Thailand's government has announced it will fast-track planning for a $31 billion 'land bridge' across the narrow southern Isthmus of Kra, citing the strategic lesson of the Strait of Hormuz closure as evidence that controlling key shipping routes carries major economic and geopolitical value. The proposed project would link deep-water ports in Ranong and Chumphon provinces via a 90-kilometre road and rail corridor, offering an alternative to the congested Strait of Malacca and potentially cutting cross-ocean shipping times by four days and costs by 15 percent. However, the plan faces substantial scepticism — shipping industry experts, opposition lawmakers, environmental groups, and civil society organisations have all questioned the financial projections, logistical complexity, and potential damage to fisheries and six UNESCO World Heritage sites in the region, with critics warning the numbers 'simply don't add up' and construction unlikely to be completed before 2039 even under optimistic assumptions.