Page 17 - Thailand A Destination For All
P. 17

Kwai River Bridge


































                                                       It will connect three international airports;
          Transport Hub                                Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnab-
                                                       humi Airport and U-Tapao Airport located on
          Welcoming a record number of 35 million      the east coast, on the Gulf of Thailand.
          visitors in 2017, Thailand has become one of the
          world’s most bustling business hubs. By far one   Bangkok´ s public transport network including
          of the most well-developed transport networks   the BTS, MRT and Airport Rail Link is already
          in the ASEAN region, getting around Thailand   undergoing expansion into suburban areas
          is convenient and efficient. Its accessibility is   like Samutprakan and Rangsit. For maritime
          among the best in Southeast Asia, thanks to its   transport options, there are eight international
          strategic geographical location bordered by   ports in operation, including four private ports
          four ASEAN countries, namely Malaysia, Laos,    equipped for handling shipping containers.
          Cambodia and Myanmar.
                                                       Finally, Thailand’s aviation industry is set to take
          Thailand currently has five transport networks   off in the next few years with plans to improve
          covering land, sea and air. A highly-developed   flight infrastructure and airport facilities.
          railway network is seeing a major upgrade with   The country currently has more than 105
          work starting on a high-speed rail project    international airlines servicing its major entry
          between Bangkok and Hua Hin and Bangkok      point at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,
          and Rayong, as well as a Thai-Japanese high-  and at least 15 low-cost carriers which use
          speed train linking Bangkok and Chiang Mai.  Don Mueang International Airport as their base.
                                                       Combined, the two airports are expected to
          One of the large-scale high-speed rail projects   reach approximately 90 million passengers for
          being undertaken is the development of the   2018. A new runway and an additional passen-
          ECC, or Eastern Economic Corridor. Scheduled   ger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport is also
          to start construction in 2022, this billion-baht   expected to increase passenger capacity by
          investment project is set to advance the     50 percent when it opens in 2021.
          rise of Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard.



          TICA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY 2018 - 2019                                              25
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