Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin defended his government’s ambitious land bridge mega project in Parliament today, saying that the project will put Thailand on the map for several countries that want to use Thailand as a production-for-export base.

The prime minister also showed his pink socks to reporters, in response to criticism from Democrat MP Jurin Laksanawisit.

On the second day of the debate on the government’s budget bill for the 2024 fiscal year, the prime minister stressed the strategic importance of the land bridge project, especially in the next 10-15 years, when the Straits of Malacca will become increasingly congested, forcing many cargo ships to wait longer before they can dock in Singapore to unload their cargo, including crude oil.

He claimed that 60% of the world’s crude oil goes through the Straits of Malacca each year.

The prime minister offered an assurance, however, that the government will conduct public hearings to hear the views of the local people and civic groups about the mega project.

The land bridge project will link Ranong, on Thailand’s western coast, with Chumphon, on the eastern coast, via a road and rail system carrying cargo from vessels in the Andaman Sea to the Gulf, which will help decrease the sea transport time through the Straits of Malacca by about four days.

Responding to former commerce minister Jurin’s criticism of the government’s budget as a “lame duck”, Srettha said he found Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai more efficient than Jurin after less than a year in the office, citing Phumtham’s achievement in clinching Free Trade Area (FTA) agreements with several countries.

Responding to the former Democrat party leader’s comments on the colour of his socks, the prime minister, in a jocular mood, told reporters, as he showed them off, that he chose to wear pink socks today to prove that the colour of his socks has nothing to do with his work.