Transport Ministry pushing ahead with cruise liners port project at Samui island

BANGKOK, Aug 5 (TNA) – The Ministry of Transport has forged ahead with a port construction project worth three billion baht on Surat Thani’s Samui island as parts of its efforts to promote cruise tourism. Deputy Transport Minister Ormsin Chivapruck said the port will mainly be developed to serve cruise ships in order to attract more tourists in line with the government’s policy. The facility in Samui island will be the first cruise ship port in the Gulf of Thailand while there are several ports on the Andaman coast. Samui island has been chosen by the Marine Department as the place with most potential to upscale its tourism services, which goes against the initial choice of Krabi as the proposed location. The deputy transport minister said the Marine Department will quickly conduct environmental health impact assessment. The budget of the port construction is initially set at three billion baht, but the figure could be changed following results of the EHIA study. The port construction project is expected to start in 2017. (TNA)