On the bustling Thursday streets of Surat Thani, Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri stood before a sea of eager reporters and local officials. She was there for more than just a photo op; she was there to discuss progress on the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC), a project set to reshape the very bones of Southern Thailand’s infrastructure. With the promise of better connectivity between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, the SEC is pegged as a monumental effort to bolster the region’s economic and transport links—and spirits were high as the minister laid out this grand vision. The gathering was a veritable who’s who of regional visionaries from Surat Thani, Ranong, Chumphon, and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces—each understanding the weight of this ambitious dream. “The South is a powerhouse waiting to surge,” Minister Manaporn emphasized. “If we align its tourism and economic potential with strategic infrastructure, the possibilities…
