The Transport Ministry has outlined 14 major infrastructure projects worth about 362.6 billion baht in the South, including the 106.8-billion-baht second phase of the southern double-track railway.
Deputy Transport Minister Sanphet Bunyamanee said on Monday the ministry was working to speed up the projects to cut transport costs, improve connectivity and support local economies.
The railway project was approved by the cabinet on Sept 1, allowing the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to proceed with three sections covering a combined 504 kilometres.
They comprise a 168km section between Chumphon and Surat Thani costing 36.89 billion baht; a 291km section between Surat Thani and Hat Yai Junction costing 61.53 billion baht; and a 45km section between Hat Yai Junction and Padang Besar costing 8.37 billion baht.
The SRT is preparing to open the projects to bidding, with contracts expected to be signed in 2027. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2033.
Other projects in the ministry’s southern infrastructure programme include the Andaman Ring Port development in Phuket, Phangnga and Krabi, the Hat Yai Ring Road, the Phuket Expressway, an expressway linking Koh Samui to the mainland and a mass transit system in Songkhla.
The projects are at different stages, ranging from feasibility studies and approval processes to construction planning, Mr Sanphet said.
Two projects nearing construction are a 4.6-billion-baht bridge across Songkhla Lake linking Songkhla and Phatthalung, and a 1.78-billion-baht bridge connecting the mainland to Koh Lanta in Krabi.
Contracts for both bridges were signed on Aug 31, and the Department of Rural Roads plans to issue notices to proceed on Nov 14. Construction is expected to take about three years, with both bridges due to open in 2029.
The Songkhla Lake bridge is expected to shorten journeys by about 80km, cutting travel times from nearly two hours to 15-30 minutes. The Koh Lanta bridge will reduce reliance on ferries, improve access to the island and make it easier for emergency medical services to reach residents.
Mr Sanphet said the bridges addressed long-standing demands from local communities.
“What people want is not just plans, but roads they can use, bridges they can cross and transport systems that genuinely improve their lives,” he said.