
Entrance to Laem Chabang Port
Laem Chabang () is a subdistrict municipality (
thesaban tambon) in
Chonburi Province,
Thailand. It covers the
tambon Bang Lamung of
Bang Lamung district, and the complete
tambon Bueng, Sura Sak, Thung Su Khla and parts of Nong Kham of
Si Racha district. As of 2006 it has a population of 61,801.
It is home to Thailand's largest port by the same name, about 25 kilometres north of
Pattaya, and south of the city
Chon Buri. Starting in 1988, a major development to encourage development outside Bangkok and take advantage of proximity to the Gulf of Thailand, was the Laem Chabang container port that was completed in 1991. As of 2005 it is the
20th busiest port in the world. Much of the international
shipping reaching Thailand goes through Laem Chabang. It is a stopping point for
Princess Cruises.
As a port town, the economy is based on shipping services, as well as retail and tourism. The town is being marketed along with
Bang Lamung township as an alternative to seedy Pattaya.
Sukhumvit Road goes through the town.
It has world class golf courses, such as the Laem Chabang International Country Club designed by
Jack Nicklaus. It also has a
ExxonMobil refinery.
Two large infrastructure projects worth a total of 36 billion baht, both
railways, have been approved on October 23, 2007, to be built to link up
Korat and
Lat Krabang with Laem Chabang. This shows central government commitment to developing the
Eastern Seaboard of Thailand, of which Laem Chabang plays a key role.