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U-Tapao International Airport

Coordinates: 12°40′47″N 101°00′18″E / 12.67972°N 101.00500°E / 12.67972; 101.00500
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(Redirected from Utapao)
"U-Tapao" redirects here. For the military use of this facility, see U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield. For other uses, see U Tapao (disambiguation).

U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport
ท่าอากาศยานอู่ตะเภา ระยอง–พัทยา
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
OwnerRoyal Thai Navy
OperatorDepartment of Airports
ServesChonburi and Rayong provinces
LocationBan Chang, Rayong, Thailand
Opened2 June 1966; 59 years ago (1966-06-02)
Hub for
Elevation AMSL13 m / 42 ft
Coordinates12°40′47″N 101°00′18″E / 12.67972°N 101.00500°E / 12.67972; 101.00500
Websitewww.utapao.com
Maps
Map
UTP/VTBU is located in Rayong Province
UTP/VTBU
UTP/VTBU
Location of airport in Rayong Province
UTP/VTBU is located in Bay of Bangkok
UTP/VTBU
UTP/VTBU
Location of airport in the Bay of Bangkok
UTP/VTBU is located in Thailand
UTP/VTBU
UTP/VTBU
Location of airport in Thailand
Map
Interactive map of U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 3,505 11,500 Asphalt
Statistics (October 2023 - September 2024)
Total passengers[3]370,210 Decrease0.17%
International passengers227,506 Decrease0.26%
Domestic passengers142,704 Increase0.04%
Aircraft movements5,788 Decrease0.05%
Source: DAFIF[4][5]

U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport (IATA: UTP, ICAO: VTBU), also spelled Utapao and U-Taphao, is a joint civil–military public international airport serving the cities of Rayong and Pattaya in Eastern Thailand. It is in the Ban Chang district of Rayong province.[6][7]

It also serves as the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing. U-Tapao is the home of a large Thai Airways maintenance facility, servicing that airline's aircraft as well as those of other customers.[8] Due to the blockade of Bangkok's airports by opposition protesters, U-Tapao briefly became the main air gateway to Thailand between 26 November and 5 December 2008. As both of Bangkok's international airports essential to the country's tourist boom are operating beyond capacity as of 2015,[9][10] U-Tapao in particular has been eyed as an alternate international gateway due to its relative proximity to the capital.

Location

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U-Tapao lies approximately 90 miles (140 km) southeast of Bangkok, south of Sukhumvit Road at Km. 189, near Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand, about a 45-minute drive from Pattaya, Thailand's most popular[citation needed] beach resort.

History

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Vietnam War

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Main article: U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield § American use of U-Tapao during the Vietnam War

U-Tapao was built by the United States to accommodate B-52 bombers for missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War.[11] Construction began on 15 October 1965 and was completed on 2 June 1966.[12] U-Tapao was the primary Southeast Asian airfield for USAF B-52 bombers, called "Bee-hasip-sawng" (B-52) by the local Thais.[13] U-Tapao was a front-line base along with the other US bases at Korat, Udon, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, and Takhli. The USAF B-52s made regular sorties over North Vietnam and North Vietnamese-controlled areas in Laos, carrying an average of 108 500-pound and 750-pound bombs per mission. U-Tapao was a regular stop on Bob Hope's Christmas shows for the troops.[14]

November 2008 protests in Bangkok

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With the temporary closure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in late November 2008 because they had been occupied by anti-government protestors, U-Tapao became for a time Thailand's main supplementary international gateway. Many airlines arranged special flights to and from U-Tapao to ferry international passengers stranded by the closure of the Suvarnabhumi Airport.[15][16][17][18][19] Several governments including Italy, Macau and Spain also sent chartered flights to evacuate residents.[citation needed]

As many as 100,000 passengers were stranded in Thailand until early December. Although its runway can accommodate large aircraft, U-Tapao's terminals are not designed to handle more than a few flights a day. Travellers were subject to many hardships, and as the security was not up-to-date, some US-bound flights were diverted to Japan and their passengers required to go through a supplementary security check before continuing.[17]

