Deputy PM Visits Nan for Flood Recovery, Forest Restoration
Deputy Prime Minister Yossaphon Wongsa visited Nan province on October 19, 2026 to assess flood recovery and discuss watershed forest restoration with local foundations. He also met Temasek Foundation’s CEO to explore startup support via Thailand’s National Innovation Agency and toured the newly renovated Nant siphakkar Learning Center. The Nan Forest Preservation Foundation highlighted its use of satellite technology to combat deforestation and promote local economic development.
On October 19, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Yossaphon Wongsa visited Nan province to oversee flood recovery and discuss long-term development plans. Upon arrival, he met Ng Boon Heong, CEO of Temasek Foundation, to discuss potential collaboration with Thailand's National Innovation Agency (NIA) to nurture and promote Thai startups. He then proceeded to the Nant siphakkar Learning Center in Mueang Nan district to hold discussions with IOP staff and the Nan Forest Preservation Foundation, under royal patronage, where Bandidhur Lumsum, honorary chairman of Kasikorn Bank and vice‑chair of the foundation, welcomed him and presented a summary of the foundation's social and regional development work. The Nan Forest Preservation Foundation is tasked with protecting and restoring the province’s forests, which form a vital watershed for the Chao Phraya River, using satellite imagery to monitor illegal logging and analyze encroachment at the sub‑district level. Beyond forestry, the foundation creates economic value for local agricultural products and goods through online platforms, applying interdisciplinary knowledge from science, political science and economics, and continually carries out social and environmental initiatives with various agencies, such as funding the restoration of historic forestry learning sites in the area. The Nant siphakkar Learning Center, formerly the old Nan provincial hall built in 1968, has been renovated and landscaped into a Baroque–Lanna style building. It was granted the name 'Nant siphakkar,' meaning 'Nan Arts Building,' by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and opened to the public on December 5, 2025, serving as a learning space and landmark for the province. Inside, exhibitions link history, art, culture, science and technology, including a display of King Rama IX’s royal biography and his land‑rover vehicle, a museum of the former provincial hall, the Nan Treasure Room showcasing cultural heritage through silverware and textiles, and spaces for technology and environmental learning aimed at sustainable urban development.
