Plans to attract big yachts given green light

Ports for Phuket, Phangnga and Samui

The Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee has approved in principle the development plan for cruise tourism, aiming to raise revenue from the segment to 3.6 billion baht by 2016-17.

The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has authorised Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula to take charge of the development.

The plan covers the development of three ports and related facilities to accommodate large yachts in Phuket, Phangnga and Koh Samui in Surat Thani. The development is expected to be complete by 2016-17.

The private sector will be allowed to engage in developing ports and facilities.

Arkhom Termpitayapaisith, secretarygeneral of the National Economic and Social Development Board, said revenue from 500,000 arrivals with yachts during the four-month high season was estimated at 1.8 billion baht.

With ports and facilities fully developed, he expects arrivals to increase to 800,000900,000 by 2016-17.

He said the Transport Ministry would also develop a ferry route linking Pattaya, Koh Chang and Cha-am.

Mr Arkhom said the committee also authorised the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to consider a proposal by Nan and Uttaradit provinces to utilise more than 1,000 rai of preserved forest areas adjacent to Huay Kon checkpoint (in Nan) and Phu Du checkpoint (in Uttaradit) to be developed as a new tourism attraction and customs-related facilities.

In a related development, Isara Vongkusolkit, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the private sector has urged the government to speed up granting licences to fishing trawlers in compliance with rules governing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.

Training programmes should also be offered to local fishermen to encourage them to comply with the rules.

Mr Isara said the private sector was ready to comply with the requirements of the European Union to tackle the IUU issue.

The government is making an effort to end illegal fishing as the country prepares for EU officials who will arrive next month to assess how the country is tackling the problem.

In April, the EU issued a final warning against Thailand’s IUU fishing practices. Thailand was given six months to solve the problem or face a ban on fishery exports to EU countries.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya recently said the government was making good progress in curbing illegal fishing.