Nipon, Madam Dear organise citizen-level development forum in Songkhla

The forum, dubbed “What kind of Songkhla do you want... Speak out, young ones” kicked off with Nipon asking what the people, and especially the younger generation, envisaged as the ideal infrastructure, economy, politics, society, environment, quality of life, and even the direction Thailand should take.

Madam Dear told participants that in developed countries with a high quality of life, power is generally decentralised, and there is greater citizen participation in politics, whether in communist or democratic nations. For example, China has highly empowered local governments, and each province can make decisions independently without constantly consulting the central government. She cited Shenzhen as an example, noting that the city’s rapid development into a technological hub occurred because they could decide how to allocate tax funds, thereby attracting investors and increasing purchasing power to collect more taxes.

Switzerland, on the other hand, practices direct democracy, where decisions are made through popular votes – referenda - whether to elect parliament members or to decide on a new football fields. If a government wants a new football field, they ask citizens to vote on whether to have one or not, ensuring genuine local participation.

Despite these two countries having polar opposite forms of governance, they both decentralise power to local authorities to foster progress. In Thailand, income generated in the southern region often doesn't return to benefit the region, leading to calls for more realistic budget allocation decisions that involve the local population rather than centralised decisions.

Sunpetch assured participants that he would take the issues discussed for further deliberation in the parliament to emphasise the problems and the public's needs to relevant agencies.

Samart mentioned the government's efforts to address the issues faced by the southern region. He specifically talked about the monorail project in Hat Yai, which Nipon proposed during his time as the Provincial Administrative Organisation president but which is still waiting for budget approval. He expressed concern that the government might allocate the budget to projects in Chiang Mai first. Songkhla-Hat Yai contributes trillions of baht to the country's economy, he added, yet funding for the first electric train line in the province, which requires tens of billions, remains elusive.

In addition, the airfare from Bangkok to Hat Yai is expensive because the government has set high price ceilings. He also noted that the land bridge project has not attracted investors because it is not cost-effective. The government needs to adjust the projects by prioritising the construction of deep-sea ports, highways, and dual-track railway projects to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in the southern region.

The participants in the event expressed their desire for enhanced safety measures and the development of clean and attractive tourist destinations. They suggested improving the landscape by putting power lines underground and enhancing transportation systems for easier access to various locations. This would promote economic growth in the tourism sector and ensure that people enjoy a good quality of life with adequate welfare measures.