Councillors back plan to relocate port

Bangkok Port
Bangkok Port

A notice from city council pleading for the Transport Ministry’s plan to move Bangkok’s port out of the money to ease congestion and air pollution has been submitted.

Five council wrote the letter to the government, according to Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, on Tuesday.

The group, led by Kittipong Ruayfupan, Bangkok councillor for Thung Khru district, urged the Port Authority of Thailand ( PAT ) to expedite the plan as quickly as possible.

Mr. Kittipong suggested moving the port from the city center to a more conducive location to ease traffic congestion, especially during peak times, and that fine dust issues will likewise subside as a result.

” The property can be repurposed for additional helpful purposes, such as residential, commercial and retail locations, or new sights”, he said.

Ms Manaporn, deputy transport minister, said the Transport Ministry is ready to proceed and make the best possible use of the port area, considering the public benefit.

Prior to a Friday night hearing in the House, Bangkok MP Bhuntin Noumjerm inquired from deputy prime minister and energy minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga about whether the Energy Ministry had considered moving oil depots in the Klong Toey and Yannawa districts and if there are any plans or guidelines for disaster prevention.

According to Mr. Pirapan, the potential effects on the pipeline transportation system and the residents in the new location must be carefully considered if the oil warehouses must be relocated to another area in accordance with PAT’s port development plan.

” This is because the oil depots and refinery facilities, including the oil transportation system network, have been established in the area for a long time”, he said.

Mr. Pirapan claimed that the private sector would be compensated for moving the oil depots.

He said the ministry would consult with local authorities and oil companies to determine safety standards and provide training in handling urgent or critical situations.