Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will lead her cabinet to the northeastern provinces of Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, and Mukdahan on Monday to inspect key projects and review local challenges ahead of a mobile cabinet meeting scheduled the following day in Nakhon Phanom.
The prime minister’s trip will focus on cross-border trade, water resource management, sustainable development initiatives, and drug suppression efforts along the Mekong River.
Ms Paetongtarn is scheduled to visit Don Koen Park in Muang district of Sakon Nakhon to review a major water rehabilitation project, followed by a stop at a handicraft centre in Nawa district of Nakhon Phanom promoting a "sustainable fashion" model. She will later chair a meeting on cross-border drug trafficking at the navy’s Mekong Riverine Unit before attending a local cultural ceremony by the Mekong river in Nakhon Phanom.
On Tuesday morning, Ms Paetongtarn will preside over the second mobile cabinet meeting of the year at Nakhon Phanom University, after which she will inspect the Nakhon Phanom Customs Office and key border checkpoints with Laos to assess cross-border trade operations.
"The prime minister’s visit to the Northeast is aimed at following up on the progress of development projects and addressing problems in all areas — from international trade and tourism to urban development," said government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.
"Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan are high-potential provinces, located along the border with Laos, with major transport routes that connect all the way to central Vietnam through Da Nang. The cabinet’s visit will allow the government to better see opportunities for further development and solutions to existing issues, helping these provinces enhance their competitiveness in tourism, trade, investment, and drug suppression. Reducing drug problems will, in turn, help improve the quality of life for people in the region," he said.