Operator of foreign-flagged “super yachts” are expected to soon be allowed to get chartering licences to sail in Thai waters.
Officials have been discussing how to standardise the criteria for the licences,” Marine Department director-general Chula Sukmanop said. “We are pushing hard on what needs to be done in terms of laws to allow foreign-flagged super-yacht charters in Thailand.”
A public hearing on the issue is scheduled next week. “On [Tuesday] June 16, we will hold a public hearing at Phuket Provincial Hall,” Chula said.
“After the public hearing we will submit the standardised criteria to the Ministry of Transport for approval. Then, registration [for the licences] should be available for qualified vessels at the beginning of July. The ministry is fully supporting this matter in order to move Thailand closer towards its goal of becoming a regional maritime hub.”
The government is looking at giving yachts of at least 30 metres permission to charter in Thai territorial waters for a year at a time.
[via The Nation Multimedia]