The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) plans to open bids for a container freight station (CFS) project worth 1.3 billion baht at Bangkok port, known as Klong Toey port, this year.
PAT director-general Sutthinan Hatthawong said bidding will be held to seek a contractor to build the CFS facility to enhance the port's capacity in handling up to 120,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) outbound shipping containers per year.
The agency is drafting the terms of reference (ToR) in preparation for the bidding, Lt Sutthinan said, adding the station is expected to open in 2019.
The CFS is among eight port development projects valued at 97.9 billion baht under PAT's five-year plan from 2017-2021.
Three of them are under construction.
They are the first phase of the Laem Chabang port development (Pier A) in Chon Buri costing 1.8 billion baht; the first phase of the Single Rail Transfer Operator (SRTO) at the port valued at 2 billion baht; and the 20G pier maintenance project worth 614 million baht near the entrance to Phra Khanong canal.
Lt Sutthinan said the Pier A project aims to increase the capacity of the port to accommodate up to 300,000 TEU per year while a railroad linking Laem Chabang railway station and the port will be constructed under the SRTO project, which is expected to handle about 200,000 TEU per year.
Both projects are expected to be completed by this year. They are expected to start operations next year, which will help boost marine transport and reduce logistics-related costs.
As for the 20G pier, the PAT is installing facilities such as an electric power system and cranes to lift shipping containers. After the maintenance work has been finished, the port will be able to handle up to 240,000 TEU per year.
Lt Sutthinan said the agency is now studying the investment needed in four other projects. One of them is the third phase of the Laem Chabang port development project worth 88.1 billion baht which will help increase the port's cargo capacity to 8 million TEU per year.
The PAT is conducting an Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) on the project, which will be completed this October.
Bidding will be held next year to seek an operator to run the port under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.