Calls for Bangkok Port to be Relocated from Khlong Toei

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, has announced plans to move Bangkok Port from its current location in the Khlong Toei district along the Chao Phraya River. This move is aimed at rejuvenating the area and reducing pollution caused by ship and truck traffic associated with the port's operations. To facilitate this relocation, the Ministry of Transport and the Port Authority of Thailand will conduct a study on the matter.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the city's local governing body, has previously expressed a preference for relocating the port to Laem Chabang, which is Thailand's leading port. 

The history of Bangkok Port goes back to 1938 when its construction and the dredging of the Chao Phraya River commenced. However, the onset of World War II in 1940 temporarily halted the construction, which resumed and was completed in its first phase by 1947. With a maximum draft of 8.2 meters, the port expanded rapidly until the 1990s when Laem Chabang emerged as a deepwater alternative.