Phiphat revealed plans to have the NESDC study a new deep-sea port in Chana District as a semi-industrial estate invested by the private sector, noting that the Songkhla port area cannot be expanded to accommodate larger ships due to proximity to a historical site that prevents further dredging.
17 Aug 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, spoke about the upcoming offsite cabinet meeting in Songkhla from 31 August to 1 September. As Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the southern region, he has held meetings with Mr. Worasit Liangprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior, and Mr. Sanphet Boonyamanee, Deputy Minister of Transport, along with provincial governors and the Public-Private Joint Committee (PPJC) to present various projects for the five southern provinces (Songkhla, Satun, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat). They aim to collect proposals for the Songkhla governor to submit through the Ministry of Interior to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), which will meet again on 31 August.
Most projects focus on flood prevention, as Songkhla experienced severe flooding last year, while the other four provinces were affected to varying degrees. Other projects involve reviewing provincial zoning plans to consider color zoning adjustments and economic development, especially in the three southern border provinces, to revitalize local economies given their relatively low per capita income. Discussions will involve each provincial governor. For Songkhla, there will be a development project in Chana District as a semi-industrial estate with private sector investment.
When asked if this means reviving the canceled Chana industrial estate project from the Prayut Chan-o-cha government era, Mr. Phiphat said it is not a revival but a new study by the NESDC to build upon and extend the idea. The NESDC conducted surveys on the Southern Economic Corridor (SCA) and identified the remaining issue as the construction of a deep-sea port. Although Songkhla already has a deep-sea port, congestion has become a concern among local exporters who worry the port cannot handle larger cargo ships.
, Songkhla port cannot be expanded because dredging beyond 9 meters is impossible due to underlying bedrock. This area, called Khua Daeng Hill, is a historical site, so deeper dredging into the seabed is prohibited. As a result, larger ships than currently accommodated cannot dock there. This matter will be studied further based on information gathered by Mr. Sanphet in collaboration with the Marine Department and will be presented to the NESDC for new study.
Regarding the budget for developing the five southern provinces, Mr. Phiphat said the figures have not been finalized yet, but most proposed investments will come from the private sector. The government's role will mainly be to approve projects, with urban planning being a key focus.