PM to check SEZ progress in Nakhon Phanom
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is scheduled to make a one-day trip on Monday to Nakhon Phanom, one of the provinces bordering Laos, to track the progress being made on the special economic zone (SEZ) and economic corridor projects.
Prayut will spend the day meeting joint government-private committees on economic solutions, visit local self-sufficiency communities, worship at the famous Phra That Phanom Temple, and also greet the locals.
The talks with the committees are expected to also cover nearby provinces Sakhon Nakhon and Mukdahan, covering agriculture, food, tourism and water management.
Located on an economic corridor, Nakhon Phanom is known for its connectivity potential with Laos. In 2011, the 3rd Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connected Khammouane’s Thakhek in Laos with Nakhon Phanom’s At Samat district
Last December, Prayut used Article 44 to declare At Samat an SEZ together with Ban Kao district in western Kanchanaburi.
During the previous budget year, border trade in Nakhon Phanom was valued at Bt12 billion and is estimated to reach Bt15 billion this year, given improved transportation infrastructure in Laos, which is subsequently linked to Vietnam, according to the Customs Department.