The Prachachat Party unveils a three-level strategic plan to transform three southern provinces into a global chip and halal hub, expanding airports and seaports to accommodate international trade.
On 15 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Rungrueng Pityasiri, head of the Prachachat Party's economic team, revealed a proactive economic development plan for the southern border provinces and four districts of Songkhla province. The plan aims to sustainably address unrest and livelihood issues by proposing a “three-level strategy” from grassroots to international levels.
Mr. Rungrueng explained that the three-level southern economic strategy includes: At the grassroots level, revitalizing the Peace Village Fund as a revolving fund to create household opportunities, and upgrading Thai halal industry standards (food and medicine) to international levels targeting major Middle Eastern markets. At the regional level, establishing a duty-free special economic zone to attract high-tech industries, especially superchip and semiconductor manufacturing, linking production bases from Malaysia, with a goal of 10% annual GDP growth. At the international level, unlocking logistics bottlenecks by expanding Ranong seaport to support trade with India and upgrading Pattani and Betong airports to promote tourism and international trade.
Additionally, the Prachachat Party has strong social policies, including canceling student loan debts (Student Loan Fund), genuinely promoting free education up to bachelor's degree, and establishing “debt relief clinics” to systematically restructure unsecured debts for the public.