| The Port of Laem Chabang lies on the eastern shore of the upper Gulf of Thailand in Chonburi Province, Thailand, about 110 kilometers south of Bangkok. It is Thailand's largest port and, in 2005, the 20th largest port in the world. Port History In 1948, the government of Thailand realized that the Bangkok port could not meet the long-term economic needs of the country. While they investigated a number of potential locations for a new port, progress was slow. In 1961, they commissioned the Netherlands Engineering Consultants to do a feasibility study, and the company recommended the construction of a new port at Laem Chabang. The advantages they cited were its well-sheltered location, easy dredging, and large area for building port facilities. However, the government did not choose to implement the recommendations at that time. Finally, in 1982, the cabinet decided to develop the Port of Laem Chabang to handle containerized, general, and agricultural cargo and to encourage manufacture of environmentally-friendly consumer goods. With a goal of opening the port between 1987 and 1990, the Eastern Seaboard Development sub-committee was formed, and the Minister of Communications was made responsible for developing deep-water port facilities. The engineering design was completed in 1986, and construction began in the fall of 1987. In 1989, the Laem Chabang Port was brought under the umbrella of the Port Authority of Thailand and private companies were invited to join in port terminal operations. Since the Port of Laem Chabang began operating in 1991, it has become the biggest port in the country and one of the busiest in the world. Much of Thailand's international trade and tourism passes through the Port of Laem Chabang. The town's economy depends on shipping services, tourism, and retail. In 2007, the government approved construction of railways to link the Port of Laem Chabang to inland cities of Lat Krabang and Korat. Port Commerce The Port of Laem Chabang covers an area of over a thousand hectares. It is a multi-purpose port that offers a wide range of services. The Port of Laem Chabang contains seven container terminals, two roll-on/roll-off terminals, general cargo terminal, and multi-purpose terminal. It also contains a shipyard terminal and a passenger terminal. The Port of Laem Chabang can accommodate the extra-large super post-Panamax vessels. The Port of Laem Chabang is a top-rated container port, moving from its beginnings in the late 1980s to the world's 20th busiest port in 2005. The Port Authority of Thailand oversees port operations and is responsible for assuring world-class service capacity; increasing productivity; implementing state-of-the-art technology for docking, field, and yard operations; developing new port projects; and ensuring the port supports associated economic activity. In 2005, the Port of Laem Chabang (in Thai) handled almost four million TEUs of containerized cargo. Today, the Port of Laem Chabang is the gateway to much of Southeast Asia. Cargoes pass through the port to and from southern China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. It has its own industrial Export Processing Zone, covering 480 hectares and containing over 50 industrial operations. The adjacent shipyard is being developed to serve and build international ocean-going vessels. The Port of Laem Chabang Cruise Center serves as a terminal for roll-on/roll-off cargo and passengers. |
