From 11 to 18 Million TEU: Optimizing Port-Workforce Reskilling and Training Finance for Thailand’s Laem Chabang Phase 3

Phase 3 of Laem Chabang Port will expand rated capacity from approximately 11 to 18 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) and deepen rail connectivity within Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Realizing these gains depends not only on infrastructure but also on timely workforce reskilling and credible training-finance mechanisms. This paper develops a Thailand-specific framework that (i) translates throughput and rail-share targets into occupation- and region-specific staffing requirements and (ii) allocates multi-source training funds through a policy-constrained mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model that respects Thailand’s Skill Development Promotion Act (“train-or-pay”), provider capacity, equity floors, and optional green-taxonomy eligibility. Using public parameters on costs, completion, and placement probabilities, and 2026–2027 budget envelopes, the model indicates that covering 80% of the incremental staffing needs from the 11→18 million TEU uplift requires approximately 1,212 enrollments under a 15% rail-share scenario and 1,341 enrollments under a 25% rail-share scenario. While training budgets are sufficient (showing small surpluses), support budgets for stipends, mentoring, and placement services are binding in all scenarios—particularly in 2027, when 60% of cohorts enter. We derive an implementable intake and financing plan for the EEC–Bangkok corridors and identify three policy levers—adjusting coverage targets, co-funding support costs via large employers, and mobilizing green-taxonomy funds—that can reconcile rail-intensive skill needs with fiscal constraints. The framework offers a practical template for embedding workforce planning and training finance into large-scale logistics investments in Thailand and comparable emerging-economy contexts.