The cabinet on Tuesday approved a 300-million-baht funding splash on 13 projects to be implemented in Phayao, Chiang Rai, Phrae and Nan to facilitate these northern provinces' tourism development.
The cabinet resolution was reached at a mobile meeting held in Phayao and chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was on a two-day trip to the upper North.
During his visit on Monday and Tuesday, the PM also visited the site of a new airport to be built in Phayao.
While in the area, the cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a new Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Phayao by the end of this year, which is part of a plan to upgrade Phayao into the North's new main tourism destination.
Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, said that of the 13 development projects approved, nine were proposed by local government administrative bodies and the other four by the private sector in the upper North.
The nine projects are worth 155 million baht, while the other four projects are together worth 145.88 million baht, said Mr Danucha.
The nine projects are gastronomy tourism and a related capacity-building project, a project aimed at encouraging more creativity and sustainability in health tourism in the upper North, a project to encourage innovations in the region's tea and coffee production as part of its tourism promotion, a project aimed at upgrading health promotion products of provinces in the upper North, a tourism infrastructure development project, a project to upgrade agricultural products, a project to upgrade Nan's tourism quality, a project to support Nan to work towards having its old towns listed as a new World Heritage site, a project to promote the safe agricultural practice in Nan's coffee bean production and a project to upgrade agricultural production in Phrae.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the TAT, said that the value of these projects ranges from 5 to 26 million baht each.
The private sector, meanwhile, has put forward plans to develop a section of Highway No.1202 in the Pa Daet district of Chiang Rai (50 million baht), boost tourist safety in Chiang Rai (50 million baht), develop a road in Phayao (25.88 million baht), and fight PM2.5 dust pollution in the upper North (20 million baht).
In related news, the cabinet also approved a request for another 6.75 billion baht in additional funding to build a new motorway between Bang Pa-in and Nakhon Ratchasima.
