Laem Chabang expansion delayed

High-ranking government officials have visited the site of the Phase 3 expansion at Laem Chabang port in an effort to resolve a dispute over delays in the construction works.

In 2021, GPC International Terminal Ltd. (GPC) signed a 35-year public-private partnership (PPP) contract with the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) to develop and operate the Laem Chabang Port Phase 3, Terminal F project. At that time, it was expected that the F1 container berth would start operations in 2025 and construction would begin on the F2 container berth in 2027, with commercial operations starting by 2029.

That schedule has not been met, and PAT is still managing works to prepare the site for handover to GPC. In April this year, it was reported that PAT and GPC were in negotiations over several items, including the specifications of the sand used in the reclamation work, as well as possible amendments to the joint investment contract.

Ministerial delegation

Early in June, Mr Sanphet Bunyamanee, Deputy Minister of Transport, and Mr Panya Chupanich, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Head of the Transportation Task Force, visited the port and met with officials from PAT. The port authority was, according to the Ministry of Transport, instructed to “proceed with the project clearly on all aspects, including land area, technical aspects, contracts, and working with contractors, ensuring speed, accuracy, transparency, and preventing any loss of benefit to the state”.

Next steps

Of the overall project, marine construction work is “approximately” 95.57% complete, while construction of public utilities (which are to be shared with GPC) is reportedly 19.82% complete. The Ministry of Transport did not provide any further details, other than to say the project is “currently undergoing procedures related to design and contract amendments” that must be submitted to PAT for consideration. PAT is said to be seeking “academic opinions” from the Engineering Institute before determining the next steps in consultation with GPC.

“Regarding the contractual demands, these are currently under review by the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT), Laem Chabang Port Authority, and legal advisors to ensure a complete, transparent, verifiable, and fair process for all parties. The opening of Berth F1 is expected by 2031,” the Ministry of Transport said.

As container throughput at Laem Chabang continues to grow, the Ministry of Transport is taking steps to manage road congestion. These include setting up a “buffer zone” as a staging area for trucks and requiring terminals to process 50 trucks per hour through their gates.

*This story first appeared in the June 2026 print issue of WorldCargo News.