Shipping in Thailand: a Brief History and its Growing Future
With a coastline of more than 2,800 km , Thailand has water on both sides. On the Eastern shoreline, it has the Gulf of Thailand of the Pacific Ocean, while the Western shoreline meets the Andaman Sea, part of the Indian Ocean. In terms of geography, Thailand has endless opportunities to use the sea. Hence, shipping has always been an integral part of the country's transport and international trade. Let's take a look back at history and discover the future of shipping in Thailand. A Brief History… Did you know that shipping is the primary transportation source, with 90 % of the world's total trade ? The history of Thai maritime trade is divided into four eras. The first was the Sukhothai period, during which Thailand was involved in trade with various foreign countries. China and India were top traders as they had easy access via the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian ocean. Next was the Ayutthaya and Thonburi periods when other international countries recog...