Chiang Saen Port
Chiang Saen Port is an open port and situated on the bank of Mekong River in the Chiang Saen District and is part of the Chiang Rai Province.
The port is adjacent to the Mekong River and opposite the People's Democratic Republic of Laos. The total port area is about 14,400 m2 (9 rais).
Behind the port, you have a road linking Chiang Saen with Chiang Kong.
The terminal at Chiang Saen Port consists of two floating pontoons provided with bridges linking to the quayside. The pontoons are equipped with roofs providing
shelter from sunshine and wind, this makes it possible to conduct cargo operations in all weather conditions. The link bridges are 6 meters wide, 30 m long
and have a capacity of 800 kg/m2. The maximum slope of the bridges is 12 degrees (depending on the water level). There are 2 berths of 12 by 50 meters
and an area for container storage. Trucks can be used to load and transfer cargo on the ship's at all times. The terminal has a parking lot and is able to
accommodate 50 trucks (8-10 wheels). The port has one mobile crane with a capacity of 50 tons, the port also has a conveyor belt for loading/discharging
cargo to and from ship’s. The port has 2 berths can accommodate ship’s less than 200 GRT, 50 meters in length and 2 meters in depth. The designed cargo
handling capacity is about 540,000 tons per year.
Freight from Chiang Saen Port can be transported to Guanlei Port in southwest China near the Burmese-Chinese border, which is about 265 km in length.
Most cargo ships on the Mekong stop by this port to wait for cargo transfers by truck or by other cargo ships to areas in China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos
However, due to the rapid growth of trade between Thailand and China, the port became too small to accommodate this growth. Expansion of the port was not allowed,
since it is located in a designated historical site and deserves to be preserved as a part of national heritage. Moreover, the Treasury Department had plans to develop
the district to be registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site. This historical site will also be promoted as a major tourist destination in northern Thailand. It was decided
that to port was to be relocated to a place with sufficient space to accommodate the envisaged growth. The port is currently mainly used as a tourist port.
Picture: Chiang Saen Port
