DP World doubles down on Southeast Asia through Thai port extension

DP World holds on to its Thai gateway: DP World’s Laem Chabang International Terminal (LCIT) secured a five-year extension to operate the B5 container berth at Laem Chabang Port — extending the concession to run from May 2026 through April 2031.

The terminal already has scale on the ground: LCIT already operates the B5 and C3 berths at Thailand’s largest container hub — offering 900 meters of berth length, the capacity to handle up to four vessels at once, and 4.4k sqm of on-dock CFS space. The terminal also handled a record 1.9 mn TEUs in 2025.

Why it matters

The trade lane is crowded — and that is precisely the point: Intra-Asia shipping has become one of the most contested container markets, with at least 69 active players and regional container capacity rising 13% last year to 2.4 mn TEUs. Meanwhile, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are now pushing port upgrades to handle bigger vessels and rising cargo volumes, positioning Laem Chabang’s next phase — and DP World’s renewed berth position — inside a wider regional upgrade cycle.

Bigger port, bigger role: Laem Chabang’s next phase is designed to increase the port’s container capacity from 11 mn TEUs to 18 mn TEUs annually and raise vehicle handling from 2 mn to 3 mn cars a year. Terminal F1 is scheduled to open in 2027, while F2 is slated for 2031.

The next lever is inland connectivity: DP World is pairing the berth extension with a wider Thailand network that includes cross-border trucking, landside logistics, freight corridor, and a rail-connected inland container yard in Khon Kaen with a thrice-weekly shuttle to Laem Chabang.

Rails is where phase 3 gets serious: The expansion plan is also targeting raising rail’s share of hinterland transport from 7% to 30%, with rail capacity set at 6 mn containers a year.

Same playbook, different mechanics

The regional buildout is already underway: The Leam Chabang extension fits a wider DP World push across Southeast Asian gateways. In Indonesia, the port operator is expanding Belwana New Container Terminal to 1.4 mn TEUs and building a new 3 mn-TEU terminal with Masipon Group in East Java, alongside an industrial and logistics park. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, DP World operates Saigon Premier Container Terminal and has added a domestic coastal logistics service with VIMC Lines, tying port capacity more directly to manufacturing zones.