Phiphat unveils a 300-billion-baht mega-project to build Disneyland Thailand, aiming to unlock the saturated Thai tourism industry and create a new source of income.
On 4 February 2026, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, revealed plans to promote a world-class theme park mega-project in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) area in Chonburi province. The project will be a large-scale mixed-use development featuring not only a theme park but also sports facilities, entertainment, and commercial areas within the same site.
Mr. Phiphat acknowledged that the idea of bringing Disneyland to Thailand is not new, but what sets this plan apart today is the country’s readiness—including infrastructure, large land availability, and strong private sector investment capability.
The preliminary plan designates about 5,000 rai of land, with approximately 3,000 rai for Disneyland valued at nearly 200 billion baht, and 2,000 rai for sports and entertainment facilities valued at over 100 billion baht, making the total project worth about 300 billion baht.
The investment model will be a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), where the government provides the land, coordinates licensing negotiations with Disney, and facilitates the project, while the private sector will invest in construction and management to reduce public budget burden and bring in professional operators.
Mr. Phiphat stated that a critical factor is transportation infrastructure, especially the high-speed rail linking three airports and the development of U-Tapao Airport and the Eastern Aviation City, which will reduce travel time from the airport to the project area to about 45 minutes.
Regarding why Thailand “must have” Disneyland, Mr. Phiphat explained that the Thai tourism industry is saturated, with foreign tourist numbers between 32–38 million annually barely changing. Meanwhile, global tourism trends are shifting toward family travel with higher spending. To raise tourist numbers to 50–60 million per year, Thailand needs a world-class entertainment landmark. It is estimated that if the project materializes, it could boost tourist arrivals by nearly 20 million annually, create over 100,000 jobs, generate economic value of about 150 billion baht per year, and distribute income to surrounding areas including the eastern seaboard and Bangkok.
However, the project is still in the feasibility study and licensing negotiation phase with Disney. Realizing it will require continuous policy support and foreign investor confidence in the long-term stability of the development.