The 5/2025 meeting of the Working Group for Supervision and Monitoring of Environmental Protection in Phuket’s Environmental Protection Areas was held at 9:30am yesterday (Nov 13) at the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (MNRE Phuket).
The session was chaired by Natthakrit Phonphet, Director of the office, on assignment from Phuket Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai.
A key agenda item was the Expressway Authority of Thailand’s plan to develop the Muang Mai–Koh Kaeo–Kathu Expressway, a route that falls within land designated as an environmentally protected area under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s 2024 regulations, said an official report of the meeting.
However, evident from photos at the meeting but not mentioned in the report is that included in the project title was the now revised Patong Tunnel project.
The Expressway Authority has hired a consortium of consultants – MAA Consultants Co Ltd, Asian Engineering Consultants Co Ltd, PSK Consultants Co Ltd, and Pre-Development Consultants Co Ltd – to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project.
The EIA report will be submitted to Phuket Provincial Office for review and comment before any request is made for land-use approval or construction permission.
Officials reviewed the project layout, proposed environmental safeguards, and mitigation measures designed to ensure the expressway meets all regulatory criteria. The discussion focused on maintaining transparency, minimising ecological disruption, and protecting Phuket’s long-term environmental balance.
The working group also addressed other issues related to the management of environmentally protected areas, aiming to strengthen coordination among agencies and uphold the policies of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said an official report of the meeting.
Further public consultations and provincial reviews are expected as the EIA process continues, the official report noted.