BANGKOK (NNT) – Cooperation has been established between the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (ECCO) and the Administrative Committee of Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ) for the development of Thailand’s Eastern Airport City. An agreement signing took place today.
The ceremony, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, was held to sign an agreement covering the development of the Eastern Airport City on U-Tapao Airport’s 10.4 square kilometer land, and areas within 10-kilometer radius of the airport, covering Pattaya City and Rayong Province.
The DPM said that freight transport will be promoted under the agreement as Zhengzhou is a logistic hub in China, transporting goods into the European Union, which will allow Thai companies to expand their market into the EU should the agreement materialize, while at the same time making Thailand a regional air transport hub. Further discussions will be held with Chinese authorities next month.
ECCO Secretary General Kanit Sangsubhan said the Eastern Airport City development must follow successful development models, and Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone serves as an interesting case study becaue of its fast growth.
Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone Director Ma Jian said the development of Eastern Airport City in Thailand will bring a major change to the country in 30 years, similar to the situation in China where the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone has so far served 27 million passengers in its three years of operation, with 515,000 tons of freight handled, and 1.3 billion mobile devices manufactured in 2018, including 750 million iPhones, which has helped improved the economic competitiveness of China.
Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone is divided into four areas, namely the airport area for logistics, cargo warehouses, and E-Commerce business operations; an urban area for housing, education, and medical services; industrial area for advanced technology businesses; and a transportation hub area. Special customs and duty-free areas are designated to process the import of key items such as food, livestock, and fruit.
