Thai AirAsia has unveiled plans to launch two new routes connecting Pattaya with mainland China, as it makes the resort town its fifth operating base in Thailand.

The low-cost carrier will launch flights to Pattaya’s U-Tapao Airport from Nanning, the capital of southern China’s Guangxi region, and Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi, on 25 and 26 September respectively.

These flights will primarily serve the needs of Chinese tourists wanting to visit Thailand’s beaches, enabling visitors to fly directly to Pattaya and the eastern seaboard, without having to drive from Bangkok.

“We believe that tourism in the east and Pattaya is growing very rapidly and that U-Tapao Airport is absolutely ready to accommodate regular flights,” said Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia.

“These beliefs led us to creating our latest flight base and we chose the two Chinese cities of Nanchang and Nanning as its first routes. With plans to expand to other routes both domestic and international we have targeted acquiring two Airbus A320s for a fleet at U-Tapao,” he added.

The flights from Nanning will operate four times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays), while the Nanchang service will run on the remaining three days of the week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays).

U-Tapao Airport, the former military base, becomes Thai AirAsia’s fifth base in the country, following Bangkok Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi.

AirAsia’s Malaysian unit recently launched flights from Kuala Lumpur to U-Tapao, while Bangkok Airways and Kan Air also operate domestic flights from the Pattaya hub.