Songkhla Port, located on the eastern shore of Songkhla Lake's outlet in southern Thailand's Malay Peninsula, stands as one of the country's most vital commercial ports. Its strategic design and development have been instrumental in driving regional economic prosperity, while its connectivity with neighboring cities and international shipping routes underscores its geographical significance.
Port Overview
Songkhla City, serving as the capital of Songkhla Province, forms a bustling trade center closely integrated with the port. The facility accommodates diverse cargo operations, ranging from traditional waterway transport to modern container shipping solutions.
The port's strategic positioning places it 329 nautical miles south of Laem Chabang Port, 372 nautical miles from Bangkok Port, and 507 nautical miles northwest of Singapore. Hong Kong lies 1,328 nautical miles to the northeast.
The port area extends along the eastern lakeshore in a north-south configuration. Key infrastructure includes:
- A railway terminal dock in the southern urban area with 9.1-meter water depth
- A customs dock in the northern section with 6.1-meter depth
- Three T-shaped piers with water depths ranging from 6.1 to 9.1 meters
New Port Development
Rapid economic expansion in the late 1980s necessitated the construction of new port facilities. The upgraded infrastructure features:
- A 4-kilometer access channel (100m wide, 9m deep)
- 9-hectare port area with 510m of berthing space (30m wide, 11.2m minimum depth)
- Three 10,000-ton berths (two container-specific, one multi-purpose)
- Annual capacity of 128,000 TEUs
- 7,700-square-meter transit warehouse for operational efficiency
Officially inaugurated on December 8, 1988, the new port solidified Songkhla's position in regional maritime networks. Recent years have seen growing recognition of its importance in Asian logistics, particularly as a critical junction connecting Thailand with Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. The port continues to play a pivotal role in facilitating regional economic integration and trade expansion.
