Thailand is hoping to attract a Disneyland theme park as part of its Eastern Economic Corridor project as a way to boost tourism along its new high-speed rail project.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Transport Minister and head of the EEC project, said that the idea was to create a powerful tourism magnet that build passenger numbers for the high-speed rail project linking Bangkok’s two main airports, a new planned airport and a hoped-for major sports complex.
The Thai Sports Authority says the country needs a world-class football stadium with 80,000 seats, a 30,000-spectator indoor arena and an Olympic-class swimming complex, but recognizes that sports venues alone wouldn’t attract enough daily visitors to make the line viable, but a large theme park would.
The minister told press that “Southeast Asia currently has no Disneyland, so Thailand can become the first in the region,” He added that “We will first invite Disney to invest directly, but if it does not do so, a license could be purchased to operate the project instead.”
