At 12:45 p.m. on June 17 at Government House, Mr. Anukool Pruksanusak, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, announced that the Cabinet acknowledged the resolution of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee (EECPC) Meeting No. 4/2024, held on October 11, 2024. The Cabinet also agreed to revoke its previous resolution dated October 30, 2018, concerning the approval of the U-Tapao Aircraft Maintenance Center project, as proposed by the EECPC.
Mr. Anukool stated that the Cabinet noted the EECPC’s resolution approving a change in the project’s implementation approach. The previous 2018 Cabinet resolution had approved the project in principle, assigning the Royal Thai Navy to construct the maintenance center’s building and authorizing Thai Airways International Public Company Limited to co-invest with the private sector in designing, procuring, and installing equipment and tools, and operating and maintaining the center for up to 50 years.
However, Thai Airways has since lost its status as a state enterprise under relevant laws, disqualifying it from being the project owner under the 2017 PPP EEC Track guidelines. As a result, the project can no longer proceed as previously approved. The EECPC has thus proposed a revised approach, shifting from Thai Airways’ co-investment with the private sector to allowing private investors to lease land and operate the aircraft maintenance center independently.
Relevant agencies including the Ministries of Defense, Finance, Transport, Natural Resources and Environment, Commerce, Interior, Industry, the Budget Bureau, the Council of State, the National Economic and Social Development Council, and the Board of Investment have expressed no objection to this revised proposal.