There remains a mystery about the possibility of a Disney Laos being built and according to The Nation, and business leaders in Nakhon Phanom located in Northeast Thailand are trying to verify a report that construction of the project will begin soon. The local government is concerned that the report is not real but could still trigger a round of land price speculation in the province.
Charnyuth Uppapong, chairman of the provincial chamber of commerce, told the newspaper that he is unable to confirm if the construction is scheduled to take place despite having discussions with officials in the Khammuan province of Laos where the alleged park is scheduled to be built.
He added that the report could see investors start purchasing up land in an attempt to pounce on what could be a lucrative opportunity for the region. He also noted that if the report of Disney Laos is true, the province could be set to greatly benefit from both tourists coming to visit 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 center, thanks to our readiness in terms of roads and airport,” Charnyuth said. “We have thousands of restaurants and hotels. If Disney Laos takes shape, Nakhon Phanom would be the must-visit province to all.”
The Nation added that Tharin Phanthumai of the province’s tourism council is not convinced that the project is real 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 said.
Somjith Aliyaphaphone, chairman of Akane Farm Sole, a Lao investor in the project, explained to 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 also pointed out that any further progress 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.
