(14/03/24) The city of Pattaya, just a couple of hours
drive south of Bangkok, has long been a popular holiday
destination with visitors to Thailand as well as with Thais and
other residents of the Kingdom.
Despite its popularity, there are no regular high
speed trains that operate the 145-km journey between the capital
city and the beach resort, leaving those who would like to feel
the sand of Pattaya Beach between their toes to either take a car,
minivan or bus.
For those flying in to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK),
which is closer to Pattaya than Don Muang Airport (DMK), the
journey can often be reduced to around 90 minutes by car,
depending on traffic conditions, but that still adds a
considerable chunk of time to a journey.
Ampika Chadawong
That is just one of the many reasons that U-Tapao
Airport (UTP), located just 25 minutes from Pattaya Beach, has got
so much potential for growth.
Plus, the fact that UTP is so much quieter than
BKK and DMK not only means less people at immigration and faster
baggage retrieval, it also provides a much more pleasant travel
experience.
Pattaya is also attracting more and more events
such as concerts, sporting events, business meetings, conferences and the
like, all of which benefit from the proximity UTP provides.
And it is not just passenger traffic. UTP airport
has enormous potential for domestic, regional and long-haul air
cargo as it located very close to a lot of large manufacturers
which call Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) home.
To learn more about U-Tapao Airport, Steven Howard
of Travel News Asia sat down with Khun Ampika Chadawong at Routes Asia 2024 in Langkawi, Malaysia.
In this interview, filmed on 28 February 2024,
Steven asks Khun Ampika where the airport is in terms of
post-COVID recovery, which airlines currently operate from the
airport and which markets they are trying to attract for 2024 and
beyond.
We discuss the challenges that UTP faces, why an
airline and travellers should consider flying to UTP over BKK and
DMK, and what services the airport provides.
All that and much, much more in the interview
below which is available in both HD video and audio podcast
formats.
U-Tapao Airport (UTP) in Rayong / Pattaya, Thailand – Interview with Ampika Chadawong
PODCAST
See also:
AirAsia Malaysia to Resume Flights Between Kuala Lumpur and
Pattaya, Thailand.
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U-Tapao Airport (UTP) Rayong /
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