings to the public for 6 months of feedback. However, the policy was not implemented.
In 2016, Thanin Kraivichien, a former Prime Minister and Privy Councilor, sent an open letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha proposing a reform plan to support the idea of building new sea routes by China and other countries to reduce time and costs of sea transportation.
In 2016, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Prime Minister and Head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), gave an interview to journalists on January 12, 2016. He said that the dredging of the Khlong Koh Kong canal was being studied for its advantages and disadvantages. The problems in the southern border region could be solved or not. There are other areas with problems as well. It is not certain that people will use the canal if it is more expensive than the previous option. He did not deny that there were many projects for canals, bridges, and roads, but the question was whether there was enough money and where the money would come from. All of these were still being studied at the time.
The idea of digging a canal connecting the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand has been around for a long time, dating back to the Ayutthaya period. The original purpose of studying this project was to explore new trade routes for the western region to compete for trade benefits. Meanwhile, Siam saw the benefits of building the canal for military security before shifting towards economic benefits in later years.
However, in reality, the canal project has often been postponed due to security concerns, such as fears that it may be used as a pretext for dividing territories, being used as a military strategy, or being a cause for border conflicts. Such arguments may be outdated in an era where it is difficult for land disputes to escalate into armed conflicts, and conflicts can be resolved through peaceful means.
When considering whether to dig the canal connecting the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, it is essential to weigh the economic benefits and the impact it would have on the affected communities.