Thailand pushes cruise hub ambition with new terminal plan on both coasts

Thailand is stepping up efforts to establish itself as a regional hub for cruise tourism, with the Transport Ministry advancing plans to develop new cruise terminals on both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman coast.

The move comes as the ministry separately held talks with senior executives from Royal Caribbean Group (RCG), one of the world’s leading cruise operators, on ways to facilitate cruise operations in Thailand and improve support for the sector’s continued growth.

The meeting was chaired by Panya Chupanich, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport and head of the transport cluster, via video conference. It was attended by Wendy Yamazaki, Regional Vice President for Government Relations in Asia at Royal Caribbean Group, along with representatives from the Port Authority of Thailand.

According to the ministry, Royal Caribbean reaffirmed that Thailand remains an important destination in the company’s cruise network and among the most popular ports of call for cruise travellers. The company plans to bring more than 45 cruise calls to Thailand this year, with an estimated 120,000 international visitors expected to arrive via cruise travel.

During the discussion, Royal Caribbean sought support and facilitation from Thai authorities to help accommodate its cruise operations more smoothly, amid rising demand in the regional cruise market.

Separately, the Transport Ministry said it is attaching high priority to expanding infrastructure to support the rapid growth of cruise tourism. The ministry is now moving ahead with plans to develop large-scale cruise terminals capable of handling major international cruise ships under public-private partnership (PPP) models.

Potential locations include Koh Samui, Phuket and the upper Gulf of Thailand, with feasibility studies under way to determine the most suitable site between Pattaya and Sattahip. The aim is to create a more complete cruise network on both coasts and strengthen Thailand’s links to global cruise routes.

Officials said one of the main challenges facing the industry is the limited number of port facilities able to accommodate large, world-class cruise vessels. The government therefore sees infrastructure upgrades as essential to raising Thailand’s competitiveness and unlocking more tourism revenue from the high-value cruise segment.

To support future investment, the ministry is preparing to compile development plans for Laem Chabang Port and other high-potential areas. Clear project timelines will also be drawn up and shared with Royal Caribbean and other interested investors to support business planning and future decisions.

The initiative reflects Thailand’s broader ambition to strengthen its standing in global tourism by expanding into higher-value travel segments, while building the infrastructure needed to support long-term growth.