Bangladesh, Thailand mull launching Chittagong-Ranong direct coastal shipping

Bangladesh and Thailand are working on modalities to start direct coastal shipping, connecting the Chittagong Port in the Bay of Bengal with the Ranong Port in the East of the Andaman coast in south-western Thailand.

A high profile 12-member delegation from the Port Authority of Thailand arrived in Dhaka on Monday to assess the feasibility of the link between the two ports, the Bangladesh embassy in Bangkok said.

They will have “official talks” with Bangladesh authorities on Tuesday.

This would be the first official discussion on direct coastal shipping connectivity between Bangladesh and any ASEAN country.

The issue was first discussed in June last year in the first foreign office consultations between the two countries.

Thailand wanted to see Ranong Port as a gateway for connecting Thailand to BIMSTEC countries and as a shipping hub on the Andaman Sea, transporting goods from Thailand to the ports of Yangon, Chittagong, Kolkata, Chennai and Colombo.

This link, according to analysts, will increase bilateral trade and investment by lowering the trading and shipping costs of goods and services, saving time of cargo shipping, creating a new connectivity, trade and transportation route with Thailand.

Bangladesh Ambassador in Bangkok Saida Muna Tasneem last year met the relevant Thai authorities for this “groundbreaking” connectivity deal and visited the port.

The Thai delegation after the Tuesday’s official talks on a proposed MoU to establish the link will also visit Chittagong port, before leaving Dhaka on Thursday.

Second senior-most official of the Port Authority of Thailand Prajak Sriwatthana is leading the delegation.

The Governor of Ranong Province Suriyan Kanjanasilp, Chairman of this province’s Chamber of Commerce Sudaporn Yodpinij, President of Ranong Federation of Industries Maethus Rangsiyanan and President of Thailand- Bangladesh Business Council Mingpant Chayavichitsilp are also part of the Thai delegation.