IEAT explores new industrial estates for southern infrastructure projects
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) is gearing up to establish two new industrial estates aligned with the southern land bridge project and the Southern Economic Corridor.
A member of the southern land bridge roadshow committee said on Monday that the IEAT was conducting feasibility studies for the two new industrial estate projects.
The first of these projects focuses on identifying suitable locations for an industrial estate in Ranong and Chumphon, to support the land bridge project.
The southern land bridge project aims to construct deep-sea ports in Ranong and Chumphon and link them with a network of motorways and double-track railways.
The IEAT envisions the industrial estate in this area as a hub for agro-industry, food industry, biological industry and wellness and tourism industry, the source said.
In the second project, the IEAT is exploring the feasibility of establishing a halal food estate in the Southern Economic Corridor, the source said.
The Cabinet approved the Southern Economic Corridor project in September 2022 to set up a new economic corridor spanning Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Highlighting the potential growth of the US$2-trillion global halal food industry by 13.5 % per year, the IEAT sees this as a lucrative opportunity, the source added. Thailand’s export of halal food for the first seven months of 2023 was valued at 136.5 billion baht.
The source said IEAT is expected to hire an advisor for the land bridge industrial estate project within this month and make a decision on the location of the estate by April.
