Regional authorities are stepping up efforts to promote the Thailand Riviera coastal route as a major tourism corridor, as part of plans to improve public awareness, enhance visitor facilities and spread tourism income to communities along the Gulf of Thailand's western coastline.
The project was discussed at a recent meeting of the Joint Public and Private Sector Committee for Economic Problem Solving (JPPCC) for the Lower Central Region 2, which comprises Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram.
Prachuap Khiri Khan deputy governor Preeda Sukjai said the Thailand Riviera project is a coastal road network being developed by the Department of Rural Roads to connect key tourism destinations and encourage visitors to explore secondary cities rather than concentrating solely on major resorts.
The project covers 12 provinces along the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand and is planned in four phases, spanning a total distance of 1,944 kilometres.
The first phase, stretching 659km from Samut Sakhon through Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon to Ranong, has already been completed.
The second phase, covering a 600km route from Chumphon to Songkhla via Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, is scheduled to undergo feasibility studies and preliminary design work in 2027. The third phase, linking Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat over 602km, is currently undergoing feasibility studies, with the findings expected to be completed this year. The fourth phase, an 83km section connecting Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram, is scheduled for land surveys in 2028.
The meeting also discussed launching promotional events at Khlong Khon in Samut Songkhram, inviting travel influencers to review the scenic drive and working with Google Maps to improve navigation where the route temporarily diverges from rural roads onto national highways, to make sure the route is better known.
