Nearly 200 southern projects worth THB57bn head to mobile Cabinet

The government’s mobile Cabinet meeting in Songkhla is expected to consider 199 development proposals from five southern provinces with a combined preliminary value of more than 57 billion baht.

Government House sources said the projects were reviewed at a preparatory meeting for the first official off-site Cabinet meeting of 2026, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Tuesday (August 25).

The proposals cover Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and will be presented to the mobile Cabinet meeting in Songkhla on September 1.

However, Phiphat stressed that the proposals remained preliminary and would undergo further screening before being submitted to the Cabinet.

Songkhla submits projects worth more than THB35bn

The Songkhla governor proposed five projects ready for immediate implementation, with a combined budget of 50 million baht.

The projects cover economic development, tourism, culture, transport and disaster prevention.

The province also submitted 26 policy-level projects requiring government support, with a combined value of 35.061 billion baht.

The proposals involve agencies under the Interior, Transport, Energy, Public Health, Finance, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Digital Economy and Society, and Labour ministries, as well as the Royal Thai Police and the Budget Bureau.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment raised concerns about a project connecting two seas that includes tourism cruises to view Irrawaddy dolphins.

The ministry warned that the activity could have wide-ranging effects on the ecosystem and the dolphins’ habitat. It asked the agencies involved to reassess the project and conduct further studies.

The Songkhla Highway District also reported 133 urgent projects, some of which had already been completed. A further 106 remained unfinished, requiring an additional 1.941 billion baht after being affected by flooding.

Satun urged to expand development coverage

The Satun governor proposed 17 urgent projects covering economic development, transport and disaster prevention.

The province also submitted 11 policy proposals requiring government support, although no budget figures were specified.

Phiphat asked the province to expand the scope of its proposals to include Manang and Thung Wa districts.

Yala proposes THB4.65bn in funded projects

Yala submitted 10 projects ready for implementation, with a combined value of 338.145 million baht.

The province also requested budget support for four further projects worth a total of 4.308 billion baht.

One additional policy proposal from the private sector, which would not require a government budget, was included in Yala’s submission.

Pattani focuses on flooding and water management

Pattani proposed six projects ready for implementation, with a combined budget of 50 million baht.

The projects focus on proactive disaster monitoring, improving drainage efficiency, easing difficulties involving essential household supplies, preventing waterlogging in communities and developing public water sources at ponds numbered five, six, seven and eight.

Phiphat also raised questions over a proposed 400-million-baht dredging project for Pattani’s waterway.

He instructed the Pattani governor to consult the Marine Department and reach a conclusion as quickly as possible.

The province was also asked to rank its proposed projects by priority before proceeding to the next stage.

Narathiwat seeks more than THB15bn for policy projects

Narathiwat submitted six projects ready for implementation, worth a combined 404.79 million baht.

The province also proposed eight policy-level projects requiring government support, with a combined value of 15.056 billion baht.

The preparatory meeting endorsed all the proposals submitted by Narathiwat.

More central funding sought for Songkhla

The meeting also approved in principle Songkhla’s request for funding from the central budget’s emergency and contingency reserve.

The request followed a resolution adopted by the Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee for addressing economic problems at its second meeting of 2026 on July 8.

The original request covered nine projects worth 99.5 million baht. It has since been reduced to six projects requiring 88.183 million baht.

The Interior Ministry and the Budget Bureau were assigned to proceed with the relevant steps.

Additional requests were also approved for Hat Yai City Municipality, amounting to 25.9 million baht, and Khuan Lang Town Municipality, worth 21.134 million baht. The two requests have a combined value of 47.034 million baht.

Private sector proposes port and economic-zone plans

The meeting acknowledged two proposals intended to strengthen the competitiveness of Songkhla’s private sector.

One would improve the competitiveness of Songkhla Port and reduce logistics costs for exporters and importers.

The other involves an integrated plan to develop a new economic area in Songkhla under the Strategic Environmental Assessment framework.

Phiphat said all the projects would first be considered by a joint public-private committee scheduled to meet in the following week.

They would then be submitted to the mobile Cabinet meeting, where the prime minister would review their details before assigning relevant agencies to proceed.

“Although many projects have been proposed, the government will screen them carefully,” Phiphat said.

“Only projects that are ready, offer value for money, do not create an excessive fiscal burden and benefit local people will be approved.”

Some proposals might receive approval only in principle, he added.

Projects addressing flooding were among those most likely to be approved as urgent priorities, although their details would still require further consideration before the mobile Cabinet meeting.

Source: Krungthep Turakij