Six-month performance boosts PAT's optimism
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Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) is confident that the performance of its facilities will be dynamic and achieve revenue targets this fiscal year.
It noted that container handling suffered a big contraction because of the big flood in 2011, which hurt economic activities. But the economy rebounded significantly last year, which benefited the ports.
Itthichai Suphankul, PAT’s deputy director-general for human resources and finance, said that based on the first six months of this fiscal year, starting from October 2012, the outlook was optimistic. During the period, the ports posted a net profit of Bt2.92 billion, an increase of 42 per cent compared with the same period in the previous fiscal. Total revenue grew by 16 per cent to Bt6.59 billion.
In Bangkok, there were 1,662 ship arrivals, an increase of 18.88 per cent years on year. Products handled by the port totalled 10.274 million tonnes, a rise of 26.9 per cent.
At Laem Chabang Port, the number of ship arrivals increased by 6.92 per cent to 4,436, with total products amounting to 33.302 million tonnes.
Ranong Port welcomed 143 arrivals, an increase of 13.5 per cent year on year. For Chiang Saen Port and Chiang Khong Port, there were combined ship arrivals of 4,561, an increase of 646.49 per cent.
PAT’s full-year growth forecast is based on gross domestic product expanding by 5.1 per cent and the exchange rate staying between Bt28.5 and Bt29 against US dollar.
