Thailand's Rural Roads Department is launching two major bridge projects totaling 6.7 billion baht in southern Thailand, expected to break ground by September 2026 and complete by 2029. The Songkhla Lake bridge (4.8B baht, 7 km) will cut travel time between Phatthalung and Songkhla from 80 km to 7 km, while the Lanta Island connector (1.9B baht, 2.2 km) will reduce crossing time from 2 hours to under 5 minutes. Both projects leverage 70% World Bank financing and are designed to unlock tourism and economic growth in Thailand's southern provinces. Contract signing with Malaysian contractor CHEC Construction expected by late August/early September.