The Government's decision to proceed with two deep-sea ports in the eastern seaboard has met with strong enthusiasm; shipping lines believe that they will go a long way to promoting the shipping industry which has been in the doldrums for a long time.
The Cabinet's decision in 1985 to implement the Eastern Seaboard Development Programme in its entirety
without any delay, cutback or slowdown is a major step forward for the country's shipping industry. This is because the
ESB Programme includes two port project-- The Mab Ta Phud and Laem Chabang deep-sea ports.
Currently, there is only one main port in the country-- Bangkok Port, better known as Klong Toey Port.
It has been forecast that Klong Toey Port's capacity will be inadequate for cargo traffic by 1998 because of
limited space, which also makes further expansion impossible.
Neither will Klong Toey's container handling equipment be able to cope as nearly all of Thailand's major
trade routes have been containerised, with total container throughput (inward and outward) at the port in 1988
expected to exceed 500,000 TEUs.
Klong Toey is a river port and all traffic to and from the port must use the Chao Phya River. Traffic includes
ocean-going liners, sea-going vessels, coastal vessels, fishing boats, naval craft, tugboats and barges. Because the
river has a long and narrow channel, any major blockage along it could seriously affect the flow of import and exports.
Thailand does not possess the necessary machines or equipment needed for rescue operations and has to
rely on Singapore. Should a sunken vessel block the channel, rescue or salvage operations would most certainly
hamper ingoing and outgoing traffic.
Director of the ESB Office, Dr. Savit Bhotiwihok, in noting this distinct possibility said that Thailand's economy
would be paralysed because more than 90% of the country's export and import traffic is concentrated at Bangkok Port.
Shipping firms have voiced serious concern over the problem and have urged the Government and agencies
concerned to work out a suitable plan to counter it.
Proposals have been made to upgrade the Bangkok Port and increase throughout capacity to the maximum
level of 3.5 million tons per annum.
As a river port, Klong Toey's channel is limited in both depth and width. Ship dimensions are thus limited to
a draught of 8.2 metres and lenght of 172 metres. Even if Klong Toey is upgraded, It will still remain a feeder port
limited to vessels with a maximum capacity of 500 TEUs.