PAT forecasts sharp rise in port traffic

Published on July 16, 2009
By SASITHORN ONGDEE
THE NATION

The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) expects shipments in tonnes volume to jump as two large Israel-based ships are due to arrive at Laem Chabang Port by August.

Sunida Sakulratana, acting PAT governor said yesterday that the two ships, which belong to Zim shipping line would arrive at the Laem Chabang Port by the end of July and early August respectively.

"They are considered as superships, equivalent to a seven-storey building. One is capable of carrying 8,000 containers, or TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), and the other can transport 10,000 TEUs".

She said the two vessels would tranship from Asia Pacific to Canada and the US, transiting Hong Kong and China.

Traffic at Bangkok Port and Laem Chabang Port recorded a drop in the first eight months this fiscal year (October 2008/September 2009) in line with the contraction of imports and exports, marking an average drop of more than 20 per cent. Consequently, shipping traffic at Bangkok Port and Laem Chabang for the full year are expected to be down.

She said in the first eight months (October 2008-May 2009), shipping traffic at Bangkok Port was down 13 per cent on year to 1,702 arrivals. Shipments by volume dropped 18 per cent to 14.93 million tonnes and container traffic dropped 16 per cent to 841,000 TEUs.

The PAT acting governor said that for the whole of 2009, traffic at Bangkok Port is expected to be down 9 per cent, shipments by volume to be down 16 per cent, and container traffic down 14 per cent from last year.

Laem Chabang Port's shipping forecast for the whole year is expected to be down 9 per cent to 4,978 arrivals, cargo shipments to fall 17 per cent to 45.35 million tonnes, and TEUs to drop 15 per cent to 4.44 million. The traffic projection for the whole year is not much better than its eight-month figures.

Sunida that for this year, PAT expected to post Bt2.2 billion net profit, compared to Bt2.31 billion last year, on revenue of Bt9.2 billion, down from Bt9.9 billion last year. Out of total revenue, Bt7.8 billion will be from port activities and Bt1.4 billion from non-port operations.

To support the country's logistics development plan, Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaivijit said yesterday that the ministry is preparing additional eight projects regarding maritime transport development worth Bt4 billion to propose to the Cabinet. If approved, the projects will start from next year and be completed in 2012.

Maritime Department director-general Chalor Kotcharat said that the authority would continue the Bt1.3-billion multi-purpose port project at Klong Yai in Trat after receiving Cabinet approval on July 14. The port will support transport between Thailand and neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and the south of Vietnam, which now records annual border trade totalling Bt15 billion.