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Published on August 14, 2007

Tanit Sorat, chairman of the FTI's subcommittee on transport, transportation and logistics, recently said the federation had surveyed the South and discussed the port issue with representatives from the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Transport and Commerce ministries.

Other organisations included federations of industries from Songkhla, Satun, Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

He said all agencies had agreed the government should invest in developing Pakbara pier into a main seaport on the Andaman Coast, in order to serve a higher number of import and export shipments in the future.

Tanit said the industrial areas along the Eastern Seaboard would not expand any more in the next five years, nor will Laem Chabang Seaport in Chon Buri, which is now a main seaport for Thailand. It can run at full capacity of carrying cargoes of 10.5 million to 11.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

"In the long run, Thailand should look for an area that can serve higher demand for shipments derived from the growth of the industrial sector," he said.

Tanit said Thailand still lacked such an area on its West Coast. As a result, the Kingdom cannot compete with Malaysia in terms of logistics costs.

Currently, cargo is shipped from Thailand to other countries via Malaysia's Penang Port, accounting for 200,000 TEUs a year. Most products are para rubber, enjoying a lower transport cost to China from Penang Port than from Laem Chabang.

"Personally, I think Thailand's exports should not rely too much on seaports in other countries," said Tanit, adding that following the survey, Pakbara pier in Satun was considered the most appropriate area in which to build the main seaport.

He suggested the government persuade world-class shipping lines to invest and develop the Pakbara seaport project jointly.

However, Tanit said development of Pakbara Seaport was not expected to harm the environment, because many southern areas, especially Phang Nga, Krabi, Phuket and other parts of Satun, see heavy use as tourism spots.

A feasibility study has already been conducted for the Pakbara Seaport project. The study results showed the port would have a 1.5-kilometre pier running into the sea, a width of 750 metres in the port and a water depth of 15 metres.

The port could service two 6,000-TEU vessels simultaneously or a capacity of 800,000 TEUs a year. It is expected that para rubber and processed para wood will make up a large amount of export goods.

Furthermore, the Pakbara Seaport project should develop in parallel with the development of Songkhla Port on the other side of the peninsula, in order to take advantage of the east-west synergy of a land bridge.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation