The government has unveiled its latest plan to improve connectivity in the Northeast, which includes a proposal to upgrade Nakhon Phanom airport, increase flight frequencies, and construct new roads and highways in the region.
The plan was announced by Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, who was in Nakhon Phanom yesterday ahead of a mobile cabinet meeting scheduled to take place in the province later today.
First, she said, the government will upgrade Nakhon Phanom airport to increase its flight handling capacity.
The 165-million-baht project is part of a wider initiative to promote year-round tourism in second-tier provinces in the upper Northeast, which include Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, and Mukdahan.
The ministry has already asked airlines to increase the number of daily flights to and from Nakhon Phanom to 12 a day. From June 19, she said, AirAsia will operate eight flights to the airport per day, while Thai Lion Air will operate four daily.
In addition to increasing its flight handling capacity, the upgrade will make the airport more comfortable and convenient for travellers. Onward connections to other destinations within the province will also be improved, she said.
Sakon Nakhon airport will also see more flights in the future, with AirAsia and Nok Air planning to increase their scheduled services to the airport, she said.
The construction of Mukdahan airport will also proceed once the project's environmental impact assessment is completed, she said.
The government is also planning to build Highway 223, which will connect the Second Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge in Mukdahan to the Third Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge in Nakhon Phanom, according to Transport Minister Suriya Juangrungruangkit.
In addition, a road will be constructed along the banks of the Mekong River in the hopes of attracting more tourists to Nakhon Phanom.
The government is also building a railway line from Ban Phai to Nakhon Phanom, he said.
These projects should be ready by 2027, according to Mr Suriya.
The Transport Minister said the projects form an integral part of the government's plan to boost economic activities across the Greater Mekong sub-region.
In the future, the government will upgrade parts of the R12, a highway which connects Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The budget for the project, which will be handed over to Laos, has already been approved by the Thai cabinet.
The government is also in talks with airlines to increase services to Savannakhet airport in Laos, said Mr Suriya.