The western section of the Southern Corridor between Bangkok and Kanchanaburi would be expected to handle some volume of Thailand’s trade, but west of Kanchanaburi, the volume becomes negligible.
The key issue is whether Dawei Port will generate major trade flows, allowing it to act as a westerly gateway port.
Indications are that Dawei will principally be a heavy industry port and is unlikely to attract container traffic.
The speculative nature of the area’s development has constrained Dawei’s development, though more recently, the Government of Thailand is indicating its financial support, particularly in developing the road link between Kanchanaburi and Dawei.
The northern sub-corridor of the Southern Corridor through Siem Reap in Cambodia to Cuy Nhon in Viet Nam is not handling significant trade flows and Quy Nhon does not possess the potential to become a gateway port.