The news broke yesterday (May 19) that Chinese and Thai officials reportedly signed the MoU in Guangzhou this week.
The canal would take 10 years to complete at a cost of at least US$28 billion (B934.5 billion), the Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily reported.
Once completed, the ‘Kra Canal’ would offer an alternative sea link between Asia with the Middle East and Europe, bypassing the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping lane for world trade.
Mr Paisal, who is also the secretary of the influential Thai-Chinese Culture and Economy Association, made the clarification yesterday in a post on his Facebook fan page (click here), referring to photos of the MoU signing that have since gone viral.
He especially noted that “the Thai person” featured in the photos of the MoU signing did not represent the Thai government.
The Thai person pictured was Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, who also served as prime minister in 1996-7. More recently he was aligned politically with the Pheu Thai Party.
Mr Paisal did not refer to Mr Chaowalit by name.
The photos show that MoU signing was between the China-Thailand Kra Infrastructure Investment & Development Co Ltd and the Asia Union Group Co Ltd.
“The Thai signer is a former senior politician who has nothing to do with the Thai government, and the Chinese representative is a businessman who has no relation with the Chinese government,” Mr Paisal wrote.
“And the signing was made in Bangkok on May 10, 2015.”
Mr Paisal added that he had been unable to identify the Chinese representative, but added that the man claimed to have connections with the Chinese government.
“It is important for the governments of Thailand and China to keep an eye on this story because the Kra Canal is of significant national interest and involves important security and economic strategies that can bring peace and prosperity to the region,” Mr Paisal wrote.
“If we do it right, it could generate many benefits for the nation and the region. It is imperative to make sure that nobody claims it as a personal interest, as this could cause harm to the country.”