Thailand's Ministry of Transport signed construction contracts on 31 August with Malaysian firm CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd for two major bridge projects totalling 6.695 billion baht: a 7 km bridge across Songkhla Lake (4.841B baht) and a 2.24 km bridge connecting Koh Lanta (1.854B baht). Funded 70% by World Bank loans and 30% from government budget, construction will take 1,080 days with expected completion in 2027. The projects aim to dramatically reduce travel times (80 km reduced to 7 km for Songkhla; 2+ hours reduced to under 5 minutes for Koh Lanta) and boost economic and tourism development in southern Thailand.