| | |
Thailand Pushing for Disneyland Park
A senator wants to bring Disneyland and Universal Studios parks to the arid area of Thung Kula Rong Hai Plain, which straddles several northeastern provinces. He claims Disney has shown a positive reaction and will give a final answer in two weeks.
Suradej Yasawat, a Phayao senator and chairman of the senate committee on tourism, said he had contacted Disney Theme Park Development Division of Walt Disney Co, to propose the Plain of Nomads' Tears as a location for its amusement park, and that the company had expressed keen interest.
"I have written to executives of Disney Theme Park Development to inquire about their investment interest in Thailand. They said they have been very interested for a long time. In fact, they had contacted the government many years ago but the administration had had too many conditions. "More importantly, they had been concerned about corruption and kickbacks, so they scrapped the plan," he said.
Mr Suradej said he had explained to Disney that the current government would need to renegotiate the project because it could help stimulate the economy. Thung Kula Rong Hai was suitable, he said. The plain, which covers 2.1 million rai (3,360sqkm) in Roi-et, Maha Sarakham, Surin and Si Sa Ket provinces, could easily accommodate a Disneyland park of about 10,000 rai (16sqkm).
Cheap land rent and labour would be attractive for such a project while there were enough quality hotels in the Northeast to serve visitors, he said. "More importantly, the cheap cost of living in Thailand will be a strong point. A lot of tourists cannot visit Tokyo Disneyland because of the high cost of living there," he said.
Mr Suradej proposed a part of Thung Kula Rong Hai in Roi-et to Disney. He said an area of 100,000 rai (160sqkm) in Roi-et was suitable because it could not be developed for agriculture.
He confirmed that a Disney representative had contacted him last week saying most executives at Disney Theme Park Development were interested in the proposal and would decide in two weeks if it should conduct a feasibility study on a Thai Disneyland.
Mr Suradej also said initial talks with the representative led him to believe that Thailand might indeed have a Disneyland, as Disney was unsuccessful in its amusement park in France and had outdated amusement machines to be replaced in the US.
"Tourists have become bored with old attractions and the development division is inventing new equipment. If they think Thailand is a suitable location, they may move the [old] machines to Thailand," he said. Mr Suradej said he had also sent a similar proposal to Universal Studios in the US.
"Such projects will create jobs for Thai people and attract investment and tourists to the country," he said. Mr Suradej also chairs a senate extraordinary committee on the development of Thung Kula Rong Hai.
470
|
|
|
|
