Artic route opening (bypassing Singapore) = End of Singapore?

[zzm9980]

https://maps.google.com.sg/?ll=1.457087 ... 9&t=h&z=18

The new bridge that connects the causeway to the MY immigration centre has enough clearance for a ship to get under it if a canal was built.

Accident? I think not.

Singapore has been trying to stall this for years... if JB builds a bridge that allow ship access, Singapore's port could be in real danger.

It is not Malaysia's feeble attempts to clear ships under their 'bridge' that Singapore has to worry about, it's Thailand's insistence that one day it will build a Panama-Type canal right across the country, cutting out Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to all except import/export traffic which, let's face it makes up a very small percentage of throughput. Every time it is mentioned i simply wonder how much money 'flows' to Bangkok for them to consider what a crazy idea it actually is.

The Kra Canal. If you google it, there are a bunch of local SG forums talking about it, with their usual "insightful" commentary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Canal

It's also apparently a Chinese national interest. I bet DC and and Temasek both are giving gobs of money to Bangkok to stop it

[movingtospore]

Speaking of condos there, that's exactly what I read the other day: they're getting ready to move the entire container complex to Jurong Island, in the process freeing up that westerly sliver, which will then become residential.

Good News all round ....

Hardly.... what work will we all do when the whole island is condos?

Exactly what people like me, from places like Vancouver, have done - leave for work. Vancouver's working port and other resource-based industries disappeared over the last 25 years. Condos went up. Rich, non resident Chinese buyers moved in. Young people looking for real jobs moved out.

[zzm9980]

Good News all round ....

Hardly.... what work will we all do when the whole island is condos?

Exactly what people like me, from places like Vancouver, have done - leave for work. Vancouver's working port and other resource-based industries disappeared over the last 25 years. condos went up. Rich, non resident Chinese buyers moved in. Young people looking for real jobs moved out.

One of my favorite cities to visit, but for the life of me can't figure out how locals can afford to live there. High cost of living, not so high average wages... I'm rather certain it is almost exclusively used as a second home for rich Hong Kongers.