U-Tapao Expansion: Construction Starts April 2025 Opening in 2029! No Need to Wait for High-Speed Rail

The first phase of U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport and the Eastern Aerotropolis, the gateway to Thailands Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), will begin construction in 2025 and is scheduled to open in 2029.

Currently, preparations for the construction site are underway, including relocating old MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) buildings and aircraft, as well as developing airport infrastructure. In this phase, a new terminal (Terminal 3) and a second runway will be built, with completion expected in 2029.

The airports development is divided into six phases

• Phase 1

Construction of a new main terminal with a passenger handling capacity of 56 million passengers per year, a second runway, and an airport city.

• Phase 2

Expansion of the main terminal to 157,000 sq.m., increasing capacity to 1215.9 million passengers per year.

• Phases 3 & 4

Further expansion of the main terminal to 264,000 sq.m., accommodating 22.430 million passengers per year.

• Phase 5

Expansion of the main terminal to 371,000 sq.m., supporting 45 million passengers per year by 2047.

• Phase 6

Construction of a new midfield terminal (82,000 sq.m.), boosting capacity to 60 million passengers per year by 2060.

U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport will become Thailands third major international airport, integrated with Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport via a high-speed rail system currently under construction and set to open in 2029.



Credit: Progressive Thailand