Southern Democrat MPs pressed the government to urgently address four main problems in the South along with three hot issues awaiting resolution in Songkhla province. They stressed that the upcoming Songkhla Cabinet meeting must provide clear solutions and policies, warning against merely staging an impressive, image-focused meeting.
At 10:00 a.m. on 30 Aug 2026 at the Democrat Party headquarters, Chaiyanat Dechdejcho, party-list MP and deputy party leader, together with Kan Tangpong, Trang MP; Saksit Khawthong, Songkhla MP; Songsak Musikhong, Nakhon Si Thammarat MP; and party spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, held a press conference to suggest solutions for Southern provinces ahead of the off-site Cabinet meeting (Cabinet on tour) in Songkhla from 31 Aug to 1 Sep 2026. Chaiyanat stated that the government should have clear long-term policies to help southern residents, proposing solutions in four areas: 1) The drop in prices of agricultural products including rubber, palm oil, and especially mangosteen, which fell below 15 baht per kilogram while farmers’ costs reach 20 baht per kilogram; 2) Consideration of the "Rubber Valley" agricultural processing industrial estate project in Nabon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, previously proposed by the Democrat Party for sustainable processing and export; 3) Development of an application to help farmers record orchard production costs, with participants prioritized for compensation funds; 4) Since the government announced it would not proceed with the land bridge project, the allocated budget should be redirected to invest in the Southern Connect project to develop rail links connecting Songkhla, Ranong, and Trang ports to Laem Chabang port, upgrading the Thung Song distribution center into an ICD to reduce logistics costs for businesses and farmers, alongside the announced double-track railway connecting Malaysia (Phetchaburi–Sungai Kolok). Detailed budget plans specifying fiscal years 2027 or 2028, required amounts, and clear completion dates must be provided.
Chaiyanat further addressed the ongoing unrest in the three southern border provinces, which has recently intensified, stating that the government must thoroughly review and verify budget transparency and efficiency. This includes confirming whether personnel listed as active are genuinely present, investigating potential salary fraud where individuals are paid but absent, and auditing military equipment and CCTV cameras for cost-effectiveness and losses. Should any state officials be found involved with insurgents, strict legal action must be taken. He urged Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, who vowed to restore the South's greatness, to initiate real rehabilitation now that his government is in power. He called on the Cabinet to genuinely work during the upcoming off-site meeting in Songkhla rather than merely creating appearances that burden local officials with ceremonial duties. If the Cabinet truly implements real development and allocates genuine budgets, it should not be just a paper tiger.
Saksit Khawthong, Songkhla MP from the Democrat Party, highlighted urgent problems facing Songkhla residents, urging the Cabinet meeting to focus on three main issues: 1) Water management following last year’s severe floods, noting that canal dredging under the responsibility of the Royal Irrigation Department and local governments remains delayed due to procurement bottlenecks. He proposed that the Royal Irrigation Department deploy its own machinery directly or coordinate with provincial and municipal administrations to expedite dredging before the upcoming monsoon. Despite government approval of central budgets, ineffective implementation ultimately harms citizens and unfairly blames the Irrigation Department; 2) The Chana Industrial Estate project, where locals remain worried and confused due to past experiences with energy projects that promised free electricity or cheap gas but failed while harming the environment and traditional livelihoods. There is suspicion that the main beneficiaries are brokers and land speculators. He urged the government to seriously listen to local voices within the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) framework and avoid policies contradicting previous election promises;
"Additionally, the crisis faced by local fishermen around Songkhla Lake, suffering from the lake’s shallowing due to sediment deposits after floods, has led to a significant decline in aquatic life. Industrial factories have exacerbated this crisis by illegally discharging wastewater. Therefore, we call on the government and the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA) to address and take responsibility for the wastewater treatment system of Hat Yai Municipality, including repairing the deteriorated underground drainage structures before they discharge into Khlong Khu and Khlong Ku canals in Bang Klam District, which flow into Songkhla Lake. This is crucial to urgently restore the ecosystem and revive fishing livelihoods," Saksit said.