The business community in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani has agreed to push for a new train service linking Pattani's Khok Pho district to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to bolster the local tourism industry.
Kriangsak Seriratyuenyong, president of the Yala chamber of commerce, said the train route was proposed by the provincial chambers of commerce of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat at a recent meeting in Trang.
He said the proposed route would link Kuala Lumpur to Pattani's Khok Po district via Narathiwat and Yala before adding that the route can serve as an excursion route or logistics for the local tourism sector.
However, he said the project needs a push from both Thai and Malaysian governments in order to materialise. The project is expected to be brought before the Thai chamber of commerce for review and then submitted to the government.
Kitti Wangthammang, president of the Narathiwat chamber of commerce, said the proposed route will facilitate cross-country travel all the way to Singapore. If it materialises, the link will serve as a boost to the local economy.
In addition, Mr Kitti also urged the government to speed up a project to upgrade the passenger terminal at Narathiwat provincial airport, which has been delayed for three years.
The project design has undergone a series of public hearings pending the budget allocation of 700-800 million baht, he said.
The terminal upgrade will boost the airport's capacity to accommodate more flights and passengers, he said, noting that the airport currently handles three round-trip flights operated by Air Asia and Thai Smile Airways.