A high profile 12-member delegation from the Port Authority of Thailand arrived in Dhaka on Monday afternoon to assess the feasibility of direct coastal shipping between Chittagong Port of Bangladesh and Ranong Port of Thailand.

The delegation is led by the number two of the Port Authority of Thailand POL. Lietenant General Prajak Sriwatthana and would comprise other senior officials of the Port Authority of Thailand and Thai Customs, Governor of Ranong Province of South West Thailand. Other officials include Suriyan Kanjanasilp, Sudaporn Yodpinij, Maethus Rangsiyanan, and Mingpant Chayavichitsilp.

Ranong Province hosts the nearest regional port of Thailand in the Andaman Sea coast from Chittagong Port and is earmarked for seafaring trade with all BIMSTEC countries, says a press release from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok.

During the three-day visit, the Thai delegation is scheduled to hold official talks with Ministry of Shipping on 9 February to discuss the feasibility of a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish direct coastal shipping links between Chittagong and Ranong.

Ashoke Madhab Roy, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, is expected to lead the Bangladesh delegation, which also comprises Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, Port Authority of Chittagong and Mongla.

Private sector members of the Shipping Industries including shipping liners, freight forwarders, importers and exporters are also expected to attend the meeting.

The delegation is also scheduled to visit Chittagong on 10 February to hold discussion with the Port Authority of Chittagong and visit Chittagong Export Processing Zone. The delegation of the Port Authority of Thailand is also expected to hold talks with Bangladesh-Thailand Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry to understand the business and commercial feasibility of the direct coastal shipping. 

Direct coastal shipping links between Bangladesh and Thailand according to experts is expected to lower the trading and shipping costs of goods and services between the two countries, save time of cargo shipping, create a new connectivity, trade and transportation route with Thailand, and contribute to enhancing bilateral trade and investment.

This would be the first official discussion on direct coastal shipping connectivity between Bangladesh and any ASEAN Country, a proposal that was put forward by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque to Thailand’s former Foreign Secretary Norachit Sinhaseni during the latter’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 for the first Foreign Ministry Consultations between the two countries. The Thai Port Authority Delegation is expected to depart Dhaka on 11 February 2016.