Chiang Saen : Thailand Water Way of Northern Region

On January 17 2014, we as the part of student who studied about ASEAN went to Chiang Saen Port which took about 2 hours of travel time. We went there for some reasons. First Chiang Saen is one of the transportation route in northern Thailand and it's located near the border of Laos and China, which make it as an important port. Second reason is our journey there was also to study the implication of third step of Regional Integration which is free trade area. And Chiang Saen is one of the executioner of the third step. 

As we arrived at front of the port, we get off the bus and walked entering the office. There we had a 1 hour lecture in small room which can contain around 50-65 persons. In that small room, we were explained about the Chiang Saen Port and it's importance in northern Thailand. But unfortunately the explanation was on Thai language in spite of  other nationality student were there such as Chinese, Myanmar, and Indonesian like me. But thankfully one of Thai student was kind to me and she help me interpreted all the lecture when we were listening to the lecturer. Actually it was not a lecturer. But it was a chief of the port who gave us the information. 

The paragraphs below is the conclusion of the lecture that we had listened to him.

Chiang Saen port was built with budget of 1,5 million baht at January 18 2011. This port is a new port from its previous place. In the previous place, there is no bridge and light so the ship may be able to board at daylight and it is only used to ship product. Chiang Saen port was opened first time to be tested at April 1 2012 and finally opened to public at December 12 2012. Chiang Saen is also the biggest port in Mekong River.

                 

              Chiang Saen Port is a part of shipping ports which are described in order is Chiang Saen, Ranong, Chiang Kong, Lamcang, and Bangkok. As information, the length from Lamcang to Mekong river is 4890 km. Mae nam kong or Mekong river lies from China, Laos, Myanmar, until Thailand

                Chiang Saen port makes its cooperation with China and Laos by Joint Committee of coordination commercial and navigation (JCCCN). This port also makes multilateral agreement with 3 other countries which are Myanmar, China, and Laos. Its purpose is to protect river and shipping activity. Now a road is built from Chiang Saen to Chiang Kong. 

                The history of Port of Mekong River is begun from China territory. The first port is in China which called kham leey. The second is in Laos which called baan hog. The third is in Myanmar which called sab luey wag kong. And the fourth is in Thailand which called te sabaa. Te sabaa is the previous port which only used to transport at daylight. 

                Government of Thailand gives support to Chiang Saen port. The port has refrigerator which is used to keep products fresh from China. The machine is run by water flow energy. Besides that, there are also light towers which aim to see in the night. This work was done by 80% Myanmar worker. The reason is because Thai people don’t like to do work like that. The port also has office of drug censor, marine unit station, and others. 

                The cheapest price for shipping product is through water. Thailand has only 10 boats, but Myanmar and Laos have 40 boats each of them, but its origin is from Thailand. China ship can bring about 1 million tones of product while Laotian ship only bring 100 ton each time of shipping.