Songkhla Deep-Sea Tuna Port (PAT)
Songkhla Deep-Sea Tuna Port is a Port Authority of Thailand (PAT)-operated deep-sea tuna fishing and processing port at Songkhla on Thailand's southern Gulf-of-Thailand coast. Primary landing port for Thai-flagged and Western-Pacific deep-sea tuna fishing vessels supplying Thailand's structural canned-tuna export industry (Thai Union Group / SET:TU). Anchor for Songkhla regional fisheries economy. Reports to Ministry of Transport via Port Authority of Thailand.
Profile overview
Songkhla Deep-Sea Tuna Port is a Port Authority of Thailand (PAT)-operated deep-sea tuna fishing and processing port at Songkhla on Thailand's southern Gulf-of-Thailand coast. Primary landing port for Thai-flagged and Western-Pacific deep-sea tuna fishing vessels supplying Thailand's structural canned-tuna export industry (Thai Union Group / SET:TU). Anchor for Songkhla regional fisheries economy. Reports to Ministry of Transport via Port Authority of Thailand.
Key programs
Port Operations
Deep-Sea Tuna Landing Facilities
Primary deep-sea tuna landing port for Thai-flagged and foreign-flagged vessels operating in the Western Pacific. Annual tuna landing volumes approximately 300,000-400,000 tonnes, accounting for ~60% of Thailand's total tuna import and landing volumes supplying the canned-tuna industry.
Cold Chain
Refrigerated Holding and Processing
Cold-storage and blast-freezing facilities integrated with port landing operations. Provides -18C to -60C storage for skipjack, yellowfin, and albacore tuna prior to transfer to canneries. Thai Union's Songkhla Canning facility is the primary downstream consumer.
Vessel Services
Transshipment and Bunkering
Licensed transshipment port for at-sea catch transfers from carrier vessels. Provides fuel bunkering, vessel maintenance, and crew-change services. Compliance monitoring functions aligned with NPOA-IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated fishing) framework under SEAFDEC.
Thai tuna supply chain — key nodes
Deep-sea landing port
Operator
PAT (Songkhla)
Volume
~350,000 t/yr
Location
Songkhla
Canning / processing
Export container logistics
Operator
Laem Chabang Port (PAT)
Volume
Multiple carriers
Location
Chonburi
International brand licensing
| Supply chain node | Operator | Volume | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep-sea landing port | PAT (Songkhla) | ~350,000 t/yr | Songkhla |
| Canning / processing | Thai Union (Songkhla Canning) | ~500,000 t processed/yr | Songkhla |
| Export container logistics | Laem Chabang Port (PAT) | Multiple carriers | Chonburi |
| International brand licensing | Thai Union Group (SET:TU) | ~$4.5B global revenue | Bangkok HQ |
Watchpoints 2025-2026
IUU Compliance
EU IUU Yellow-Card Risk
Thailand received EU IUU yellow card in 2015 (lifted 2019). Songkhla port's transshipment monitoring and vessel-documentation compliance must remain robust to prevent re-flagging risk. Any EU yellow-card re-issuance would block Thai tuna exports to the EU, disrupting Thai Union's European brand revenues.
Fleet Renewal
Aging Deep-Sea Fleet
Thailand's distant-water fishing fleet is aging and constrained by IUU-driven licensing reforms. Fleet replacement costs and access to Western Pacific fishing licences are structural capacity constraints on Songkhla port's landing volumes through 2026.
Capacity
Port Expansion Plan
PAT is considering Songkhla port-expansion investment to accommodate larger carrier vessels and increase cold-storage capacity. Budget approval and EIA processes are on the 2025-2026 infrastructure pipeline, with completion targeted beyond 2028.
Related Market profiles
Peers, parents, partners, agencies, and other Fisheries Port actors.
Competitor
Laem Chabang Port asset
Thailand's largest deep-sea port; ~9M TEU container throughput; eastern seaboard primary export gateway.
Open Market profile →
Sector peer
Songkhla Fishing Port
Songkhla deep-sea, coastal fishing port; major southern Thailand fisheries hub; Port Authority of Thailand operated.
Open Market profile →