how busy is the Thai Prime Minister! Progress on a number of major infrastructure projects at the airport's high-speed rail port

, Prime Minister Seta and his party arrived at Utabao International Airport in Luo Yong Prefecture. Jura, Secretary General of EEC Policy Committee, and senior executives of Utabao International Airlines Co., Ltd. made a report on the project.

Uttaberg Aviation City Project to Start in 2024

At present, the construction of the U-Tapau International Airport and Oriental Aviation City projects is progressing steadily, especially for public utility systems, such as electricity and water cooling systems, with a progress of 26.42 per cent; aircraft refueling service system, with a progress of 48.41 per cent; and water supply and sewage treatment works, with a progress of 98.44 per cent.

government plans to issue commencement notices to private contractors in 2024 to build the third terminal and the second hall, which are expected to be put into use in 2029. The goal of Uttabau International Airport is to move towards a regional aviation hub. In the future, it will become a tourism and air transport center by connecting tourism and business sectors, and build confidence in attracting investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor region.

to three airports to be put into operation in 2029

In recent years, the high-speed rail project connecting the three airports has faced delays due to the new crown epidemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and high loan interest rates. At present, the State Railway Administration and the private contractor have reached an agreement on the draft contract amendment, which is expected to be submitted to the EEC Policy Committee and Cabinet for consideration and approval in July 2024.

Seta stressed that all processes must be completed by the end of 2024, construction should start in early 2025 and be completed and put into operation in 2029 to ensure that services will be opened at the same time as the U-Tapao International Airport project.

With regard to the investment progress in the EEC region, more than 30 enterprises have been approached, with a total planned investment of more than 210 billion baht, mainly involving five major industries: health care, service industry, digital electronics, electric vehicles and BCG. The EEC has set a target to boost actual investment of 100 billion baht each year for the next five years (2024-2028), totaling about 500 billion baht.

day, Prime Minister Sata and his party went to the outdoor activity area of Ban Amphur Beach, Setaoyi County, Chunburi Prefecture to discuss with representatives of Mrk1 Consulting Company, the organizer of F1 events. Sata said that Pattaya has the potential to build an F1 track, with about 3-4 potential sites, and the details will be concluded in a month and a half.

Lin Chaban Port Phase III Project Completed in 2026

, Prime Minister Saita and his party went to Laga County, Chonburi Prefecture, to inspect the construction progress of the third phase development project of Linchaban Port. Officials from Thailand's Port Authority and others accompanied the visit and reported on it.

Saita said that during his field visit in November 2023, the Linchaban Port project still had a delay problem, but under the supervision and promotion of Transport Minister Surya, the current delay of the project is less than 4%, and the delayed part will be completed by 2024.

According to the construction supervisor, the first part of the Linchaban Port Phase III development project is a dredging and reclamation project with a budget value of 21.32 billion baht, contracted by the joint venture CNNC. As of May 2024, construction progress was 31.12 per cent, compared with 35.11 per cent of the original plan and 3.99 per cent of the delays. The regulator has now increased equipment and manpower to ensure that the monthly dredging volume is more than 2 million cubic meters, and the contractor's monthly average construction progress is not less than 3%.

, the reclamation progress of port F1 area has exceeded 97% and is expected to be completed by July 2024. The Port Authority will deliver the area to GPC Group, the project management party, by the end of November 2025, after completing the rigour standard inspection, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Linchaban Port Phase III development project is the construction, wharf, road system and public utility system construction project. The bidding process has been completed recently. China Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd. successfully won the bid at the lowest price of 7.298 billion baht. The contract is expected to be signed in early July 2024.

, railway system construction project, has a budget value of 0.7995 billion baht; the fourth part, procurement and installation of cargo transportation equipment, design and installation of port information management technology system, has a budget value of 2.257 billion baht. At present, the port authority is preparing relevant documents and materials, and the bidding is expected to start by the end of 2024.

Linchaban Port Phase III development project is one of the infrastructure projects under the planning of Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor. The investment value is about 114 billion baht. The port authority accounts for 47% and the private sector accounts for 53%. Among them, the concession period of the F Freight Port project is 35 years, and the container throughput will increase from 11 million TEUs to 18 million TEUs per year after completion.

, the proportion of goods transported by rail via the port of Lanchaban will increase from 7 per cent to 30 per cent, the throughput of vehicles will increase from 2 million to 3 million per year, and the country's overall logistics costs will be reduced from 14 per cent to 12 per cent of GDP, saving about 250 billion baht in transportation costs. In addition, it will promote the port of Ranchaban as a trade and investment gateway and strengthen Thailand's strategy to build a regional water transport center. via Thailand Lan Elephant Network