October 14, 2024, 6:42 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Pattaya is one of Thailand’s tourist centers – but the journey from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, around 130 kilometers away, is often a hassle. However, a huge infrastructure project is soon to breathe new life into Pattaya’s previously insignificant U-Tapao Airport.
When we think of a vacation in Thailand, the picturesque island paradises around Phuket or Koh Santa in the south of the country come to mind first. But the coastal resorts on the Gulf of Siam are also very popular with tourists – especially Pattaya.
Overview
Pattaya airport is of little importance, so far
The city blossomed into an entertainment hotspot during the Vietnam War, a time when countless American soldiers spent their furloughs here. Now, the Pattaya Airport, originally constructed by US forces for military purposes, is poised to transform into a new mega hub for the bustling tourist and industrial metropolis. This is reported by “Aerotelegraph“, among others.
According to Aerotelegraph, over nine million tourists visited Pattaya last year. But U-Tapao Airport hardly played a role in their arrival. The majority of visitors arrived via Bangkok’s two major airports, in particular Suvarnabhumi. These are around 130 kilometers away.
Mega project for tourism and industry
Aerotelegraph reports that U-Tapao Airport sees only a handful of flights each day, serving less than two million passengers annually. However, this year, the airport could see the arrival of excavators, with plans to construct a second runway within the next 36 months. Thai media estimate the costs to be in the vicinity of 400 million euros. However, according to Aerotelegraph, this is only the first step in a mega project.
In addition to its relevance as a tourist center, Pattaya is also part of the Eastern Economic Corridor, a special economic zone that is set to become one of the leading economic zones in Asia. Therefore, in addition to a new runway and a new passenger terminal, a logistics and business center for air freight traffic would also be built. The ambitious goal is to accommodate up to 70 million passengers annually, with the project costing 2.7 million euros.
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A new railroad line is also planned
The revamped Pattaya Airport is not meant to overshadow Bangkok’s airports, but to serve as a complementary gateway for the Pattaya region. Plans are also underway for a new high-speed rail line that would link the three airports, culminating in a tunnel beneath U-Tapao’s new runway. However, the project has not yet been approved.