Is the idea of a bridge across the sea just a fairy tale?

In the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea are cargo ships loaded with containers that clearly represent the South China Sea. In between there is a train and a truck connecting the two coasts. A short video promoting the scheme for the Ministry of Transport is even more revealing. "The port in Ranong will be developed into a world business center. The port at Chumpong will become the site of the world's clean high-tech industry," it says.

This project, which had been neglected, has come back to life as the Srett Tavisin government has refreshed the scheme and launched a campaign to attract support. Past governments have tried to do the same thing the Prime Minister is doing now, but without success. But former''The billionaire builder promised that this time will be different. "I am determined to make it happen," he said at an Economic Reporting Association forum on Oct. 25.

The Cabinet has already approved an estimated construction cost of at least 1 trillion baht. Where will the money come from? There is no need to worry. It will be done in a public-private partnership format. The government will take care of acquiring the land and laying a one-meter-wide railway track to connect it to the existing southern railroad.

The government will soon travel to sell the project to investors. It dreams of starting construction in 2025 and seeing it in operation by 2030.

The government is optimistic that investors will take up the scheme during roadshows due to its location and potential. The earth bridge could save ships up to 10 days' time by not having to pass through the busy Malacca Straits, and investors will be able to''use it for 50 years before handing it over to the state.

Everything about a bridge connecting the two seas looks attractive, at least on paper and in PR campaigns. But in reality, things may be different. A study conducted last year by Chulalongkorn University on behalf of the National Economic and Development Board has already pointed out some problems on the other side of the story.

The time saved by using this shortened route is not the only problem all ships face, as they have to factor in the cost of double transferring containers from one ship to another waiting on the other side of the coast, says the study. The earthen bridge project will''is only attractive to major ships unloading cargo onto smaller vessels, while vessels sailing non-stop between the two seas will not be interested in using the Thai bridge, the study adds.

And don't forget the two southern provinces where the earthen bridge is located - they have a high price to pay. Tourism in Ranong will be threatened, especially when the country decides to offer Mu Ko Ranong and Laemson National Parks as World Heritage Sites on a long-term basis, as the earth bridge and port are within the three-kilometer buffer zone of the parks.

The Lang Suan district in Chumphon is not on the main tourist route, but it is one of the fruit bowls in the southern regions known''with their rambutans and mangosteens. In addition, seaside fishing villages and farmers must make way for new infrastructure on the two coasts and the hinterland.

The recommendations of a Chulalongkorn University study are at least worth pondering. It suggests improving the already existing infrastructure in the south, from rail and roads to ports, rather than proceeding with this megaproject.

The project started in 1993, when Chuan Likapai was prime minister, with the aim of connecting Krabi and Nakhon Si Tammarat. Thailand even persuaded Malaysia to join the scheme in 1994 to compete with Singapore's port by connecting Penang and Songkhla ports. Since then, more locations have sprung up, including Satun and''Songkhlu. Whenever the plan is brought up again, it always ends up back on the shelf and no one is interested in investing the huge sums of money needed to realize it.

History loves to repeat itself, and this earth bridge project is no exception.