Thailand Okays Second Airport For Samui

[george]

Thailand okays second airport for Samui

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's transport ministry has given the green light for a second airport on the resort island of Samui aimed at coping with surging tourist arrivals.

Promoting the popular island as a world-class tourist destination would require building a new airstrip to accommodate the 6,000 visitors per day expected during the high season, deputy transport minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said in The Nation newspaper.

"The feasibility of building a second airport now depends on the environmental impact study of the past year," Vichet said in the English-language daily.

"The time has come for a second airport to handle the expected increase in visitors," he said. "It will support the growth of tourism on Samui."

The palm-fringed island in the Gulf of Thailand is currently served by a privately-run airport operated by domestic carrier Bangkok Airways.

Costs for the new airport would run at 600 million to 800 million baht (14.7 million to 19.5 million dollars), the Nation said. Last December Vichet said the costs would not top 600 million baht.

Studies were also being conducted on the possibility of building a maiden airport on nearby Koh Pha-ngan, a smaller island notorious for its "full-moon" parties that are a magnet for backpackers and young Thais, the paper said.

Earlier in the week Thailand's cabinet approved a scheme to shoot for a doubling of foreign visitors over the next four years to 20 million.

The World Tourism Organisation however has said that Southeast Asia's most popular tourist destination could only manage the expansion if it met the increase with a massive boost in tourism infrastructure including airports.

- AFP 2004-07-04

[ayakiawe]

This is nail in the coffin for Samui

They will over build Samui so much nobody will want to come there!

they dont know when they got a good thing

Thai's dont have a clue what they are doing to the environment I am sorry to say.

Money is the God here too.

[mrvietnam2001]

Agreed that this is the final nail for samui.

MORE visitors? They're already using filthy water from the chewing "lake" if that's what you want to call it etc.

Oh well, at least I lived there when it was only 25% screwed.

Mr Vietnam

[davethailand]

This is nail in the coffin for Samui

They will over build Samui so much nobody will want to come there!

they dont know when they got a good thing

Thai's dont have a clue what they are doing to the environment I am sorry to say.

Money is the God here too.

the thai's AND farangs can't live on fresh air.

whats wrong with increasing the visitors their, as long as it keeps some of its charm.

all the backpackers will have to find somewhere else.

[mitmig]

maybe we can make cheap and fast visaruns by air now

[Noodles]

This is nail in the coffin for Samui

They will over build Samui so much nobody will want to come there!

they dont know when they got a good thing

Thai's dont have a clue what they are doing to the environment I am sorry to say.

Money is the God here too.

Here Here

I've said on this forum many times that over the

last few years tourists are coming less and less.

Five years ago the high season WAS high, lots of

people, but now it's not as busy.

I think the greed for money by thai's and farang alike,

is making them blind. I think the bubble will soon burst.

Like the Samui night plaza on chewang beach, a quarter

of the shops were rented when it first opened, I went there today and

not one shop is open.... like a ghost town. How much money

did the thai business people lose on this great idea!

Pure arrogance at the thought that farang will keep bringing their

money here.

As for the enviromental aspect.... need I go on.

[mrvietnam2001]

Pure arrogance at the thought that farang will keep bringing their

money here.

As for the enviromental aspect.... need I go on.

Right on all points.

Rgrds

Mr Vietnam

[BossOriginal]

Pure arrogance at the thought that farang will keep bringing their

money here.

As for the enviromental aspect.... need I go on.

Right on all points.

Rgrds

Mr Vietnam

Wrong on all points! Keep on running!

[snoophound]

This is kind of interesting though

Doubling of capacity to over 600k visitors a year.

This is all about opening up Samui to Thai Airways.

This means a lot more packaged tours rather than the independent traveller type.

A lot of new hotels are being built but you dont see many that have enough rooms ie:100 plus to support this.

Also what is on samui anyway for the family tourist?????a lot less than Phuket in my opinion.

The next thing is infrastructure,Samui is still a shambles and is prob too small to dramaticaly improve.

