Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion U-Tapao Airport Overhaul

[webfact]

Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion Airport Overhaul

by Jeanette Rodrigues

 

- Junta wants to create second Asian aircraft maintenance hub

- Thailand investment board says FDI recovering from 2014 fall

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is seeking to take on Singapore’s dominance in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul with a $5.7 billion upgrade of a Vietnam War-era airport.

 

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Sikorsky Aircraft is the latest company to study a possible increase in MRO spend in Thailand in the wake of the planned revamp of U-Tapao International Airport, said Ajarin Pattanapanchai, deputy secretary general of the nation’s Board of Investment. In March, Airbus SE signed an agreementwith Thai Airways International Pcl to evaluate the development of MRO facilities at the civil-military airport near Bangkok.

 

"Singapore is quite tight right now," Ajarin said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Toronto office on May 25, during a visit to Canada to woo investment. "To catch up with the demand of airlines in the region -- especially new demand from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia -- and given that we have existing strengths with automotives and engineering, Thailand will be the second choice to be the MRO hub."

 

Full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-28/thailand-to-take-on-singapore-with-5-7-billion-airport-overhaul

 

-- Bloomberg 2017-05-29

[MobileContent]

$5.7 billion - Utapao is owned by the Thai Airforce and more money to be made by the guys in the uniforms. 

 

I don't really know what this has to do with Singapore. The Singapore aircraft maintenance facilities are first class in the world. Thai and Airbus want to setup a center in Bangkok so not sure what Utapao wants to have to do with it. 

[JAG]

12 hours ago, MobileContent said:

$5.7 billion - Utapao is owned by the Thai Airforce and more money to be made by the guys in the uniforms. 
 
I don't really know what this has to do with Singapore. The Singapore aircraft maintenance facilities are first class in the world. Thai and Airbus want to setup a center in Bangkok so not sure what Utapao wants to have to do with it. 

 

The chaps in uniform scent money...

Major aviation companies tend to have their feet firmly on the ground ( sorry)! Do you really think that they are going to have anything to do with these <deleted>?

 

[kannot]

would u trust a Thai or Singaporean to service your aircraft?? pretty easy choice

[Chang_paarp]

The main challenge for this brain fart is finding the number of qualified people to actually do the work. Add to this the impediments put in place to import the qualified talent. There is currently not enough qualified staff to inspect the aircraft based in Thailand causing problems with having some airlines flying to countries that care about maintenance. Will we have a fast track training school for these folk? Will the venture get the required international accreditation?

[JoePai]

13 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

The main challenge for this brain fart is finding the number of qualified people to actually do the work. Add to this the impediments put in place to import the qualified talent. There is currently not enough qualified staff to inspect the aircraft based in Thailand causing problems with having some airlines flying to countries that care about maintenance. Will we have a fast track training school for these folk? Will the venture get the required international accreditation?

and given that we have existing strengths with automotives

 

Maybe ask Toyota if they can borrow a few assembly workers to service the planes  

[darksidedog]

Given that work permits are only issued for jobs that Thai people can't do, I would expect 100% of the staff for this facility to need one.

[oxo1947]

19 minutes ago, kannot said:

would u trust a Thai or Singaporean to service your aircraft?? pretty easy choice

Its a silly question kannot---would you buy a car made in Thailand or Japan, there not taking guys off the street to work on the aircraft--& I can remember the 60s everything from Singapore was classed as rubbish---except for the very cheap women...but the world moves on.

Real estate in Ban Chang  is still very cheap---(for you guys that talk about Pattaya R/Estate) I just sold my condo there on the beach, (the 7 hour drive from Issan used to get me down-& it isn't the sort of town that you cant have transport) but with the new motorways going in---will be just 15-20 min from Pattaya, also one of the few places where the high speed train will stop (Mataput) 20 min drive from Thailand's third largest city Rayong --which as its a manufacturing city is really--really  full of women.

Nice enough beaches---laid back, nice but small sex scene.......... yup I am sure I will drive through there in about 5 years and say ...what an idiot ,... but when you live in Issan---your nearest beach is Hanoi..........

 

 

[tominbkk]

They should use that money to improve Swampy.

[JAG]

... 20 min drive from Thailand's third largest city Rayong --which as its a manufacturing city is really--really  full of women...

Why is it really full of women?

Do they make them there?

[Moti24]

46 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Given that work permits are only issued for jobs that Thai people can't do, I would expect 100% of the staff for this facility to need one.

Thinking along those lines, work permits should be needed for most jobs.  Last time I had a local handyman do a job at my house, I had to do it again.

[akampa]

Hold on just a minute  where is this money coming from because $ 5.7 billion is not chump change  

[kannot]

1 hour ago, oxo1947 said:

Its a silly question kannot---would you buy a car made in Thailand or Japan, there not taking guys off the street to work on the aircraft--& I can remember the 60s everything from Singapore was classed as rubbish---except for the very cheap women...but the world moves on.

Real estate in Ban Chang  is still very cheap---(for you guys that talk about Pattaya R/Estate) I just sold my condo there on the beach, (the 7 hour drive from Issan used to get me down-& it isn't the sort of town that you cant have transport) but with the new motorways going in---will be just 15-20 min from Pattaya, also one of the few places where the high speed train will stop (Mataput) 20 min drive from Thailand's third largest city Rayong --which as its a manufacturing city is really--really  full of women.

