After the cabinet's mobile meeting approved three double-track southern railway projects, Pipat revealed plans to develop southern roads, including building motorways and expanding roads from Pranburi to Songkhla.
1 September 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, joined the official cabinet mobile meeting press conference in Songkhla after the cabinet approved three double-track southern railway routes. He said that for the route from Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province to Sungai Kolok District, Narathiwat Province, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will complete the design by January, followed by the environmental impact assessment (EIA), then proceed with subsequent steps.
Regarding efforts to serve the people of 14 southern provinces, on 28 August the Ministry of Transport opened additional trial service for the M82 motorway section from Ekachai to Ban Phaeo, covering 25 kilometers. This will connect and facilitate travel for people heading to the south.
Another aspect is the ongoing development of road N8 (Nakhon Pathom to Cha-am), which will run parallel to Phetkasem Road, the original southern route. It will pass through Nakhon Pathom and connect to Phetburi. There will be an alternative parallel road from Nakhon Pathom to Khao Yoi, then through Kaeng Krachan, emerging at Pranburi District, serving as a parallel route to Phetkasem Road. This connection aims to enhance travel and transport capacity.
Mr. Pipat added, the next plan is for the Ministry of Transport to upgrade the motorway from Pranburi to Songkhla, before branching toward Narathiwat Province. The design will have the right lane as a motorway for both directions, while the existing lanes on the left and right will be expanded to two lanes each. .