Deep seaport, hospital development projects await Thai Cabinet nods

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) - Transport Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan Saturday inspected a site in Thailand's upper southern Phetchaburi province, where a deep seaport will be constructed and connected with the existing Laem Chabang deep seaport in the country's eastern Chonburi province. Charupong said that total distance from the newly-planned deep seaport and the Laem Chabang deep seaport is about 80 kilometres and traveling time by sea is approximately one hour, compared to more than five hours if travelling by car between Chonburi and Phetchaburi. Upon completion, the minister acknowledged, the new deep seaport will boost tourism and shipping businesses in the two connected areas, and that his ministry has set aside a budget amounting 15 million baht for conducting a feasibility study on the project, which is also on the agenda of the Joint Public-Private Sector Consultative Committee meeting held in adjacent Kanchanaburi province this evening of the Cabinet's mobile meeting in the western province Sunday. Meanwhile, Thai Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri is expected to seek a Cabinet approval of a 600-million-baht state budget to further develop Phaholpolpayuhasena Hospital in Kanchanaburi, bordering Myanmar, so that it will meet growing demand from patients once Myanmar’s new Tavoy deep seaport project is complete in 2016. Currently, the Phaholpolpayuhasena Hospital has only 440 patient beds and their number will be increased to 700 this October and medical services at the new building now under construction are expected to start in April 2013. (TNA)