Thailand's U-Tapao Airport, China's Zhengzhou Airport to become twin airports

BANGKOK, August 31 (TNA) - The Thai and Chinese authorities have agreed to promote and develop the U-Tapao Airport in the Thai East and the Zhengzhou Airport in China's central Henan Province to become twin airports in the coming years. Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary General of the government-run Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO), told journalists on Friday that the planned "twin airports", agreed between his office and the Chinese authority, is an additional cooperation plan, following earlier cooperation agreements between his office and other foreign allied countries, namely the United Kingdom, France and Japan. Kanit said his office will develop the U-Tapao Airport to become not only a new potential international Thai airport, but also a new aviation city in Asia where other aviation facilities and industries will also be established, along with a 220-kilometer-high speed train system connecting the U-Tapao Airport with the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok and the Suvarnabhumi International Airport on the outskirts of the capital. Meanwhile, Deputy Defence Minister General Chaichan Changmongkol pointed out while presiding over a forum, entitled the 2nd Market Sounding, to listen to public opinions on the feasibility of the new aviation city project, in which about 300 representatives of 150 international private firms participated, that the U-Tapao International Airport, a major development plan under the Thai government-supported EEC Project, has a comparative advantage in terms of its potential geographical location to become a regional gateway to neighboring countries in the ASEAN Community (AC), including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, known as the CLMV group. (TNA)