Airport expansion

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As Bangkok's two international airports are operating beyond capacity, the government intends to turn U-Tapao into a third major destination for airlines. A new second terminal will increase airport capacity from 800,000 to three million persons per year. Terminal 2 was partially opened in November 2018 and was officially opened in February 2019.[20]

There were also 41 direct flights landing from China weekly.[21] Airport director, Rear Admiral Worapol Tongpricha, said the 620 million baht terminal is the start of a three-year, first-phase development. In the second phase, the government will boost the capacity further to 15 million passengers per year.[22]

In November 2022, the Thai Government approved another expansion plan for U-Tapao, to increase its capacity to 60 million passengers per year. It is planned to add a new runway, taxiways and facilities to increase Pattaya's and Bangkok's air passenger capacity, and also boost connections to the Eastern Economic Corridor.[23]

Concessions

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In late 2018, King Power was awarded a ten-year contract to operate U-Tapao duty-free shops. A partnership between Thai retailer Central Department Store Company (Central Group) and DFS Group will manage retail shops and services, mainly food and beverage, also for 10 years.[24]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International
Azur Air Seasonal charter: Barnaul, Irkutsk , Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk–International, Moscow–Vnukovo, Samara, Ufa, Vladivostok, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Novosibrisk, Novokuznetsk
Bangkok Airways Koh Samui,[25] Phuket[26]
Belavia Seasonal charter: Minsk (begins 9 January 2026)[27]
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo (begins 25 November 2025), Yekaterinburg (begins 21 November 2025), Novosibrisk (begins 23 November 2025), Krasnoyarsk (begins 18 November 2025)
Thai Lion Air Chiang Mai, Udon Thani[28]
Qanot Sharq Seasonal charter: Tashkent (begins January 2026)

Accidents and incidents

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References

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  1. ^ flybudget line
  2. ^ pattaya airways
  3. ^ "Passenger statistics for 2015–2019" (PDF). U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport (in Thai).[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Airport information for VTBU". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
  5. ^ Airport information for UTP at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  6. ^ "U Tapao-Pattaya International Airport" (PDF). U Tapao Airport Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Home". U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Thai Airways International: Technical Department --- U-Tapao Second Maintenance Center ---". www.thaitechnical.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.
  9. ^ "New terminal to boost U-Tapao Airport". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Don Mueang is world's busiest LCC". The Nation. 15 September 2015. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015.
  11. ^ Janssen, Peter (6 June 2017). "Military airbase set for commercial take-off in Thailand". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  12. ^ "History". U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  13. ^ Ellis, John. "U-Tapao Air Base" (Historical photos). Cohojohn.tripod.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Bob Hope Visit". Thailand Dog Handlers. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  15. ^ "ANA International Flight Status". Fli.ana.co.jp. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  16. ^ "Cathay Pacific". Cathay Pacific.
  17. ^ a b "Latest update on Bangkok, Utapao and Europe flights". EVA Airways. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  18. ^ "THAI Operates 34 Special Inbound and Outbound Flights on 2 December 2008". THAI. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  19. ^ Page 6, South China Morning Post, 30 November 2008.[not specific enough to verify]
  20. ^ "Terminal 2 at U-Tapao airport to be fully opened in February". The Nation. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  21. ^ "Home". utapao.com.
  22. ^ "U-Tapao airport takes new leap". Bangkok Post. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  23. ^ Mail, Pattaya (6 November 2022). "Massive expansion approved for U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport". Pattaya Mail. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  24. ^ Moodie, Martin (21 November 2018). "King Power wins U-Tapao Airport duty free contract; Central Group/DFS alliance gains duty paid and services". The Moodie Davitt Report. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Ko Samui, Thailand USM". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 638–638. August 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  26. ^ "Phuket, Thailand HKT". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1033–1034. August 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  27. ^ "Belavia 1Q26 Thailand Charters". aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  28. ^ "Thai Lion Air June 2025 Domestic Routes Addition". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  29. ^ "Hijacking description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
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Media related to U-Tapao International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

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