Intermodal logistics and a southern industrial hub
To secure a front-runner position in this booming industry, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn hosted H.E. Khalil Yaqoob Al Khayat, the Ambassador of Bahrain to Thailand, to celebrate nearly 50 years of bilateral relations and map out integrated logistics networks.
During the diplomatic session, Bahrain pitched its “Sea to Air Logistics Hub” blueprint. The proposal leverages Bahrain’s advanced domestic infrastructure, which can seamlessly transition cargo from deep-sea ports to international airport runways in under two hours. The Thai Ministry of Transport has accepted the framework for further development.
Concurrently, Thai officials pushed forward the Chana Industrial Estate Development Project in Songkhla Province as a cornerstone of its domestic economic agenda.
The government intends to develop this zone into a major regional halal manufacturing hub, aimed at stimulating employment, specialised careers, and long-term income across the five southern border provinces.
The Bahraini ambassador expressed strong support for the project, pledging technical consultations regarding crop cultivation and optimised livestock breeding. This technology transfer is designed to enable local Muslim producers to yield premium-grade raw materials that feed directly into the industrial estate for onwards export to the Middle East.