Croissance du port de Bangkok et aménagement portuaire des côtes thaïlandaises

Abstract

Crowth of Bangkok harbour and planning of Thai harbours development From 1955 to 1965, during ten years, the goods traffic of the Bangkok harbour increased two times. The very high administrative and economic centralization of the thai capital explains the big area of the harbour hinterland which includes most of the thai and laotian territory. The agricultural products, chiefly rice and maize, greatly dominate the outward traffic ; oil and oil products are more than half of the inward traffic. This harbour, stretched along the Chao Phraya River about 30 km from the mouth, having a difficult accessibility because of the bar, is reached by vessels of not more than eight meters draught. The existing facilities of the Klong Thoi wharf have not been increased since their completion in 1953 in a urbanized area. The consignees' warehouses situated in the old town (Sampeng area) are difficult of access because of the traffic congestions in the city. For these technical reasons, the construction of the Laem Chabang deep sea harbour and the widening and deepening of the channel are problems which claim our attention. The Peninsular South of Thailand exporting much rubber and tin ores, is actually in the hinterland of the malay harbour of Penang because of the lack of modern harbour. The government decision to develop two main ports, Songkhla on the golf of Thailand and Phuket on the Andaman sea, could improve the position of Thailand in the international sea borne trade mostly if a channel is cut the Kra Isthmus.