SF Marina helps Bangkok return to water travel

Until roads were built in the 19th century, water was the primary means of transportation in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, due to traffic congestion, the growing population is returning to the city’s vast network of canals to commute via water taxi. SF Marina Thailand Ltd is deep into the development of this region, recently building 15 small ferry landings for the local government. Eight additional terminals are scheduled to be built this year.

SF Marina Thailand used 8m SF1030 floating concrete pontoons for the landings. Less than 3m W and only 1m H, they’re ideal for the low-freeboard taxis that ply Bangkok’s narrow canals. Unsinkable, they have a low center of gravity and are exceptionally stable.
Many of the water taxi landings are near Buddhist temples. SF Marina Thailand creatively used golden finials to cap each of the steel piles that hold the landings in place. Additionally, sun shades were installed to protect waiting commuters and provide a place to enjoy the local pastime of feeding fish.

”Bangkok is a fast-paced city with vehicle congestion that’s especially challenging during rush hour,” said Preedee Chirasittikorn, SF Marina Thailand. ”We’re proud to be part of our city’s traffic solution and to build something that reconnects our population with their celebrated history with water.”

In addition to the Bangkok projects, SF Marina Thailand recently constructed a ferry landing in Surakul, Phang Nga. There, upwards of 2,000 tourists a day visit James Bond Island, a popular destination used in Man with the Golden Gun. It also completed a water taxi station in Pak Meng, in southern Thailand near Krabi.

For over 100 years, Gothenburg, Sweden-based SF Marina has engineered and manufactured floating breakwaters and concrete dock pontoons, and related marine structures built to overcome extreme weather and seas. It has an expansive network of offices across the globe ready to undertake a wide range of marine construction projects.

SHARE THIS STORY