U-TAPAO International Airport is located within the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, on the border of Chonburi and Rayong Provinces, near the beautiful Cape of Sattahip, some 140kms from Bangkok.

The small regional looking airport is being opened up as a new domestic air hub and international gateway to the areas south-east of Bangkok, which feature the tourist haven of Pattaya about three kilometres to the north and industrial city of Rayong about 35kms to the east.

The airport should spur on the development of the chemical industry out of Mataphut, the automobile industry in Rayong, and tourism in Pattaya and Rayong. If the Air France-KLM-Thai consortia makes the investment in the planned aircraft engineering facility at U-Tapao, the airport could become a very important centre in regional aircraft maintenance, an exponentially growing industry in the region. U-Tapao will also be a catalyst in the Chinese initiated Rubbercity currently being constructed just north of Ban Phe in Rayong. Many believe that the Chonburi/Rayong regions will be fully urbanized by the middle of the next decade. It will be interesting to see how this initiative materialises. There will be teething problems with having a commercial airport within the confines of a Thai military base. The downgrading of Thai air safety rating may also present some growth challenges, as well as the weak economic environment that is expected over the next few years, particularly the Chinese economic slowdown. However Chonburi/Rayong may become two of the fastest growing provinces in Thailand over the next decade. Credit and view full story at Asia Correspondent