Thai Prime Minister Revs Up Development of U-Tapao International Airport

[snoop1130]

PHOTO: Kaosod Online

 

Thailand’s incumbent prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is taking steps to accelerate the development of U-Tapao international airport in the hope of raking in a profit of 305 billion baht for the country.

 

U-Tapao international airport is a joint venture between BBS Consortium and the government’s EEC Policy Committee under a 50-year concession, with a goal of handling 60 million passengers per year, according to Tipanan Sirichana, deputy spokesperson of the government.

 

She said that General Prayut is pushing for the completion of the airport to increase the country’s competitiveness on a global scale.

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/01/27/thai-prime-minister-revs-up-development-of-u-tapao-international-airport/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-01-27

 

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[kwilco]

THe airport is part of the governments "dream" the EEC - The EEC is primarily and industrial exercise - it is going to massively increase the industry urbanisation and pollution in Chonburi and Rayong provinces. It is accompanied by road and rail infrastructure developments. 

The problem is apart from getting millions more people in the area, there seems to have been virtually no consideration of the impact all this will have.

Tourists in the region (and expats) are going to find themselves in the middle of the biggest industrial conurbation in South East Asia.

THe air quality is already getting ruined. as is agricultural land and fishing - the future looks like being more akin to a sprawling BKK than a holiday area,

[spidermike007]

60 million arrivals a year? Is that a typo? Swampy barely gets that, if all arrivals are included. LAX only gets 48 million arrivals per year. 

 

Sounds like more wet dreams. Though Pattaya airport is not as neglected and poorly used as Hua Hin Airport (the least utilized airport in the world?), it is not likely to become the major hub they are dreaming of. 

[Srikcir]

Is this only to the benefit of the EEC?

The airport is a joint civil-military public airport., home to the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield.

The navy is the entity that signed a $9 billion contract to begin building the Eastern Airport City megaproject within in the EEC that was initiated by the military junta using its absolute powers.

Will the Navy share in airport revenues, essentially bypassing any legislative defense budget allocations? 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand’s incumbent prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

I think inept is more appropriate.

[mikebell]

The place is a mess.  The website is almost all Thai.  My daughter got more information from UK than I was able to in Thailand.  As in almost all walks of Thai society, emails in English are never answered.

Just back from a Bangkok airways flight to Samui. I remember when they had a lounge and free coffee, now it's a shabby mosquito ridden dump.  Unfinished paintwork, exposed plaster and, here's the perfect welcome to Thailand for all INTERNATIONAL travellers; if you want a drink you have to have PromptPay on your phone!

The carpark was roomy, some of it in shade; the long stay carpark rates for eight days was the equivalent of two taxi journeys tho' I had to wake the guy up to pay.

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

60 million arrivals a year? Is that a typo? Swampy barely gets that, if all arrivals are included. LAX only gets 48 million arrivals per year. 

 

Sounds like more wet dreams. Though Pattaya airport is not as neglected and poorly used as Hua Hin Airport (the least utilized airport in the world?), it is not likely to become the major hub they are dreaming of. 

Nonetheless, it all makes for good copy and sensationalized promotion. 

Those scoundrels that look to make the usual take from projects as this one are quite ok with the dreamy rhetoric. 

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Is this only to the benefit of the EEC?

The airport is a joint civil-military public airport., home to the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield.

The navy is the entity that signed a $9 billion contract to begin building the Eastern Airport City megaproject within in the EEC that was initiated by the military junta using its absolute powers.

Will the Navy share in airport revenues, essentially bypassing any legislative defense budget allocations? 

Whilst the defence budget allocation may at least in part go towards ships, I think we can be confident that any revenues from U-Tapao will be destined for "other hands".

[Pouatchee]

4 hours ago, kwilco said:

The problem is apart from getting millions more people in the area, there seems to have been virtually no consideration of the impact all this will have.

My house is right under the flight path of the jets. With covid it has been very quiet. I just look forward to the jet fumes and noise we will be enjoying when it is all said and done. The locals are really angry about this. My better half went to a local village meeting and they are planning on having 70 flights an hour come in and out. My land will be worthless.

[jacko45k]

10 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

My house is right under the flight path of the jets. With covid it has been very quiet. I just look forward to the jet fumes and noise we will be enjoying when it is all said and done. The locals are really angry about this. My better half went to a local village meeting and they are planning on having 70 flights an hour come in and out. My land will be worthless.

You must be very close.

I have enjoyed the lack of flights over my place, but more recently I am hearing more... one went over quite low recently, very early in the morning. I suspect a Russian one heading home, certainly taking his time climbing.....

If you are close enough to smell the fumes, perhaps open a hotel! A car park, those sorts of things... perhaps value of your land will go up!

[MRToMRT]

Ka Ching. Ka Ching, get those big kickback projects rolling before the election.

[ignore it]

In the future will the RTP VVIP escort service be available from U Tapao to the casinos?

[Pouatchee]

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

You must be very close.

I have enjoyed the lack of flights over my place, but more recently I am hearing more... one went over quite low recently, very early in the morning. I suspect a Russian one heading home, certainly taking his time climbing.....

If you are close enough to smell the fumes, perhaps open a hotel! A car park, those sorts of things... perhaps value of your land will go up!

We must be neighbors without know it. I hate the training plane the just hovers around on Mondays or Tuesdays... and yeah pretty close indeed.

[kwilco]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

60 million arrivals a year? Is that a typo? Swampy barely gets that, if all arrivals are included. LAX only gets 48 million arrivals per year. 