[castelleone]

one good thing a second airport might bring: fair air fares though. Until now Bangkok Airways is about the most expensive airline in SE-Asia, I recon.

[singa-traz]

one good thing a second airport might bring: fair air fares though. Until now Bangkok Airways is about the most expensive airline in SE-Asia, I recon.

And that's the only reason for "the talk" about a second airport ... bring down the operation cost that bangkok Airways ... want to charge for the airport. I thnk they call it Landing fee ...

There will be NO second airport in Samui ... it's only bargaining time.

[thongdee]

I remember the good times on Kho Samui , we even had no elecktricitie at night , so much fun , I went back 3 years later , to much tourist already ...

[wolf5370]

Ever heard the proverb "To kill the goose that lays golden eggs"?

Already in the UK high street holiday agents suggest against Koh Samui because of the amount of tourists (especially backpackers). Koh Pee Pee and other small Kohs are where island wannabes are directed these days; or the suggestion is just a quick whistle stop before moving on.

[davethailand]

I remember the good times on Kho Samui , we even had no elecktricitie at night , so much fun , I went back 3 years later , to much tourist already ...

elecktricitie

did you have electricity when you wrote this or were you spelling in the dark.

Nights without electricity, no problem for a couple of days, any longer, no thanks

[royar2002]

This is nail in the coffin for Samui

They will over build Samui so much nobody will want to come there!

they dont know when they got a good thing

Thai's dont have a clue what they are doing to the environment I am sorry to say.

Money is the God here too.

This is the nail in the coffin for Koh Pha ngan too. Government want to build a new airport an a lots of road so the tourist can explore the "amazing" nature in the Island.

Where will the tourists find the "amazing" nature after airplane and roads.

About Samui, they not have enough water to supply all the hotels and resorts, and used airplane to drop tons of chemical to make rain. May be Samui have to figure out their wateproblem first.

[Kan Win]

one good thing a second airport might bring: fair air fares though. Until now Bangkok Airways is about the most expensive airline in SE-Asia, I recon.

castelleone

Plus the airport tax 300 – 400 baht when leaving that island . BKK, Domestic airport tax 30 baht.

Talk about over charging in Samui.

LOL.

The airport bites you when you get out……………

Get real, Samui airport … When ???

What a Rip Off after all of these years. me think.

Over to you......

Happy Days..

[The Gentleman Scamp]

This is nail in the coffin for Samui

They will over build Samui so much nobody will want to come there!

they dont know when they got a good thing

Thai's dont have a clue what they are doing to the environment I am sorry to say.

Money is the God here too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My sentiments exactly.

I used to love Samui but am starting to understand why people are going off it.

FMP - Good riddance.

[taxexile]

i was under the impression that international aviation regulations stipulate that airports cannot be built unless they are at least 15? (or 20?)kilometers apart.

the new airport would contravene those rules.

samui is very overcrowded and the infrastructure just cannot cope , coupled with very high prices compared to other parts of the country and the poor availability of services here and it all adds up to an island that may be fine for a two week package holiday , a three week feast of coffee enemas at the spa resorts , or a weekend retreat for hong kongers and singaporeans , two week tourists are not aware of the overcharging and atmosphere of avarice that exists here , but for those who stay here long term it is painfully apparent that as a place to settle and make a home , it is losing most of its charm. you wouldnt even know you were in thailand most of the time , it could be spain or greece or just another false amalgamation of tropicality.

we have been here for the best part of three years , and came within a week of signing a contract to build a sizeable house here on some land we bought in 2002 , but we changed our mind due to the changes on this island , the poor infrastructure and the increasing ugliness of the place , to say nothing of the prices .

we had every intention of settling here , but not any more , we leave for the mainland on sunday.

we will come back certainly , but only for breaks at one of the lovely hotels here.

[LaoPo]

you wouldnt even know you were in thailand most of the time , it could be spain or greece or just  another false amalgamation of tropicality.

