BANGKOK (NNT) – Thailand’s Transport Ministry is considering a plan to set up a “National Maritime Navigation Line,” which would be created as an affiliate of the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT).
Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the shipping line would boost infrastructure deployment for the government’s southern land bridge and Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) schemes until work is completed.
He said the proposed state-owned shipping line would also help Thai exporters and importers to rely less on foreign companies for freight transport and will be more convenient for businesses.
Mr. Saksayam added that graduates from the Merchant Marine Training Centre, run by the Marine Department, would also have an opportunity to work on ships operated by the new company.
According to the Marine Department, about 90% of all goods transported from one country to another are sent by sea, due to lower costs and greater capacity than airlines. Trade movements to and from Thailand now rely heavily on foreign freight transport lines, as existing Thai fleets account for only 9% of all cargo ships in service.
