How the Kra CANAL could transform Vietnam into the next Singapore

[Viet]

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Not a bad idea to have this canal

the oil sheiks in Singapore are rich. they don’t need more money.

 

[Yellow is Okay]

Back then, I used to hear about this canal idea all the time. But the last time I heard about it, they had shifted to trying to make it a land bridge instead of a canal. That change alone shows how unfeasible and unrealistic this canal project really is. And even with a land bridge, I still don't see any reason why anyone would ditch the Malacca Strait. So no, Singapore isn't going anywhere and they will always remain the trading hub of Southeast Asia.

 

[MH.Yang]

Back then, I used to hear about this canal idea all the time. But the last time I heard about it, they had shifted to trying to make it a land bridge instead of a canal. That change alone shows how unfeasible and unrealistic this canal project really is. And even with a land bridge, I still don't see any reason why anyone would ditch the Malacca Strait. So no, Singapore isn't going anywhere and they will always remain the trading hub of Southeast Asia.

If you consider the presence of the Cambodian Canal, you can see why it is superior to Singapore.

If you go directly into China's Yunnan province through the Kra and Cambodian canals, that's much quicker than going through Singapore and then to eastern China.

 

[Yellow is Okay]

If you consider the presence of the Cambodian Canal, you can see why it is superior to Singapore.

If you go directly into China's Yunnan province through the Kra and Cambodian canals, that's much quicker than going through Singapore and then to eastern China.

Singapore's trading hub isn't just for exporting to China, it's also a key point for re-exports to places like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and especially North America. The Funan Techo Canal is more like a distributary river in size, which can only handle vessels up to about 3,000 DWT. And when it comes to traveling upstream on the Mekong River, that's a whole other challenge. While Cambodia and southern Vietnam are mostly flat, Laos is a lot hillier, and on top of that, they've built dams along the river, which makes navigation even tougher.

 

[Mista]

Back then, I used to hear about this canal idea all the time. But the last time I heard about it, they had shifted to trying to make it a land bridge instead of a canal. That change alone shows how unfeasible and unrealistic this canal project really is. And even with a land bridge, I still don't see any reason why anyone would ditch the Malacca Strait. So no, Singapore isn't going anywhere and they will always remain the trading hub of Southeast Asia.

Because it's not a feasible idea. Just look at the map. The Suez and Panama Canal cuts through an entire continent, while Kra Canal cuts through only the Malay Peninsula.

And because the Kra region is mountainous, it would cost much more to construct and operate than the Suez. More water locks are needed, which significantly increases operating costs and sailing time.

It's not like an empty wide strait where ships can sail through without decelerating and stopping. You have to queue for it. It's like driving, you know the traffic jams happens when lanes merge and cars have to funnel. So in reality, there isn't much time and cost saved, if any.

Look at this. When oil prices are low, many ships would rather sail around Africa rather than through Suez Canal.

Cargo ships could save thousands by skipping the Suez Canal

The low price of oil is allowing cargo vessels to avoid the costly tariffs of the Suez and Panama canals and take the long way round Africa instead.

www.cnbc.com

Bear in mind that the Suez has already breakeven, so they can charge lower prices. So why would ships pay much more (due to terrain) just to queue and use the Kra Canal when it doesn't save much cost or time, if any?

Then many Chinese netizens talk about the strategic need to overcome it's chokepoint at the Malacca Strait which the US can hold hostage. It also sounds silly.

1) Thailand is a treaty ally of the US.

2) Do you think the Kra Canal or the Malacca Strait is a more vulnerable chokepoint?

Remember this?

Some bad actor just have to sabotage a ship on the narrowest point and the entire canal is paralyzed.