U-Tapao International Airport ready for commercial flights

[KhunBENQ]

From own observation I can only confirm that there is the immigration checkpoint.

I missed to look out for a "customs" sign or the like.

On the other hand: it has the status of an international airport.

You can directly fly in/out of the country (like the many Russians travelling via U-Tapao in winter).

So there must be a customs checkpoint.

Where there is an immigration checkpoint there must also be a customs checkpoint.

Might simply be one or more officers watching the baggage belt.

Edited May 20, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[NanLaew]

U Ta Phao or U-Tapao?

Very confusing when trying to find specific things about Thailand on the internet. Thais really need to take grammar more seriously.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's 2016 (not 2558). It's high time for Thailand to come up with one official English spelling for major things like airports, cities, streets, etc. I've lost count with how many ways I've seen Phratamnack spelled.

I've been around the traps bit and never seen the transliterations U Tha Pao or Phratamnack before.

Well done chaps. Are you both ferrongs by the way?

[slipperylobster]

Any chance it will have non-stops to Clarke?

Clark.

anyways...it's Gloria Macapagal Arroyo....or GMA .

[newnative]

Just proves my point. Everyone is spelling words like U Tapao and Pratamnack any way they want. Drive from Pattaya to Jomtien using Thappraya and you will see Pratamnack spelled at least 3 different ways on what look like official signs. I think there is one that even has a space in the word. While we're at it, that large official sign that says Chom Tien Beach on Sukumvit should be changed. I think we are pretty much all in agreement that it's Jomtien. As for U Tapao, if anybody had any marketing sense they would name the airport Pattaya International. No, it's not in Pattaya, but that's true for other airports. Washington-Dulles airport isn't in Washington, DC--it's not even in the closest counties next to DC. But, if you're smart you name an airport after the most well-known city nearby--especially if it's a tourist destination. Lots of people around the world know Pattaya. Few would have a clue as to where U Tapao is. Or Rayong, for that matter.

[KhunBENQ]

From U Taphao it is an easy drive to Chom Thian and Phatthaya.

Up there is Phratamnak hill

These are the transcripts to the RTGS rules which should(!) be used for official purposes like place names, street names etc.

Transcription is and will always be a mess.

Using Chom Thian or Phatthaya is like swimming against the current.

[Tomtomtom69]

"The country's third international airport"?

Umm hello, but have these people ever heard of Phuket and Chiang Mai? Both airports have plenty of international flights and it's been this way for many years. Even Chiang Rai airport is international as it has one international service, as do Samui, Hat Yai and Krabi, all of which field flights to Singapore and Malaysia (and some other destinations), with Hat Yai also offering Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia during Muslim Ramadan. Oh yeah and then there's Surat Thani, with occasional charter flights to China (Kunming). Even tiny Mae Sot occasionally has flights to Myanmar and is therefore designated as an international airport, while both Udon Thani and Khon Kaen have briefly had international flights to Laos.

Let me see here, so in addition to Don Muang, Suvarnabhumi and U-taphao, that makes 5 airports in the south, 2 in the north with active international flights so 10 Thai airports plus at least another 3 which are designated as international due to having had international services in the past. So that means Thailand has at least 13 international airports - not sure if Ubon, Lampang and Phitsanulok are classified as international but if they are, that makes even more.

[squidy]

So what airlines fly from there?

Air Asia

[KhunBENQ]

So what airlines fly from there?

Air Asia

AirAsia to Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Nanchang, Macau, Hangzhou, Hat Yai.

From July also Singapore.

Bangkok Airways to Phuket and Samui.

Kan Air to Chiang Mai.

Not sure whether in the winter season the hard to track charter flights from Siberia (Russia) still exist.

Edited May 21, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[LennyW]

So what airlines fly from there?

Air Asia

AirAsia to Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Nanchang, Macau, Hangzhou, Hat Yai.

From July also Singapore.

Bangkok Airways to Phuket and Samui.

Kan Air to Chiang Mai.

Not sure whether in the winter season the hard to track charter flights from Siberia (Russia) still exist.

