The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) will not proceed with its plan to turn Bangkok Port in Klong Toey district into a mixed-use development until the Transport Ministry receives more details of the order to move the facility to Chon Buri.
Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, in her capacity as the chief supervisor of PAT operations, said on Thursday the ministry would wait for Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to clarify whether he meant the entire port or just some parts of the port's operations would be moved to Laem Chabang.
The order to relocate Bangkok's main port outside of the city was proposed at a cabinet meeting on April 2, with the hope of reducing pollution and congestion in the area.
A feasibility study will be launched as per the prime minister's order. However, the Transport Ministry will wait for an official instruction from the PM before proceeding, she said.
Ms Manaporn said only some parts of the port need to be relocated to maximise the use of space in the area and improve residents' quality of life.
The PAT had proposed a similar plan to develop the 2,353-rai area into a smart community back in 2019, which would see the port upgraded into a major transportation hub, supported by a mixed-use development on the premises.
Under the PAT proposal, the area would be divided into four zones.
Zone A would comprise office facilities and so-called "smart community residences".
Zone B, meanwhile, would host a "smart port" with modern equipment and amenities, including semi-automated port installations.
Zone C was earmarked for retail shops, hotels, and department stores, while Zone D would feature warehouses and a sports complex.
The development would decrease the proportion of Thailand's logistics costs to gross domestic product (GDP) to 0.77% while keeping the port's annual capacity at 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).
Bidding for a 32-rai plot needed to complete the project's land acquisition process has been announced, but bidding has now been halted pending an official order from the PM.
"We don't know if the current plan is similar to the PAT proposal, as none of the official statements have been sent to the ministry," said Ms Manaporn.