Nice enough beaches---laid back, nice but small sex scene.......... yup I am sure I will drive through there in about 5 years and say ...what an idiot ,... but when you live in Issan---your nearest beach is Hanoi..........

 

 

if its  so silly why not answer, would you prefer a  Thai or Singaporean to service the plane

[mikebell]

11 minutes ago, akampa said:

Hold on just a minute  where is this money coming from because $ 5.7 billion is not chump change  

They could sell off a couple of 2nd hand subs?

[BlindMagician]

5.7Bn USD?

 

Seems a bit much.

 

Might want to spend that on higher priorities, like a few new fleets of Mercs.

[Grusa]

12 hours ago, MobileContent said:

$5.7 billion - Utapao is owned by the Thai Airforce and more money to be made by the guys in the uniforms. 

 

I don't really know what this has to do with Singapore. The Singapore aircraft maintenance facilities are first class in the world. Thai and Airbus want to setup a center in Bangkok so not sure what Utapao wants to have to do with it. 

Actually it's owned by the Navy.......

[Eric Loh]

Maybe complimentary to Singapore aerospace maintenance and repair; certainly not 'take on'. Singapore aerospace has almost 35 years of history and has built itself to be the largest and most diverse concentration of aerospace companies in Asia with over 150 aerospace companies. They offer nose to tail services, air frame maintenance up to engine overhaul and avionics system repair and also aircraft conversion. But most importantly, it was supported by the government with the initiatives to alter the education system to focus on science and engineering as well as aerospace R & D.

 

57 B Baht of hardware will not guarantee any success and it need massive government support to churn out skilled manpower.     

[spidermike007]

More silly, wishful thinking. Can Thailand compete with Singapore in even a single category, besides best Pad Thai, Pad see yew? I doubt it. Not enough qualified engineers, lax safety standards, and inefficient bureaucracy. They do have geography on their side. Now, if they could only get some progressive, earnest, compassionate, forward thinking leaders, the country might be able to move forward. For now, Thailand continues its slide backwards, at a breath taking, and astonishing pace, under the little man.

 

Will they ever let go of power? Will there be anything left of the country, by the time they do? Are there any qualified leaders to take their place? Is there a single, noble and honorable politician in this country? 

[sanukjim]

2 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

The main challenge for this brain fart is finding the number of qualified people to actually do the work. Add to this the impediments put in place to import the qualified talent. There is currently not enough qualified staff to inspect the aircraft based in Thailand causing problems with having some airlines flying to countries that care about maintenance. Will we have a fast track training school for these folk? Will the venture get the required international accreditation?

There are several western aviation companies with contracts here in Thailand that are finding out how diffacult it is to get anything done.It is hard to move airplanes with all the blocks that the Thais put in the way.

[mtls2005]

12 hours ago, MobileContent said:

$5.7 billion - Utapao is owned by the Thai Airforce and more money to be made by the guys in the uniforms. 

 

I don't really know what this has to do with Singapore. The Singapore aircraft maintenance facilities are first class in the world. Thai and Airbus want to setup a center in Bangkok so not sure what Utapao wants to have to do with it. 

 

I was always under the impression that UTP was a RTN facility?

 

Either way, the Thai military is sitting pretty.

[geriatrickid]

Not going to happen. No point in discussing.

[coulson]

Changi expansion already in the pipeline, the first phase of the expansion will be aircraft maintenance hangars so these guys better hurry up and do more than dream if they wish to take advantage of the current opportunity with SG capacity and also realize that opportunity will no longer exist at the end of this decade.

 

 

[Rimmer]

A dangerous troll post has been removed

[WhizBang]

In their DREAMS.  

 

I wonder if any of these guys have ever been to Singapore?

[Golden Triangle]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"To catch up with the demand of airlines in the region -- especially new demand from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia -- and given that we have existing strengths with automotives and engineering, Thailand will be the second choice to be the MRO hub."

 

Just what we need, another bloody hub.

[Briggsy]

I wonder if this is some US defence spending circulating round to American conglomerates with some spun off to strategic allies. The conglomerates or their CEO's recirculate some back to the parties and the strategic allies' loyalty is bought. All courtesy of the taxpayer.

 

Don't read too much into the headline. Follow the money.

[JAG]

6 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

And to think only a matter of months ago they failed several major international safety audits based on deficiencies with maintenance and inspection routines of aircraft.

Ahh, but didn't everyone go on record as saying that they understood Thailand's special circumstances, and that they were impressed by the immense strides being taken to improve matters, nay surpass Singapore?

[55Jay]

There was some talk about turning the lights back on at Korat's idle airport as a maintenance hub, with supporting railway lines for logistics.  Suppose keeping things closer to existing infrastructure makes more sense vs. lugging all the gear up the mountain.  Oh well. 

[Dap]

[themerg]

I was at U-Tapao TDY for 6 months with The US Air Force from October 5, 1972 to March 5, 1973..

U-Tapao's official name is : U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield.

The USA had the airfield built in 1965 for The Vietnam war, and added barracks, hootches, and all military related facilities.

U-Tapao had 200 B-52s and 100 KC-135s during the Vietnam war.

12,000 foot runway. Fully loaded B-52s need a very long runway.

U-Tapao is not and has never been owned by The Royal Thai Air Force.

U-Tapao is still run by Royal Thai Navy.

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by themerg
Factual accuracy.