Expansion plan for Pak Bara Port
The Marine Department will by January present the Transport Ministry and the Cabinet with a plan to expand Pak Bara Port in Satun province.
Expansion of Andaman-coast port would make it a gateway for Indian, Chinese and European cargoes, Tawalyarat Onrisi, director-general of the department, said last week. He added that the Bt7-billion expansion project formed a key part of Thailand's strategic logistics development. If the plan is implemented, the port will be expanded to enable it to accommodate 50,000-tonne cargo ships. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) will begin an environmental impact assessment by year-end, said Tawalyarat. The Chinese government has already shown interest in investing in the project, while Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula has previously said that he wants to see more private-sector involvement in the running of state ports. Tawalyarat said that, once the proposed project has passed ONEP's assessment, it would be forwarded to the Transport Ministry, which will then seek Cabinet approval. If approved, the government will include the project in the 2008 budget.
Watcharapong Thingrung The Nation
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