With an air of enthusiasm, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai found themselves surrounded by cheering supporters upon alighting from their train journey from Udon Thani at the Nong Khai railway station, a bustling transportation hub that symbolizes optimism and economic growth.
Fulfilling his duties as Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin has prioritized a key tour of the northeastern provinces of Thailand. He aims to understand the local issues better and figure out how to push the region’s economy to new heights. Stepping into Nong Bua Lam Phu province with this aim, he announced his decision to hold an unprecedented mobile cabinet meeting in November, a ray of hope for the local inhabitants long-awaiting growth and development.
The strategic location, vibrant local customs office, and the proximity of Nong Bua Lam Phu to the Laos border are hard to ignore. Realizing the potential, Thavisin plans to illuminate the local issues, such as low incomes, drug problems, and drought, that have been plaguing the community and thereby addressing those concerns.
Thavisin’s recent inspection trip to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani adds another feather to his cap. The Prime Minister’s sharp eye identifies these provinces as potential economic engines, given their available resources and geographic advantages. The presence of airports that can boost tourism and their strategic location near Laos, a high-speed rail route to China, open doors for potential economic development.
Thavisin is eager to discuss the construction of a double-track rail line from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai in the upcoming cabinet meeting. A budget has been laid out to turn this vision into reality, and the endeavor will not only boost tourism but also increase trade.
Thavisin stressed that the ambitious project of developing a rail line is not merely a cost expenditure but an investment. Parallelly, Nong Khai and Vientiane in Laos are to be interconnected by a cargo station as part of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, injecting life into local industry while strengthening the bond of brotherly nations.
Governmental agencies are clearly pulling out all the stops in bolstering facilities required to accommodate exporters encountering shipment challenges to Laos and China. Thavisin intends to revisit the Northeast to get real-time updates regarding the infrastructure projects, indicating his dedication and commitment to the cause.
Local businessmen shared their aspirations to have a bridge erected, linking Nong Khai and Vientiane, by 2029, along with a business center for traders. They hope that the government will support a Khon Kaen University initiative, aiming to inaugurate a school for high-speed railway engineering. Concurrently, they are urging to promote additional pro-Nong Khai economic policies to improve the local workforce skills and bolster the Northeastern economies altogether.
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