The Cabinet has approved a 6.7 billion baht loan from the World Bank combined with government funds to build bridges connecting Koh Lanta and Songkhla Lake, along with a 402 million baht investment to conserve Thailand's last 14 Irrawaddy dolphins. Disbursement is expected to begin in Q4 2026.
Mr. Siripong Angkasukolkit, Deputy Minister of Transport, announced that the Cabinet meeting approved a World Bank loan for the Department of Rural Roads to construct a bridge connecting Koh Klang and Koh Lanta Noi subdistricts in Koh Lanta District, Krabi Province, and a bridge across Songkhla Lake linking Krasae Sin District, Songkhla Province, with Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province. The loan ratio is set at 70:30, with 70% from the World Bank and 30% from the national budget, detailed as follows.
The total budget is 1,849.5 million baht, consisting of a 1,260 million baht World Bank loan and 589.5 million baht from the national budget.
The total budget is 4,892 million baht, with 3,290 million baht from the World Bank loan and 1,539 million baht from the national budget. Next, the Ministry of Finance will prepare the budget plan and forward it to the Department of Rural Roads for execution. Disbursement of the entire project budget is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026.
However, since the Songkhla Lake bridge project is located in an environmentally sensitive area, a conservation plan for the Irrawaddy dolphins will be conducted alongside construction. Currently, only five countries worldwide have this dolphin species, and in Thailand's Songkhla Lake, only 14 remain. The conservation budget totals 402 million baht from three sources: 1) a 129 million baht grant from the World Bank, 2) 138 million baht from the national budget, and 3) 134 million baht from the Science, Research and Innovation Promotion Fund (SRI Fund).
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