Originally designed to access the city port of Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River, Bangkokmax container ships have become the preferred vessels for regional trades in Asia, and other regions.
The dimensions of Bangkokmax vessels, whose length does not exceed 172m, make these 1,700-1,900 TEU ships palatable to regional lanes, according to Alphaliner’s latest report, released on 10 May.
More recently, Bangkokmaxes have increased their presence in other regions such as the Mediterranean, South America, the Caribbean Basin, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
Alphaliner opined that Bangkokmaxes will gain favour due to the ageing of the Atlantic-based feeder fleet and the closure of most shipyards in Europe, and the exit of J.J. Sietas in Germany, which used to be the main builder of Atlantic-based feeder tonnage up to 1,700 TEUs.
The intra-Asia trade is by far the biggest employer of Bangkokmaxes, with 196 ships in service, taking up 70% of the Bangkokmax fleet.
So far this year, three newly built Bangkokmaxes and a 2013-built unit have already been fixed for Atlantic or America trading.
The increasing demand for these ships has been reflected in a resurgence in newbuilding activity, with tonnage providers Reederei Nord and XT Shipping placing orders recently.
Early this month, Reederei Nord ended a seven-year hiatus in newbuilding orders when it contracted two 1,900 TEU Bangkokmax units at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with options for another two vessels.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
