Representatives from the 9 EAHC member countries gather
for a meeting to lay the groundwork for their new website.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Thailand and other East Asian nations hope to develop
electronic navigation charts for regional waters faster and with more
cooperation by launching a new website.
The nine member countries of the East Asian Hydrographic
Commission met in Pattaya July 19 to announce the new Internet site at
www.EAHC.Asia and lay out plans for their next projects. Although
established nearly 30 years ago, the full group has met only five times and
cites only one major achievement: An electronic navigation chart for the
South China Sea created in 2005.
It’s hoped the new website will move things along a bit
faster. Thailand Vice Adm. Nakhon Tanuwong, the president of EAHC through
2012, said after the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort session that the
website will be a central repository for newsletters, circulars and reports
of activities, meetings and seminars. It also will allow hydrographic
organizations in each country to share information and techniques,
increasing member communication.
“International trade requirements for marine
transportation are important. Marine traffic has increased continuously and,
for safety, it’s important each member country participate,” Nakhon said.
Part of the International Hydrographic Organization, the
EAHC includes China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, North Korea, Philippines,
Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Its goal is to coordinate the
activities of national hydrographic offices in the region, facilitate the
exchange of information regarding surveys, research, developments and
technical details related to hydrography and work out cooperative projects
in developing navigational charts.
Nakhon said Thailand’s participation in the IHO since
1921 has resulted in navigational charts of Thai territorial waters adhering
to international standards and gaining trust in the maritime industry.
Nakhon said that by the end of his term he hopes to
produce electronic navigational charts for more of Asia to increase safety
of shipping in the region’s sea lanes.
“ENCs still need consistency in their data,” the vice
admiral said. “Cooperation by regional member countries in EAHC is important
for that goal.”
After signing sister airport agreements with three leading
global airports earlier, Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is preparing to sign a
similar accord with an American airport, Serirat Prasutanond, president of
Airports of Thailand (AoT) said Friday.
During a seminar, Serirat said that although Suvarnabhumi
Airport, east of Bangkok in Samut Prakan province, was ranked as the world’s
10th best international airport this year by Skytrax World Airport Awards, it
would be difficult to improve the ranking.
AoT will try to expand and improve its services and plans to
sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Suvarnabhumi and an
American airport as the number of flights from Thailand to the US is
considerable.
Suvarnabhumi Airport earlier signed sister airport agreements
with South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, Japan’s Narita and Munich in
Germany.
Serirat said the number of passengers using Suvarnabhumi
services has returned to normal to between 105,000-110,000 daily after dropping
about one percent during the political turmoil ended in May with a military
crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Serirat said he was optimistic that the number air passengers
will increase during Thailand’s tourist high season, in the last quarter of the
year.
Regarding a second development phase at Suvarnabhumi, he said
the issue is being considered by the Cabinet and pertinent government agencies
and any delay in the approval could affect the airport’s future efficiency.
(MCOT)
