Eastern Aviation City expected to generate THB300 bn in revenue

The projects are expected to deliver returns of over 300 billion baht in the first five years of operation, a senior government official said on Friday.

Deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said on Friday that during the first five years, about 62 billion baht was expected in tax revenue, in addition to creating about 15,600 new jobs per year.

The project covers an area of 6,500 rai (1,040 hectares) in the eastern seaboard province’s Ban Chang district and requires an investment of 290 billion baht in the form of a public-private partnership, she said.

Tipanan said that the project contractors and the Royal Thai Navy, which oversees the airport area, had signed a joint use agreement late last month after the project’s environmental health impact assessment report was endorsed by the Cabinet.

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office would now give the project contractors the green light to start construction early this year, she said.

The upgrade of the existing U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport is a key development project of the EEC, which covers three eastern seaboard provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao.

When completed, the upgraded airport can serve as Bangkok’s third international airport, connected with the capital’s two existing commercial airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, by high-speed trains.

Together, the three airports are capable of accommodating as many as 200 million passengers per year, helping Thailand to become a hub for tourism, logistics and aviation in the East, the spokeswoman said.

After its upgrade, the U-Tapao Airport alone is expected to accommodate at least 60 million passengers per year.

The Eastern Aviation City will include a free-trade zone for cargo, an aviation training centre and aircraft maintenance, and repair and overhaul facilities.