Warasit Liangprasert, Deputy Minister of Interior, visited the area ahead of the Cabinet's mobile meeting in Songkhla, advancing support for a feasibility study on a road linking Phatthalung and Satun. The project aims to connect transportation and logistics networks between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, reducing travel distance and boosting the southern economy.
At 10:30 a.m. on 29 August 2026, Warasit Liangprasert, Deputy Minister of Interior, visited the site to follow up on the feasibility study of a road network connecting Pa Bon district in Phatthalung province with Manang district in Satun province. He was joined by Kanit Kongsuay, Governor of Satun, Arthit Wongmusik, Chief District Officer of Manang, Samrit Liangprasert, President of Satun Provincial Administrative Organization, along with heads of government agencies, local administrative executives, members of parliament, and other relevant officials at Tham Phu Pha Phet, Palm Phatthana subdistrict, Manang district, Satun.
Warasit said this site visit was part of efforts to develop a transport network linking the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea, starting from Phatthalung to Satun provinces. The project addresses transportation difficulties faced by residents because current routes between Phatthalung and Satun require long detours of 145 to 243 kilometers, taking 2 to 4 hours to travel. This causes inconvenience and high transport costs. If the new connecting road is completed, it would reduce travel distance to about 40 kilometers and cut travel time to just 1 hour.
Since the border area between Satun and Phatthalung provinces lies within the Banthat Mountain National Reserved Forest, permissions and environmental impact studies must be conducted according to the Department of Forestry’s regulations under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Currently, Satun province, in cooperation with the Satun Rural Roads Department, has budgeted for a feasibility study covering a total road length of approximately 21.3 kilometers. This includes surveying a 7.6-kilometer route between Satun and Phatthalung and a 6.3-kilometer road within the Pa Bon Reservoir project in Phatthalung. The study duration is 270 days, starting from 10 August 2026 and ending on 6 May 2027.
"This project originated from local residents’ desire for more convenient travel, but at the same time, we must consider nature and the environment," Warasit said. "We need to discuss and find a shared approach with active participation from the community. The important point is that local people are the homeowners, so their needs must be heard. The project focuses on developing a complete transport network, enhancing logistics and freight efficiency, and supporting economic growth, trade, tourism, and investment in southern Thailand to improve people’s quality of life."