 

Sounds like more wet dreams. Though Pattaya airport is not as neglected and poorly used as Hua Hin Airport (the least utilized airport in the world?), it is not likely to become the major hub they are dreaming of. 

THe point is they really he no limit on the numbers they see coming or the effect it will have on infrastructure.

U-Tapao will cater for business as well as tourism. Although it may take some away from BKK, the idea is to GENERATE more traffic - they already have new roads and railways are planned...... it is established the new roads generate new traffic and the industry panned in that region is quite disturbing too. THe established industries are petrochemicals and although the government has said they want to attract "other" industries, it is still the petrochemicals that will benefit and expand. THis will draw in a lot more traffic by land sea and air.

 

[kwilco]

13 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Is this only to the benefit of the EEC?

The airport is a joint civil-military public airport., home to the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield.

The navy is the entity that signed a $9 billion contract to begin building the Eastern Airport City mega project within in the EEC that was initiated by the military junta using its absolute powers.

Will the Navy share in airport revenues, essentially bypassing any legislative defense budget allocations? 

You describe what it is now - the plan is to build another runway and expand the capacity dramatically. I think those who live nearby who complain about noise and pollution will find they are going to experience a lot ore in the future - I would also be concerned about what land will be commandeered for the expansion.

Although the EEC is the baby of the junta it is a "private/public" project so the military's role is unclear - maybe yet another airport somewhere?

[spidermike007]

This airport accommodated 1.8 million total passengers in 2018. Tripling that would be a major accomplishment, much less the kind of insane numbers they are talking about. Most flights than LAX? Really? Dreamers. 

[kwilco]

6 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This airport accommodated 1.8 million total passengers in 2018. Tripling that would be a major accomplishment, much less the kind of insane numbers they are talking about. Most flights than LAX? Really? Dreamers. 

I don't think you need to take that 60 million seriously - as the total number of visitors before Covid was 40 million.

however there IS going to be a significant increase in numbers through U-tapao and this will greatly impact the region.

"

In 2015 only 170,000 passengers used U-tapao Airport. However in 2016 that leaped to 710,000 and in 2017, the figure was 1,200,000. Making it one of the fastest growing airports in the world. Terminal 2 opened in early 2019 and is now fully operational.

It had small number of both local and international flights but, mainly due to AirAsia expanding their flights and an increase in Chinese airlines that number is ever growing. Terminal 2 is the latest phase in the expansion and upgrading of Utapao Airport. This addition means it has the capacity to handle up to 3,000,000 passengers annually."

https://pattayaairportguide.com/#:~:text=In 2015 only 170%2C000 passengers, growing airports in the world.

 

Or are you referring to Suvarnabhumi?

[spidermike007]

10 minutes ago, kwilco said:

I don't think you need to take that 60 million seriously - as the total number of visitors before Covid was 40 million.

however there IS going to be a significant increase in numbers through U-tapao and this will greatly impact the region.

"

In 2015 only 170,000 passengers used U-tapao Airport. However in 2016 that leaped to 710,000 and in 2017, the figure was 1,200,000. Making it one of the fastest growing airports in the world. Terminal 2 opened in early 2019 and is now fully operational.

It had small number of both local and international flights but, mainly due to AirAsia expanding their flights and an increase in Chinese airlines that number is ever growing. Terminal 2 is the latest phase in the expansion and upgrading of Utapao Airport. This addition means it has the capacity to handle up to 3,000,000 passengers annually."

https://pattayaairportguide.com/#:~:text=In 2015 only 170%2C000 passengers, growing airports in the world.

 

Or are you referring to Suvarnabhumi?

No. I was referring to U Tapao. 

[kwilco]

53 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

No. I was referring to U Tapao. 

So where did you get that figure from?

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

We must be neighbors without know it. I hate the training plane the just hovers around on Mondays or Tuesdays... and yeah pretty close indeed.

No I am a long way off the actual airport....North of Pattaya...I don't hear that training plane. The low flyers are the only ones I notice really. If they get their 60 million tourists and many through U-Tapao we might be able to sell up and move into the boonies! 

[Srikcir]

On 1/28/2023 at 8:03 PM, kwilco said:

You describe what it is now - the plan is to build another runway and expand the capacity dramatically. I think those who live nearby who complain about noise and pollution will find they are going to experience a lot ore in the future - I would also be concerned about what land will be commandeered for the expansion.

Although the EEC is the baby of the junta it is a "private/public" project so the military's role is unclear - maybe yet another airport somewhere?

It seems to me that most of the direct foreign investment in the EEC (totalling 48 billion baht Jan.-Nov. 2022) is channeled through the Thai government. The EEC Policy Committee composed of 15 ministers and other government agencies is chaired by PM Prayut.  

'The thing about so many cooks in the kitchen is that there is so many fingers in the pot.'

 

[kwilco]

6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

It seems to me that most of the direct foreign investment in the EEC (totalling 48 billion baht Jan.-Nov. 2022) is channeled through the Thai government. The EEC Policy Committee composed of 15 ministers and other government agencies is chaired by PM Prayut.  

'The thing about so many cooks in the kitchen is that there is so many fingers in the pot.'

 

Any major civil engineering project is a target for corrupt practices. You can tell how corrupt a country is by looking at its roads.

THe EC project has raised considerable concerns about the environmental impact, in a region that is already scarred by pollution and environmental malpractice.

What people are prepared to "sweep under the carpet" in order to attract investors is anyone's guess.