Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong has instructed the Harbor Department to speed up the design and study of a project to build ferry piers to link Pattaya, Cha-am and Hua Hin.
Prajin gave the order in his capacity as the economic division chief of the National Council for Peace and Order. Prajin said he wants the study to be done as soon as possible because the ferry piers would link the two sides of Thailand and boost tourism and the economy and trades in Pattaya, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. The Minister said the ferry boats would cut time of travelling between Pattaya to Cha-am and Hua Hin from around six and seven hours to just three hours.
“The Harbor Department has studied it in 2012 so it has a development plan in line with the NCPO’s policy to develop ferry piers to link the upper Gulf of Thailand to the eastern and western coasts,” Prajin said. He said the Bali Hai pier and Ocean Marina might be chosen as the site for the ferry pier in Pattaya and the Puktian Beach in Petchaburi might be selected for the ferry pier for Cha-am and Hua Hin. Prajin said the Harbor Department will now hire a private firm to study and design the piers and select proper sites for the project. The study would be sped up to be completed in 12 months instead of 18 months as initially planned. He said so far Siam Eastern Logistic Terminal has expressed its interest to invest Bt4 billion for the project.
