The Thai Offshore Shipping Business, covering the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, is a crucial part of the development of the Thai economy. It links with large industries, especially the petroleum exploration and drilling. With that situation, Thai and foreign entrepreneurs in the shipping business had grouped to establish Thai Offshore Shipping Business Association or TOSBA, which had been officially opened with Mr.Krit Seetong-on serving as a president.
The official opening of Thai Offshore Shipping Business Association happened on 21 June 2023 at Songkhla province. The ceremony was attended by representatives from various important relating agencies, eg. Mr.Woranut Nhoorod, Songkhla Deputy Governor; Mr.Paijane Maksuwan President of Songkhla Provincial Administrative; Mr.Yuutana Poonpipat the Director of the Customs Office Region 4; Mr.Sanpetch Boonyamanee, Member of the House of Representatives Songkhla Region 1; and Mr.Soratat Kranlert, Vice president, etc.
Mr.Krit Seetong-on, the president of TOSBA, said “TOSBA sees the potential of logistics in these water territories and the continuous growth of the petroleum exploration and drilling industry that correspond to the global changes. So, the association has been established and officially opened to create a strong members network. It will facilitate shipowners, entrepreneurs, and other related service providers to grow sustainably, driving Thailand to be a leading center of offshore shipping in this region.”
The purpose of TOSBA is to promote businesses relating to offshore shipping in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, including the petroleum exploration and drilling industry. The association will also support members and be the center of sharing knowledge, expertise, good practice, and marketing insight among members in order to support market competition and changes which are fast and challenging. All these will bring economic and trade benefits which strengthen Thailand.
Moreover, TOSBA will cooperate with government authorities to promote trade, drive the growth of the industry, and improve the quality standard of products manufactured or sold by the member entrepreneurs to meet customers’ needs. At the present, besides running a business, entrepreneurs must also consider sustainable development. For this, the association will bring digital technology and innovations to support offshore shipping. Technology providers will be involved to integrate the system to increase efficiency of operations and safety. Further, a mission to reduce impacts to the environment will be implemented. And, attracting more foreign investment is also
an important task. For example, fleet expansion needs to be accomplished to push the Thai economy forward which will create new jobs for locals. Other information can be found at: https://tosba.org/about-tosba/
