The Customs Department has opened an X-ray scanning terminal for rail freight, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, at the Laem Chabang port in Si Racha district of Chon Buri province.
The opening ceremony was witnessed by chiefs of the department, the State Railway of Thailand, the Laem Chabang port and Si Racha district on Wednesday.
The terminal is intended to speed customs clearance and boost efforts to screen for smuggled and undesired cargo, said Customs director-general Kulit Sombatsiri.
"The scanning system is modern, efficient and internationally recognised. The World Customs Organization recommended customs agencies worldwide use it," he said.
Laem Chabang has handled the largest number of cargo containers in Southeast Asia and is 24th in the world, Mr Kulit said.
He predicted the number of containers handled at the port in 2016 would exceed 10 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and should rise by 11-13% annually.
In 2020, the Laem Chabang port should handle as many as 16 million TEUs, ranking it fifth in the world after Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Mr Kulit said.