Sister Port Project between Kitakyuchu Port and Laem Chabang Port

Kitakyuchu is a city located in the northern part of Kyuchu Island, Japan. It is one of the significant industrial city, especially steel industries.

The Port of Kitakyuchu ranks sixth in the highest cargo handling ports in Japan. It handled cargos in the excess of 100 million tons per year, costing more than a hundred billion yen. While trading with Thailand, it comes on the forth after the US, Korea and Taiwan accordingly.

On July 22, 1991, Thailand and Japan had signed an agreement on Sister Port Project between Kitkyuchu Port and Laem Chabang Port at the International Conference Centre, Kotakyuchu, Japan. The Thai representative was Vice Admiral Somnuk Thepawal while the Japanese was Mayor Koichi Suyoshi. The Protocol was honorably held and officially participated by the Thai Ambassador of Tokyo, state officials, businesspeople and relevant parties.

The crucial details of the agreement are as follows:

1. Both ports will hold conference together once every two year, considering significant problems and difficulties they are facing. They will also exchange useful information and materials concerning commercial business and the maritime transshipment of the both ports as well as other ports worldwide.
2. Both ports will cooperate in exchanging officials for essential and beneficial trainings. They will also promote each other’s activities through various advertisements.
3. Each port will participate in the other port’s special activities.
4. Both ports will consider giving privileges to certain vessels frequently cruise between the two ports or either given to promote the route and the ports. However, those privileges will not violate the both ports’ and international regulations.

Consequences of the Sister Port Project between Kitakyuchu Port and Laem Chabang Port are as follows:

1. Promotion of Laem Chabang Port and Kitakyuchu Port.

1.1 Encourage shipping lines in the group of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Siam Paetra International Co. (SPIC) to embark on the route passing both ports.

1.2 Kitakyuchu Port started reducing docking fees and quayside crane fees down by 20 percent since April 1, 1994. Followed up, from September 1, 2001, Laem Chabang Port also reduced docking fees for vessels in excess of 6,000 ton gross which cruised from Kitakyuchu Port. These vessels will receive a discount of 4 Baht per ton gross.

1.3 Laem Chabang Port is studying the financial structures and budget systems to promote trade acceleration between the two ports.

Information Exchange and Publicity Activities.

2.1 Exchange information of imported and exported products annually by clearly categorizing the types and quantity of the products of each port.

2.2 The Port Authority of Thailand and Kitakyuchu Port had launched their advertisement through various classified ads.

2.3Both ports agreed to collaborate on updating information and exchanging media such as brochures, visuals and VCDs.

Trainee Exchange

Both The Port Authority of Thailand and Kitakyuchu Port exchange trainees every year by sending officials to visit, observe and attend workshops concerning port development in various aspects such as environment, port administration and management, computers and many others. The human resources of the Laem Chabang Port, Bangkok Port and Kitakyuchu Port will gain knowledge and experience from these aspects and will expand their capabilities, which directly benefit their organizations.

Sister Port Conference

The Port Authority of Thailand and Kitakyuchu Port agreed to hold a conference every two year by switching the hosting after then. The host country is responsible for the conference expenditures except the travel expenses of other parties’ representatives. The conference had been held for seven times.