Sathit calls on cabinet to listen to locals in the East

>> Democrat deputy leader Sathit Pitudecha has called on the government to actually listen to people in Trat and Chanthaburi instead of simply canvassing for support during a mobile cabinet tour to the two eastern provinces this week.

The two-day tour will start in Trat tomorrow.

Mr Sathit, a former MP from Rayong, said the visits should be aimed at listening to the voices of local people so the government can map out projects that suit them.

“What people in the East want are projects that will improve their quality of life, such as flood prevention schemes in Pattaya, Chanthaburi and Rayong, as well as projects to address traffic congestion, such as intersection underpasses and new motorways.

He insisted the administration must ensure Trat and Chanthaburi are spared from industrial development since they serve as hubs for farming and tourism.

During the cabinet trip, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) is expected to propose directives for the development of the eastern provinces, such as supporting Chanthaburi to become a fruit- and gem-producing city.

The Transport Ministry is expected to announce a double-track railway project stretching to Trat.

The private sector in Trat is set to seek the cabinet’s approval to upgrade two temporary border passes to permanent crossing points into Cambodia — Ban Mamuang in tambon Nonsri of Trat’s Bo Rai district and Ban Tha sen in tambon Laemklad of Trat’s Muang district.

Businesses hope the approval will double the current value of border trade. The crossing between Thailand and the Cambodian province of Koh Kong is thought to handle about 25 billion-30 billion baht of trade every year.

It is also believed that the two crossings will can encourage visitors to and from the Cambodian tourism hotspots of Angkor Wat and Tonle Sap.