................................ to say nothing of the prices .

we had every intention of settling here , but not any more , we leave for the mainland on sunday. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry for breaking up your message...

1. when was the last time you were in Spain? Some 4 weeks ago I had a very nice lunch with 4 people on a very small 'bay'-beach on Ibiza/Balearic islands/Spain.

Bill? : Euro 160.-- or US $ 200.--

Spain is very expensive these days and not to compare with Thailand or even Samui.

2. I hope you will find the piece and rest on a more tranquil place on the mainland though. Which part of Thailand are you going anyway?

good luck!

LaoPo

[taxexile]

1. when was the last time you were in Spain? Some 4 weeks ago I had a very nice lunch with 4 people on a very small 'bay'-beach on Ibiza/Balearic islands/Spain.

Bill? : Euro 160.-- or US $ 200.--

Spain is very expensive these days and not to compare with Thailand or even Samui.

2. I hope you will find the piece and rest on a more tranquil place on the mainland though. Which part of Thailand are you going anyway?

yes , europe is much more expensive than samui , but sometimes i think the people here just take the p1ss , its just not that pleasant for us here anymore.

the character of the place has been lost and its becoming another garbage strewn , bad mannered , poorly planned thai resort .

i didnt come to thailand to sit in dark green irish bars , gloomy british pubs with yet another baked potato special or go to eat at greasy marios pizza heaven.

the choices here are for tourists , not residents.

i dont want to buy copy goods , bright yellow sarongs , or learn how to dive in two easy steps.

i'm not looking for total peace , rest and tranquility , i like to get out and about , but the choices here are very limited for a resident.

i dont want to live in a place where tourists outnumber the locals , where the local supermarket is filled with shirtless brits buying cornflakes and sliced white and where the lunatics are running the asylum.

i dont want to mix with anymore cheery expats discussing who does the best fried breakfast , blow job or cheapest guinness or listen to talk about land deals and swimming pools. thats what thai visa is for !

and yes , i'm a foriegner here too and part of the problem.

samui has not turned out to be the sort of place we hoped it might be.

a falang presence is fine , but i dont want falang domination and where the thais are losing their identity in order to cater for the tourists.

good luck!

thanks

[Jack Jones]

I left Samui 3 years ago after living there for 2. I left for all the reasons posted above and a second airport will not help matters. Unfortunately the place is being overun by types who used to holiday in Spain and Greece and I just didn't feel comfortable there. A shame because Samui has some beautiful beaches

[LaoPo]

SO.....where are we going then?

LaoPo

[mikeybee]

Thailand okays second airport for Samui

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's transport ministry has given the green light for a second airport on the resort island of Samui aimed at coping with surging tourist arrivals.

Promoting the popular island as a world-class tourist destination would require building a new airstrip to accommodate the 6,000 visitors per day expected during the high season, deputy transport minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said in The Nation newspaper.

"The feasibility of building a second airport now depends on the environmental impact study of the past year," Vichet said in the English-language daily.

"The time has come for a second airport to handle the expected increase in visitors," he said. "It will support the growth of tourism on Samui."

The palm-fringed island in the Gulf of Thailand is currently served by a privately-run airport operated by domestic carrier Bangkok Airways.

Costs for the new airport would run at 600 million to 800 million baht (14.7 million to 19.5 million dollars), the Nation said. Last December Vichet said the costs would not top 600 million baht.

Studies were also being conducted on the possibility of building a maiden airport on nearby Koh Pha-ngan, a smaller island notorious for its "full-moon" parties that are a magnet for backpackers and young Thais, the paper said.

Earlier in the week Thailand's cabinet approved a scheme to shoot for a doubling of foreign visitors over the next four years to 20 million.

The World Tourism Organisation however has said that Southeast Asia's most popular tourist destination could only manage the expansion if it met the increase with a massive boost in tourism infrastructure including airports.

