Ranong deep-sea port to welcome first cargo vessel call in July

RANONG, Thailand, May 5 (TNA) - The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) has mapped out a development strategy for a deep-sea port in this southern province and the port will be available for cargo shipping in July, according to the Provincial Provincial Chamber of Commerce. The Ranong deep-sea port is expected to receive the first call by a large cargo vessel in July, said Narumol Khoraphum, chairperson of Ranong Provincial Chamber of Commerce. The cargo ship will receive granite from the port and delivery them to India. Narumol said the PAT plans to expand the duty-free area to stimulate investments on cold storages at the Ranong Port. With cold storages, processed seafood products will be well preserved before they are exported to other Asian and European countries. The port accommodates fresh sea food from Myeik city of Myanmar, she said. The products are processed in Ranong by industry manufacturers before being exported. Narumol said the Ranong port is now heading in the right direction after being inactive for nearly 10 years. According to her, the port offers ships the shortest route to transport products from Thailand to countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which comprises of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. Ships visiting the port do not have to go round the Malay Peninsula, reducing shipping time by some 5-10 days. (TNA)