Tapao International Airport Tender

STATUS
Approved
MEMBER
Thailand
SECTOR
Transport
E&S CATEGORY
Category A
PROJECT NUMBER
000575
FINANCING
APPROVED FUNDING
USD423.05 million
FINANCING TYPE
Sovereign
TIMELINE
CONCEPT REVIEW
November 24, 2021
APPRAISAL REVIEW/FINAL REVIEW
July 8, 2022
FINANCING APPROVAL
October 30, 2024
OBJECTIVE
To expand the U-Tapao International Airport into a state-of-the-art, commercial airport, to improve Thailand’s international and regional connectivity and support the development of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

DESCRIPTION
This U-Tapao International Airport (UTIA) is the only air transport facility in the EEC region, which neighbors Bangkok (140 km), and consists of the Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Rayong provinces. The Project consists of the construction of the second runway and taxiway at the UTIA and forms a critical piece of the overall UTIA expansion.

The Project is the government’s contribution to the airport expansion and operation which will be carried out under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) scheme; it is part of the viability gap financing of a Concession Agreement which has been awarded in 2020 to a joint venture for a 50-year period.

This Project is part of Thailand’s EEC, which is the key industrial and logistics center of Thailand. The aim of EEC is to uplift the country’s competitiveness with investments in future S-curve industries. The EEC includes a mixture of public and private sector investments framed in a long-term development plan. Amongst others, the EEC includes the capacity expansion of UTIA, the development of an airport city around UTIA, the construction of a high-speed rail connecting Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok (metropolitan area), Don Mueang International Airport and UTIA, and the expansion of Map Ta Phut Port and Laem Chabang Port.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION
Environmental and Social Policy, Standards and Categorization. AIIB’s Environmental and Social Framework applies to the Project. The Project has been prepared consistent with the Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List. ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) is applicable for the Project. ESS 2 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement) and ESS 3 (Indigenous Peoples) are not triggered, as project activities will not cause involuntary resettlement and no Indigenous Peoples are present in, or have collective attachment to, the Project area. The Project is assigned Category A, in accordance with the ESP due to large-scale construction activities and expected significant adverse noise-related environmental and social impacts.

Instruments. Based on national regulations, the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) prepared an Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) for the overall airport development activities which includes the Project activities. The EHIA includes Env