In his field trip to the eastern provinces of Rayong and Chon Buri on 23 June 2024, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin followed up on mega projects in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which is a special economic zone in eastern Thailand.

The Prime Minister instructed Secretary General of the EEC Policy Committee Chula Sukmanop to accelerate the projects, especially the construction of a high-speed railway linking three airports and the development of U-Tapao airport in Ban Chang District, Rayong Province.

The high-speed train project, as part of the EEC, will link Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan, and U-Tapao airport in Rayong. It is a major transport infrastructure project in the development of the EEC, covering Rayong, Chachoengsao, and Chon Buri provinces.

The Secretary General of the EEC Policy Committee said that the development of U-Tapao airport and the Eastern Airport City was in progress, particularly in terms of public utility, aviation fuel service systems, waterworks, and wastewater treatment. It is expected that U-Tapao airport will be completed and opened by 2029.

He said that more than 30 private companies, with a combined investment of over 210 billion baht, were interested in using EEC privileges in accordance with the new announcement on the privileges. These privileges aim to promote investment in the EEC in five industrial sectors, namely medical and wellness, service industry, digital and electronics, electric vehicle, and bio-circular-green industry. The ECC has set a target to attract an annual investment of 100 billion from 2024 to 2028.

The Prime Minister also instructed the Port Authority of Thailand to accelerate the project on the development of Laem Chabang Port, Phase 3, in preparation for welcoming more foreign investors wanting to invest in Thailand.

The project aims to increase the port’s container handling capacity to cope with the growing demand for international ocean freight in the future. It will also help develop Laem Chabang into a marine hub of Asia. 

Apart from upgrading Thailand into a regional logistics hub, Laem Chabang Port, Phase 3, will also promote the ecosystem, as it aims to minimize carbon dioxide emissions by reducing the use of fossil fuels.