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THAILAND
is speedily drafting up a financial master
plan that will be used to develop urgently
needed infrastructure to support the nation's
key seaport of Laem Chabang.
The
move is said to be part of a more far reaching
long-term plan to modernise Thailand's port
operations nationwide.
The
port has already overtaken Bangkok to become
the premier port in the country. But according
to information coming out of Thailand, the
sky could very well be the limit to the
port's growth going forward¡K
The
intention of Thai authorities, according
to statements issued by the Ministry of
Transport is to raise the port's profile
to "world class status". To do
that the port authority plans to leverage
on what it calls its modern state-of-the-art
infrastructure and hi-tech facilities.
The
move ostensibly is to prepare for the age
of Post Panamax vessels¡Xsomething Bangkok
port evidently lacks the capacity to handle.
Certainly
part of the allure of Laem Chabang is its
convenient location¡Xan absolute must for
any port with an eye on continued growth.
Ideally
located close to the borders of Myanmar,
Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, Laem Chabang
fronts as the ideal gateway to link Thailand
to the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015,
the Thai Transport Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong
was cited in The Nation newspaper as saying.
The
same newspaper, citing the Department of
Highways, says a plan is also afoot to expand
the road network to support the logistics
system in the eastern region and Laem Chabang
port with a total estimated budget of US$96
million.
Bangkok
is to expand the number of lanes on the
road leading to the port from four to 14
with a budget of THB2.5 billion (US$83.67
million). The Department of Rural Roads
has plans for seven projects to construct
a road connecting to the port.
The
Thai embassy in Singapore was unable to
comment on developments in Laem Chabang
port but an announcement was issued last
year that referred to a third phase of logistics
development to facilitate the transportation
of goods to cope with the growth of Thailand's
eastern seaboard.
The
country's Transport Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan
who presented a briefing on logistics development
at Laem Chabang said that the third phase
would be completed in the next five years
and when completed, the project will increase
the port's capacity of accommodating 18.8
million TEU annually in 20 years' time.
As
one of Thailand's major ports, the ministry
intends to increase its capacity to 11 million
boxes from the current seven million TEU,
it now handles. This plan (meaning to develop
road and rail links) will be achieved by
expanding both internal and external shipping
networks of the port.
The
World Bank too has weighed in on the sea-borne
transportation situation in the country
saying "Thailand's transport issues
have become more pronounced with rising
energy costs".
The
bank adds, plans are also underway to add
two new strategic ports; one at Pak Bara
port in Satool province and yet another
at Songkhla.
The
matter of having new container terminals
and upgrades to existing ones appears to
point to an added urgency to meet future
demand if indications from the National
Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB)
of Thailand are any clue.
In
the words of the trade body the nation's
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 3.6 per
cent in the last quarter of 2012. And that
is despite the floods it encountered and
the harsh international economic conditions
the nation weathered.
Something
is stirring in Thailand and Laem Chabang
is expected to be a big part of that.
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