alternatehistory.com

The Thai Canal across the Isthmus of Kra seems like a pretty logical thing to construct, since it doesn't look like the terrain is necessarily more difficult than Panama plus the distance is slightly shorter. And Thailand and its predecessor states have been apparently wanting to build it since the 17th century!

So, let's have a thread on the Thai Canal! I have two questions of interest to me.

First, how early could the Thai Canal feasibly be constructed? Obviously the earliest proposals are infeasible, but is it doable by the late 19th century? Is it doable before WWII? Or is this something that would have to wait until the Cold War or even the modern day?

Any second, what might happen if the Thai Canal is built? I know that it would change up WWII in Southeast Asia quite a bit. How stronger might Thailand get because of this, because now Thailand would be able to take a decent amount of the Strait of Malacca's traffic. How might this weaken Malaysia and play into Cold War geopolitics in the area? And how stronger could Thailand be with the canal in play?
Top