Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed the move to close Bangkok Port, aiming to redevelop the area commercially to generate long-term income. He ordered the Port Authority of Thailand to assist 26 communities and clarified issues related to Laem Chabang Phase 3, firmly rejecting a 4-billion-baht compensation claim from a private contractor due to alleged mismanagement.
Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, revealed progress on the policy to reduce Bangkok Port's (Khlong Toei) role. He confirmed the goal to fully close Bangkok Port and consolidate management solely at Laem Chabang Port (LCP), intending to use the former site for commercial development to generate sustainable revenue for the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT).
He instructed the chairman of the PAT board and the acting director to jointly study the need to retain some space for goods requiring rapid handling, such as fresh food and fruit, considering cases individually. This will be balanced with reviewing the original purpose of Laem Chabang Port’s construction to alleviate the burden on Khlong Toei Port.
Regarding the timeline, Pipat stated that no definitive completion date is set due to the project's large scale involving multiple stakeholders, especially managing 26 communities surrounding Bangkok Port.
Initial discussions indicate the communities do not oppose relocation, but PAT must provide replacement housing and manage phased moves. This process requires time for constructing buildings and relocation, with hopes for clearer policy guidance in the current government term.
Pipat also updated on the Laem Chabang Port Phase 3 development, specifically the landfill work at Pier F, which is currently addressing technical problems with the relative density of underwater fill materials. This issue is a dispute with the private contractor, GPC International Terminal Co., Ltd. Consultations among consultants, designers, contractors, and concessionaires are underway to reach a joint engineering solution.
Regarding the private sector’s 4-billion-baht damage claim, the Minister of Transport confirmed that no negotiations have taken place and the government will not pay this compensation. He has ordered PAT to thoroughly investigate the root causes of the engineering errors to identify responsible parties and expedite handing over the site so the project can continue, emphasizing its importance as key national infrastructure.
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