Why should not Malaysia and Thailand rebuild the ancient Indian empire trade route from Penang to Yala, and from there to Thailand's East Coast, near the Malaysia Thai border?

 by Ganesh Sahathevan

The  Bujang Valley archelogical site  is by all accounts a site of some historical significance, but  which has yet to be properly surveyed. The process can be difficult but analysis of satellite imagery of the terrain at and around the site can provide useful information.

The first picture below is a Google map view of Northern Malaysia onto which a terrain image has been superimposed. The second image is a magnification of the terrain image in which elevation (height) has been exaggerated to enhance features that may otherwise remain hidden.
The colour scheme is arranged such that higher elevations are more brightly coloured, and the plains mostly blue.
The Valley is located to the south the peak at the top left corner of the "blue box" in the Google Map image, and in the terrain image below that. The images may be magnified by clicking on them.
Penang island is located at the bottom left corner of the blue box.

Bujang Valley Terrain Model

Using gravity data the pathways between the East and West coast of the peninsular from the Bujang Valley are clearer. A path from Penang to Sungai Patani ,and then to Yala, navigating a narrow strip of higher ground, seems evident.This path is likely a riverbed, which has since been concealed by vegetation. 

These are said to ancient trade routes, but why should not Malaysia and Thailand rebuild the ancient Indian empire trade route from Penang to Yala, and from there to Thailand's East Coast, near the Malaysia Thai border? That seems more viable than cutting Thailand in half to create the Kra Isthmus canal. 

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