Thailand takes next steps for Maritime Single Window

Thailand's Marine Department brought together their country's leading maritime stakeholders to take the necessary steps forward to advance maritime digitalization in the country through the establishment of a central Maritime Single Window (MSW) system.

A national, multi-stakeholder workshop held in Bangkok from 25 to 29 August, organized by the IMO and Thailand's Marine Department, focused on the awareness of the MSW and the key practical steps to implement the mandatory digital platform.

Since 1 January 2024, all IMO Member States are required to use a single digital platform or "Maritime Single Window" for collecting and exchanging information with ships during port calls. This system simplifies the processes for the arrival, stay, and departure of vessels, significantly improving the efficiency of global shipping operations.

Around 50 representatives from key government agencies participated in the workshop, including the Marine Department of Thailand, the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT), Thai Customs Department, the Immigration Bureau (Royal Thai Police), Department of Disease Control, Department of Agriculture, as well as ship agents (representative of Bangkok Shipowners and Agents Association (BSAA)) and freight forwarders (representative of The International Freight Forwarders Association (TIFFA).

Bringing all the relevant stakeholders together, the workshop examined the key requirements of the International Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) concerning the digitalization of ship clearance processes at ports.

Also, during the second half of the week, individual stakeholder interviews took place to conduct an assessment on where Thailand is now and to discuss the potential of moving forward in this digital era.

The multi-stakeholder workshop was led by IMO expert Nico De Cauwer, Secretary-General of the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA), who shared his experiences and knowledge in maritime digitalization. Discussions explored the key steps in implementation and potential challenges that Thailand could face in developing an MSW, as well as success factors.