At the Office of the NESDB, recently, Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, NESDB's Secreatry-General and Mr. William H. Itoh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America signed a contract for technical assistance of USTDA (United States Trade and Development Agency), under a total amount of USD one million or abort THB 25 million of USD one million or about THB 25 million, to undertake the feasibility studies of the deep-sea port in the Southern Seaboard Development Programs (SSB).
Giving an interview after the meeting, Dr. Sumet stated that the above feasibility studies were previously approved by the Southern Seaboard Development Committee on October 24, 1996, and by the Cabinet on November 5, 1996. The ports will be located at : To the Gulf of Thailand : at Ban Bang Po, and gypsum terminal area, Khanom District, Nakhon si Thammarat Province. : To the Andaman sea of Ban Thap Lamu, Tai Muang District, Phang-Nga Province.
The feasibility studies are primarily aimed to identify economic opportunities, as well as engineering and business viability for further development. Assessment of environmental impacts in the surrounding areas has to be conducted, including measures for sound environmental management. Thai government has also allocated an additional amount of budget of THB 12.5 million to the studies scheduled to be accomplished in 1997.
NESDB's Secretary-General further added that the outcome of the studies will be very crucial to expedite the deep-sea port development on both ends of the "Landbridge" project. At present, other projects being sped up include:
- Krabi-Khanom Highway was designated to support tourism in this area, linking the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand. The Department of Highway (DOH) was assigned to lay out a blue-print for the 195 km four-lane highway. The blue-print will be completed in November, and then, construction bidding and land expropriation will be undertaken. The constrution is expected to start early 1997 and to be completed in 2000.
- Surat Thani Industrial estate project was recently granted Cabinet approval to carry out the project implementation phase I, as well as to a sum of THB 625 million for infrastructure development.
- Oil refinery and petro-chemical projects can possibly be located at Khanom District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Both projects will serve as another export base of the country, to be linked with the Eastern Seaboard Development Program. Foreign investors willing to participate with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) are such as IPL International Inc. from Canada and Saudi Aramco from Saudi Arabia.
Locations of the deep-sea ports have been selected in accordance with the feasibility studies' results conducted by ECOLAS Consultant Co. of Belgium under the Environment Impacts Assessment of the Environment Impacts Assessment of the SSB Program. The Studies have been accomplished and submitted to the NESDB, and on December 12, 1996, a brain-stroming session will be organized at the Novotel Hotel, Phuket, so as to gather public opinion towards the studies.
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 11, No.11--
Giving an interview after the meeting, Dr. Sumet stated that the above feasibility studies were previously approved by the Southern Seaboard Development Committee on October 24, 1996, and by the Cabinet on November 5, 1996. The ports will be located at : To the Gulf of Thailand : at Ban Bang Po, and gypsum terminal area, Khanom District, Nakhon si Thammarat Province. : To the Andaman sea of Ban Thap Lamu, Tai Muang District, Phang-Nga Province.
The feasibility studies are primarily aimed to identify economic opportunities, as well as engineering and business viability for further development. Assessment of environmental impacts in the surrounding areas has to be conducted, including measures for sound environmental management. Thai government has also allocated an additional amount of budget of THB 12.5 million to the studies scheduled to be accomplished in 1997.
NESDB's Secretary-General further added that the outcome of the studies will be very crucial to expedite the deep-sea port development on both ends of the "Landbridge" project. At present, other projects being sped up include:
- Krabi-Khanom Highway was designated to support tourism in this area, linking the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand. The Department of Highway (DOH) was assigned to lay out a blue-print for the 195 km four-lane highway. The blue-print will be completed in November, and then, construction bidding and land expropriation will be undertaken. The constrution is expected to start early 1997 and to be completed in 2000.
- Surat Thani Industrial estate project was recently granted Cabinet approval to carry out the project implementation phase I, as well as to a sum of THB 625 million for infrastructure development.
- Oil refinery and petro-chemical projects can possibly be located at Khanom District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Both projects will serve as another export base of the country, to be linked with the Eastern Seaboard Development Program. Foreign investors willing to participate with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) are such as IPL International Inc. from Canada and Saudi Aramco from Saudi Arabia.
Locations of the deep-sea ports have been selected in accordance with the feasibility studies' results conducted by ECOLAS Consultant Co. of Belgium under the Environment Impacts Assessment of the Environment Impacts Assessment of the SSB Program. The Studies have been accomplished and submitted to the NESDB, and on December 12, 1996, a brain-stroming session will be organized at the Novotel Hotel, Phuket, so as to gather public opinion towards the studies.
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 11, No.11--