Air Asia already doing Singapore from U Tapao, have been for about 3 months, our staff have been using it regularly to go to our Singapore office.

[KhunBENQ]

Air Asia already doing Singapore from U Tapao, have been for about 3 months, our staff have been using it regularly to go to our Singapore office

You are right.

Probably mixed up with another news about flights starting in July. Forgot what it was.

The Singapore flight is four times weekly (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun).

[JDGRUEN]

They could use B-52 as moniker ... as it was an American B-52 Airbase for many years... The only reason it existed actually.

[Don Mega]

U-Tapao will be the 3rd international airport ?

What happened to the others ?

[themerg]

International Airport Code is UTP.

Remember that you are in Thailand.

Thai people pronounce as,"Ew ta pow"

I was here in 1972 for Vietnam war, that is how Thai people pronounce.

It is their country. It is their name for the airport.

Edited June 6, 2016 by themerg

[IsaanUSA]

Quote from wwc234 @ SSC

Almost Done
Check in !!!.....at U Tapao, International Airport, Rayong, Thailand......Grand Opening in January 2017 , Soft Opening in August 2016

Edited June 22, 2016 by IsaanUSA

[IsaanUSA]

There's also an article in the Bangkok Post dated June 22 that talks about the opening more. The title of the article is "New U-Tapao terminal opens next month"

[LennyW]

There's also an article in the Bangkok Post dated June 22 that talks about the opening more. The title of the article is "New U-Tapao terminal opens next month"

Yeah, Prayut and his entourage were there yesterday checking on progress.

[IsaanUSA]

I'm loving these new international airport terminals. It's so easy to get around SE Asia now.

Once the new terminal at U-Tapao opens, I wonder what new flights there will be. I haven't seen any announcements.

[KhunBENQ]

I will not jubilate before Khon Kaen - U-Tapao flights are offered (again)

It was a one time experience (Kan Air).

Edited June 24, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[maprao]

Any chance it will have non-stops to Clarke?

Now that would be sensible

And where is this wonderful place called Clarke anyway?

And can it also be spelled Clark? Or even Clerk??

Obviously you came here for the temples clean beaches chineese thai girls. Everyone knows that airport!

[Sealbash]

Obviously it should be re-named Pattaya International. None of those arriving tourists are going to Rayong or Sattahip.

Not even in the same province

[KhunBENQ]

Obviously it should be re-named Pattaya International. None of those arriving tourists are going to Rayong or Sattahip.

Not even in the same province

And who cares that the country's biggest airport is in Samut Prakan province

[buckieonsoi4]

I am booked for late December to Phuket via Bangkok airways non stop.

[OJAS]

On 3/23/2016 at 1:29 PM, OJAS said:

And where is this wonderful place called Clarke anyway?

And can it also be spelled Clark? Or even Clerk??

 

On 5/21/2016 at 1:31 AM, slipperylobster said:

Clark.

anyways...it's Gloria Macapagal Arroyo....or GMA .

 

And thanks to a Facebook pal who flew to there from Singapore today I now know that it is located in the Philippines!

[themerg]

 

I was at U-Tapao from 5/10/1972 to 3/5/1973 in the U.S. Air Force, with B-52s and KC-135 air refueling tankers, and F-4 fighters, C-130s and all related planes.

I saw Bob Hope's Christmas Show there in December, 1972. Anne Margaret was THE HOTTIE. Excellent show from an EXCELLENT AMERICAN HERO.

Funny thing to me was, about every 2-3 weeks there was a C-5A stuck in the mud before the runway which comes directly off the beach at The Gulf of Siam. Took 4 days to free a C-5A from the mud.

I now live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I will go through U-Tapao some day. Six months at U-Tapao is what brought me to live and retire in BEAUTIFUL Thailand.

U-Tapao was in 1972 and is now U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, owned and operated by The Royal Thai Navy.

This is the pronunciation of U-Tapao, as the locals say it, Ew ta pow  OR  Oo Ta Pow, I hope this is a helpful Thai pronunciation tidbit for my farang friends. I LOVE THAILAND. 

Edited July 16, 2017 by themerg