Add chopped bacon strips to a heated soup pot and cook until bacon is browned.
Add potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and red pepper to pot. Cook uncovered about 1 minute, stirring, until vegetables begin releasing liquid.
Sprinkle in salt, herbs, and spices.
Add broth to pot. Cook soup on simmer, partially covered, about 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Mix in corn. Cook another minute or so. Adjust salt, if needed.
Take cover off pot. Mix 1/2 coconut milk can into soup. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk.
Allow soup to return to simmer, then stir in remaining coconut milk/cornstarch mixture.
Cook, stirring, until soup just starts to boil and has thickened a bit.
Remove from heat and serve.