The Customs Department has adopted the E-Coastal Trading System, aiming to streamline processes and facilitate trade convenience.
With the new system, operators can report inbound and outbound ships and proceed with customs clearance electronically without meeting officials, said Krisada Chinavicharana, director-general of the department.
They can also pay for fees, including those used to finance lighthouse costs and those related to container discharges via the internet, mobile banking app, ATMs and payment service providers across the country.
Previously, coastal traders had to submit paper documents related to customs clearance processes to officials at the port of loading and were required to turn in the same documents at the port of discharge.
Such paper documents caused inconvenience for operators, so an electronic system has been implemented, Mr Krisada said.
Moreover, the digital system lets port operators know details about weight, number of containers and container status so they can more efficiently plan area space and inform customs officials before ships arrive, which can shorten the clearance period.
The E-Coastal Trading System helps streamline and shorten the time for customs clearance and reduce paper usage, Mr Krisada said, adding that the system can connect with the e-export system to facilitate coastal traders and port operators.
The hope is that the new system can improve Thailand's ranking in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business (EODB) report, he said.
The department recently launched Pre-Arrival Processing (PAP) e-bill payment and e-customs clearance, in part to hike Thailand's rank in the EODB, which fell to 27th in 2019 despite the overall score rising to 78.45.
Thailand's EODB score, an absolute measure of the country's progress towards global best practices, increased from 77.39 the previous year.
The government has worked to address barriers to doing business to improve the country's ranking, adding business-friendly regulations and making an effort to attract foreign investment.
