Disneyland Resort in California. (Photo: Cd637/Wikimedia Commons)
There remains a mystery about the possibility of a Disney Laos being built, according to The Nation, with business leaders in nearby Nakhon Phanom in Northeast Thailand trying to verify a report that construction of the project will commence soon. The local government is concerned that the report is a hoax, but could still trigger a round of land price speculation in the province.
Charnyuth Uppapong, chairman of the provincial chamber of commerce, is unable to confirm if construction work is scheduled to take place despite having discussions with officials in the Khammuan province of Laos where the supposed park is set to be built.
He added that this could see investors purchasing land in an attempt to jump on what could be a lucrative opportunity for the region. He explained that if the report of Disney Laos is true, the province could benefit greatly from both tourists coming to visit the area during their trip and people from Laos having more spending power and coming across the border to make purchases.
“If this is true, it would bring great benefits to Nakhon Phanom as our province could be a transport centre, thanks to our readiness in terms of roads and airport,” said Charnyuth. “We have thousands of restaurants and hotels. If Disney Laos takes shape, Nakhon Phanom would be the must-visit province to all.”
But Tharin Phanthumai of the province’s tourism council is not convinced that the project will actually happen because of several logistical issues. “What concerns me is this could be a hoax, designed to drive up land prices. This will affect real estate development. If this is a hoax, it would definitely hurt Thailand,” he shared.
Somjith Aliyaphaphone, chairman of Akane Farm Sole, a Lao investor in the project, told the Vientiane Times that Disney Laos would be part of the third phase of a massive investment project in Khammuan’s Thakhek Specific Economic Zone. He noted that any further reports on the project would be released at the end of this month, but that could be too late for officials in Nakhon Phanom to stop speculators from buying up land in the region.
This article was first published on DDproperty.com, Thailand’s leading property site.
