Hat Yai has declared it wants to be a medical and wellness hub in the southern region.
Sitthisak Tonmongkol, secretary-general of Hat Yai Economic Forum (HEF), said several development projects will be launched to develop the southern city.
One project is aimed at making the city a walkable city where all people can easily, safely and conveniently access the city's commercial areas and public spaces on foot, which will result in less usage of private vehicles and lighter traffic, he said.
Mr Sitthisak said less developed areas of the city could be renovated under the concept of a "smart city", adding the area around the city's Khlong Toei canal has been chosen for this plan.
After the work is done, the canal will have clear water, with convenient, safe and attractive walking streets on both sides, he said. Activity areas would be located along the canal, a new attraction.
Mr Sitthisak said Hat Yai adopted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (Unesco) concept of "learning city" in 2021, with the city's old commercial area selected to be part of the Hat Yai Living Museum project. This will allow visitors to the area to learn about its culture and history through walking tours and other activities.
In addition, a project to turn the city into a medical and wellness hub was also proposed, with platforms set up for receiving opinions and suggestions on development plans.
Mr Sitthisak said a project to acquire land for the second Hat Yai Hospital is also underway. The hospital will be built on a 100-rai piece of donated land.
The hospital will be built under the concept of "hospital-oriented development (HOD)" and will accessible by patients in the seven southernmost provinces, he said.
