Marine officials in Thailand are looking into building a cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui, a popular Gulf of Thailand island off the Surat Thani coast. A terminal is considered to be more convenient and safe for travellers as, at the moment, cruise ships must anchor by the island and smaller boats transfer travellers to the island and back to the ship.
The Samui cruise terminal will be able to accommodate two large cruise ships (carrying up to 4,000 passengers) simultaneously, which are equivalent to 80 yachts or six ferries. The terminal is expected to be 362 metres wide and 12 metres deep. The passenger terminal should be able to accommodate up to 3,600 passengers per hour.
The seminar was held at Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel.
“The project will be a public-private partnership [PPP] to build a cruise terminal at Hin Khom Cape in Koh Samui’s Taling Ngam sub-district,” said Wanchai Butrthongdee, the department’s chief of engineering.
“We have conducted a feasibility study and concluded that the area has economic potential and is ready where engineering and the environment are concerned.”
To fund the construction, officials are considering a public-private partnership model, with the government covering costs for land expropriation and terminal construction and a major private firm covering equipment and port maintenance.
To attract more tourists and create more jobs, the Ministry of Transport has also advocated for the construction of additional cruise ship terminals in Thailand.
Before the pandemic, Koh Samui, Phuket, and Chon Buri’s Laem Chabang were among Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, frequented by cruise ships from all over the world.
Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and the largest in an archipelago of more than 80 islands that includes the Ang Thong National Marine Park, a kayaking paradise and a day trip from Ko Samui. While Samui is small enough to be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car, the island features such a variety of beaches and activities that it would be impossible to experience everything in a single visit. There are so many beautiful beaches here like Chaweng, Lamai, Taling Ngam, and Natien. Besides plentiful nature, the island is also full of History and Culture.
