The government will move ahead with industrial plans in four upper southern provinces despite strong local opposition.
Deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Dhnadirek said the government had moved forward with the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC), which complements the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) under development now.
The briefing was held on Tuesday following a protest by people in Songkhla’s Chana district. They opposed the transformation of the province’s land into purple, the city plan code for industrial areas, which will pave the way for the construction of the Chana industrial estate, part of the SEC.
Ms Ratchada explained on Tuesday that the SEC, which covered Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces, would be a new economic zone and new access to the sea in the upper South.
SEC’s development framework consists of four components: development of the Western gateway for trade; development of the gateway for Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea tourism; bio-based and processed agricultural product industries; and ecological and cultural conservation, said Ms Ratchada.
Since last year, the government has been pushing the first phase of the SEC development, slated for 2019-22. The long-term plan from 2023 will consist of 111 projects worth a combined 102.4 billion baht, she said.
Among the projects are airports in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Rayong and the infrastructure development in the upper South.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has continued with infrastructure construction and investment to serve as the foundation for long-term development, she said.
The government has been moving ahead to create opportunities for the country with clear-cut strategic plans, she said.
The SEC project will help spur investments in the industrial sector and will link with the EEC to keep logistic costs at low levels.
On Monday, members of the Chana Rak Tin Network submitted a letter to Songkhla city hall in protest against the plan to change the colour code for the province to purple from green (agricultural use). The change will allow the development of heavy industries to proceed.
They were told the governor was away and no one came to accept their letter.
A brief struggle followed after officials did not allow the protesters to enter the meeting room where the decision on the issue was being made. They later changed their mind and allowed the protesters to enter the meeting room.
The protesters told the meeting the decision was based on a flawed public hearing held on July 11 by the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, which is responsible for pushing the project.
They urged the committee to drop the plan, which they claimed served only to satisfy the needs of businessmen.
The 21-member committee later on the same day voted in favour of the change.