Laem Chabang Port and capacity development for global transportation

           When it comes to water transportation in Thailand, Laem Chabang Port, in Thung Sukla Subdistrict, Sriracha District, Chonburi Province, is the main deep-water port for international shipping. It has an area of 6,340 rai (1,014.4 hectares), consisting of 7 container berths, 1 multi-purpose berth, 1 Ro/Ro berth, 1 passenger and Ro/Ro boat berth, 1 general bulk cargo terminal, and 1 shipyard. Laem Chabang Port can also accommodate the super-postPanamax cranes. 

           The Port Authority of Thailand acts as the port administration organization, while the operational work is privately owned by a chartered operator known as the Landlord Port.

           As for the growth rate of cargo handling services, it is considered one of the highest in the world, according to the World Top Container Port ranking by the world’s leading magazines such as Lloyd’s List. Laem Chabang Port’s popularity has jumped from 23rd in 1998-1999 to 20th in 2002 and to 18th  in 2003.

           In addition, Laem Chabang Port is important in international trade as it has a strategic location near many industrial estates, including the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Statistics show that Laem Chabang Port has been consistently ranked among the top gateway ports in the world. In 2020, it was ranked as the third World Gateway Port after the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.

           Laem Chabang Port also has the ability to connect multimodal transport including water, air, rail, and road, both domestic and international. This is true not only for the ASEAN region but it can also be linked to China through the Silk Road of the 21st century. As a result, Laem Chabang Port is an important trading gateway for Thailand and Asia.

           At present, Laem Chabang Port has the capacity of 11 million TEUs (twenty-foot-equivalent units) of containers per year and 2 million vehicles per year.