History and Mission of Highway Office 17
Highway Office 17 is a central government agency located in the region, under the Department of Highways, Ministry of Transport.
Originally, it was the Surat Thani Construction Center, located in Bang Kung Subdistrict, Mueang District, Surat Thani Province, on Highway 401,
on the right side of the road. When it was first established, it was named the Surat Thani Mechanical Equipment Center, with the function of developing highway construction in various areas,
and assisting in training personnel of the Department of Highways,
to have knowledge and expertise in road construction, surveying and design, the use and maintenance of machinery, as well as techniques,
and technologies related to road construction. Previously, travel to the South was only via one main road from Bangkok to the South: Highway 4, or Phetkasem Road, on the western side of the Andaman Sea. Transportation was very difficult.
Therefore, the government ordered the Department of Highways to design and plan the construction of a new transportation route on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand.
This resulted in the construction of Highway 401, section Surat Thani - Kanchanadit District - Tha Sala District - Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province,
a distance of 110 km, as a cooperation between the Thai and Japanese governments. Under the official code name "Colombo Plan," the Japanese government
provided 55 million baht in aid, with the Thai government contributing another 205 million baht, totaling 260 million baht. Construction took 7 years,
resulting in a historic road marking the founding of the Surat Thani Highway Construction Center. After the Colombo Plan ended, the Surat Thani Highway Construction Center
continued its primary mission of using construction machinery to develop highways in the upper southern region, in accordance with the Department of Highways' policy.
Over 37 years, the Surat Thani Highway Construction Center has constructed a total of 68 highways, totaling 1,316.35 kilometers,
with a construction budget of 4,595.65 million baht.
In 1985, the name was changed from Surat Thani Mechanical Equipment Center to Surat Thani Highway Construction Center.
In 2009, the Department of Highways issued an order changing its mission from road construction in the upper southern region to road maintenance on the Andaman coast, according to Department of Highways Order No. Order No. 1.9/11/2552 dated August 13, 2009, changed the name to Krabi Highway Office (Surat Thani).
It had 4 affiliated units: Krabi Highway District, Phuket Highway District, Ranong Highway District, and Phang Nga Maintenance Office.
On October 1, 2014, the office moved to Krabi Province, located at 313 Moo 12, Phetkasem Road, Krabi Noi Subdistrict,
Muang Krabi District, Krabi Province 81000.
On January 12, 2015, it changed its name to Highway Office No. 17, which it currently has 4 affiliated units:
Krabi Highway District, Phuket Highway District, Ranong Highway District, and Phang Nga Highway District.