BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s government under Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn renewed its push for a world-class leisure resort in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Chonburi, while the involvement of The Walt Disney Company remained uncertain.
New push for a mega leisure resort
Authorities outlined plans for a large mixed-use complex combining a theme park, sports hub, entertainment facilities and commercial space in a single connected area. Current considerations envisaged around 800 hectares of land, with about 480 hectares reserved for a theme park requiring nearly 200 billion baht in investment and a further 320 hectares for a sports and entertainment centre valued at over 100 billion baht.
Financing via private partners
The overall project value was estimated at around 300 billion baht, which would make it one of the most expensive tourism developments in the country. The state did not plan to invest directly but intended to use a public-private partnership (PPP) model to bring in private financiers and leave the investment risk to them.
Decades of debate without a Disney deal
The idea of a “Disneyland Thailand” had circulated for more than 26 years and was repeatedly revisited under at least five different governments without ever resulting in a signed contract with Disney. Under Thaksin Shinawatra, locations such as Pattaya, Phuket and areas near Suvarnabhumi Airport were discussed, but plans remained rumours amid concerns over commercial terms and Disney’s strict brand and quality requirements.
From Yingluck to EEC groundwork
In 2012, during the tenure of Yingluck Shinawatra, private industry figures such as the Association of Thai Travel Agents again raised the idea of a world-class leisure park, but flood damage from 2011 and political uncertainty prevented concrete steps. Under Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, when the foundations of the EEC were laid, the concept reappeared in feasibility studies aimed at boosting tourism and supporting the high-speed rail link between three airports, while other leisure brands actually invested and Disney did not move.
Symbolic dream project under Paetongtarn
During the government of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the park vision largely remained a symbolic “dream project” for tourism and the EEC, as there were still no concrete signals from Disney headquarters. Since late 2024, under Anutin Charnvirakul’s current term, Phiphat revived the proposal and said officials were working with the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee Office on project studies and licensing approaches, even though Disney had yet to issue any official confirmation.
Disney’s models and the key uncertainty
Industry analyses indicated that Disney typically relied on three models for overseas parks: full own investment, licensing agreements such as at Tokyo Disneyland, or joint ventures as in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with licences lowering risk but limiting potential profits. For the EEC project, a licence model with a domestic private operator, with Disney supervising brand and standards, was seen as the most likely option, but the core question remained whether the site, infrastructure, investment capacity and purchasing power would be sufficient to turn a long-discussed concept into a truly world-class park.
“For more than two decades, the idea of a Disneyland in Thailand kept resurfacing, but concrete contracts were still missing.”
said a summary of the long-running debate.
“Now another multi-billion-baht project was on the table – whether this dream would finally become reality or remain a series of grand announcements was still unclear.”
said observers of the renewed initiative.