The Treasury Department plans to approach Walt Disney Co about building a theme park in the Eastern Economic Corridor area.
The Treasury Department plans to approach Walt Disney Co about building a theme park in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) area, says director-general Yuttana Yimgarund.
The decision comes after Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak floated the idea of letting the department rent state land in the EEC to the private sector to build a Disney theme park similar to those in Hong Kong and Japan to support tourism in the eastern region.
According to a Treasury Department survey, there are 5,400 rai of unused plots located along the high-speed train project.
Of the 5,400 rai, 4,000 rai is located in Chachoengsao, with 700 rai each in Rayong and Chon Buri provinces.
The EEC is the government’s flagship investment scheme, spanning the eastern provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao. The government aims for the corridor to be home to 12 targeted industries.
The EEC scheme has five planned megaprojects worth 695 billion baht in total. Two of them have signed contracts with private companies in 2019: the high-speed railway linking three key airports (225 billion baht) and the third phase of Map Ta Phut seaport (55.4 billion baht).
There are three unfinished projects: the U-tapao aviation city (290 billion baht); a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre (10.6 billion baht); and the third phase of Laem Chabang seaport (114 billion baht).
Mr Yuttana said the EEC could become a tourist destination if Disney decides to develop a theme park there.
The EEC is ideal for a theme park, he said, given the transport infrastructure and tourism in the Eastern Seaboard, which would drive the country’s economic growth.
People arriving from Bangkok can take a high-speed train, while yachts can dock at Map Ta Phut port, Mr Yuttana said. U-tapao airport is tipped for expansion to serve air travellers.
The Treasury Department charges 2% of the appraisal price for leased land and requires lessees to pay rent for three years in advance plus land utilising fees upon signing the contract.