Uttaradit Airport

Uttaradit Airport
IATA: UTR ICAO: VTPU
Summary
Airport type	Defunct
Serves	Uttaradit
Location	Ban Wang Yang, Phajuk Subdistrict, Mueang District, Uttaradit Province
Opened	1968
Closed	1975
Passenger services ceased	1975
Time zone	UTC+7 (+7)
Coordinates	17°40′23″N 100°14′03″E

Uttaradit Airport (IATA: UTR, ICAO: VTPU), also known as Wang Wang Airport is an abandoned airport in Ban Wang Yang, Phajuk Subdistrict, Mueang district in Uttaradit province, Thailand.

History

In 1968, the Department of Commercial Aviation begun the construction of Uttaradit Airport to help facilitate the transportation of personal and materials. These operations helped construction of the Sirikit Dam. Following the completion of the dam, the airport began offering commercial flights between Don Mueang and Uttaradit. Thai Airways begun operating a route to the airport. However, due to the lack of passenger traffic, flight services ceased in 1975 along with the airport.

Development Proposals

On November 25, 2010, major of Phachuk Subdistrict Somchai Munkhemtong invited village headman, community leaders, and local residents to gather their opinions regarding the development of Uttaradit Airport. All parties agreed that there was no need to redevelop and reopen the airport. Following the agreements, 700 rai of the total 1,085 rai of land has been transferred for the Royal Initiative Plant Conservation Center under Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's patronage, to be redeveloped into a learning and research center in the field of botany.

In 2018, Tak Aviation Company Limited proposed a plan to redevelop the former airport for commercial aviation. However, legal and land-use issues hindered the continuation of the plan,