South development plan approved

 The move, sealed at a mobile Cabinet meeting in Songkhla province, is in line with the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-21).
Nattaporn Jatusripitak, a spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister overseeing economics, highlighted the Southern region's world-renowned seaside attractions, saying these would provide a base for the continued generation of income for residents. These areas had the right ecological conditions for aquaculture production as well as for rubber and palm oil.
The spokesman said the South also had geographical advantages for trade, given its proximity to main trade routes that connect with the country's other regions and with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation - an international organisation involving countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Nattaporn said the Ministry of Transport was tasked with accelerating transport infrastructure projects in the South for the development of industrial zones and for improving connections with global trade routes.
Among these projects, a transport network would be established to improve the connections for major tourist attractions and railways would be developed to service tourism initiatives on the Andaman Sea coast and in the Gulf of Thailand.
Phuket's cruise ship port will be improved to meet the needs of a growing industry and marinas in other centres - Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani – would also be developed into facilities with global standards.
Other proposed transport infrastructure includes motorway and distribution centres. In addition to the port improvements, an airport will be built to support a rubber-processing industrial zone.
Based on the development strategies, the South will see a number of its popular attractions upgraded to the level of world-class facilities – especially important for the promotion of the cruise industry for ports in Phuket and Krabi provinces.
The main cities in the South, including Phuket as a so-called smart city with a monorail service, would see overall development benefits and community tourism would be promoted.
For rubber and palm oil processing, the Hat Yai-Sadao rubber processing industrial zone would be developed to environmental friendly standards, and this project would be connected with other economic development zones and with Rubber City.
Integrated oleochemicals industrial zones would be developed in Krabi, Surat Thani and Chumphon, alongside the promotion of biological technology and innovation for agricultural production, including unique agricultural products as part of a push for smart farming.
The Cabinet also approved financial measures for seven projects in the three southernmost provinces.
Among these projects, a soft-loan scheme will be extended for a further five years dated to the end of 2016, as Bt7 billion of an approved loan amount of Bt25 billion remains untapped. 
Other financial measures approved yesterday include the extension by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives of a debt moratorium for farmers for three more years.
For the five southernmost provinces, a project to assist the victims of terrorism will be extended. Another measure involves the provision of emergency loans to Muslims.