By Randy Thanthong-Knight (Bloomberg) —
Trade-reliant Thailand plans to launch a national shipping company next year to bolster its trade capabilities, reduce transport costs and become a bigger player in global logistics as the Malacca bypass opens.
“With Covid, we’re facing container shortages, so a lot of our goods can’t be shipped and some products will perish. Losses are incalculable,” Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said in an interview. “The shipping line can increase security and support the country’s ambition to become a logistics hub.”
Thailand’s commercial vessels contribute to less than 10% of its international freight. The country earned 57.4 billion baht ($1.7 billion) from shipping in 2020, but it had to spend almost 10 times that.
A reliance on foreign vessels increases costs, hurts trade competitiveness and exacerbates disruptions in times of…