- AFP 2004-07-04

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well i agree not a bright move but hey this is thialand they say one thing and mean another alot of the time,it's all to do with bangkok airways they have the place sewn right up and don't want to share it,well i have just come back from samui and there is some kind of building work going on at the airport so who nows whats happening there are they expanding for some reason.(any body have any ideas) mike.

[pyros]

I feel same like everybody here. This is a big knive straight in the heart of Samui . It will kill Samui in very short term if it get's build . It was getting worse and worse ( alltough i still love it ) but i think when the airport get's build i'll be off to a different destination . I'm looking at Koh Chang , or mainland . Somewhere where toerism is evolved but still has not the biggest impact ( like somebody stated , i like it when there is tourism , but i don't like it to be overwhelming the Thais itself ) .

[Huckenfell]

one good thing a second airport might bring: fair air fares though. Until now Bangkok Airways is about the most expensive airline in SE-Asia, I recon.

castelleone

Plus the airport tax 300 – 400 baht when leaving that island . BKK, Domestic airport tax 30 baht.

Talk about over charging in Samui.

LOL.

The airport bites you when you get out……………

Get real, Samui airport … When ???

What a Rip Off after all of these years. me think.

Samui airport a big rip off ! dont we all know it . But the facts are, its always busy so they will keep on "milking" it.

Over to you......

Happy Days..

[Huckenfell]

1. when was the last time you were in Spain? Some 4 weeks ago I had a very nice lunch with 4 people on a very small 'bay'-beach on Ibiza/Balearic islands/Spain.

Bill? : Euro 160.-- or US $ 200.--

Spain is very expensive these days and not to compare with Thailand or even Samui.

2. I hope you will find the piece and rest on a more tranquil place on the mainland though. Which part of Thailand are you going anyway?

yes , europe is much more expensive than samui , but sometimes i think the people here just take the p1ss , its just not that pleasant for us here anymore.

the character of the place has been lost and its becoming another garbage strewn , bad mannered , poorly planned thai resort .

i didnt come to thailand to sit in dark green irish bars , gloomy british pubs with yet another baked potato special or go to eat at greasy marios pizza heaven.

Then get a motorbike and get out of Chaweng ya mug !

the choices here are for tourists , not residents.

i dont want to buy copy goods , bright yellow sarongs , or learn how to dive in two easy steps.

i'm not looking for total peace , rest and tranquility , i like to get out and about , but the choices here are very limited for a resident.

i dont want to live in a place where tourists outnumber the locals , where the local supermarket is filled with shirtless brits buying cornflakes and sliced white and where the lunatics are running the asylum.

i dont want to mix with anymore cheery expats discussing who does the best fried breakfast , blow job or cheapest guinness or listen to talk about land deals and swimming pools. thats what thai visa is for !

and yes , i'm a foriegner here too and part of the problem.

samui has not turned out to be the sort of place we hoped it might be.

a falang presence is fine , but i dont want falang domination and where the thais are losing their identity in order to cater for the tourists.

good luck!

thanks

[samuislander]

And just where would you put this new airport?

I have been present for 2 surveys on Samui and the only 2 sites where there is enough room for an airport are both close to mountains where sheer winds are to frequent and the visibility is bad 50% of the time.

The aproach to the runways would also be dodgey at best.

The only place for a new airport would be out into the sea, like the one I worked on in the Seychels. I think the environmental groups would have a ball with that. Yes ICOA will have a say in the location of any new International Airport.

I have been directly involver in the construction and comissioning 3 new airports in the region. Airports are difficult at best, not only to plan and impliment as many rules and regulations MUST be followed.

Normal time on a well planed , non-political, well funded, qualified contractors, good logistics and qualified labor force is 5 years to complete and another year to commission.

What do you think the odds are here!

[Samui Coconut]

I am taking bets that there will be NO new airport on Samui. After PG was awarded the ground handling (or at least some) at the new BKK airport, I think TG and may be others will soon be allowed to service Samui and handle additional traffic. Kind of trade-off I guess.

I have no idea in regards to the 20 mile distance radius between two airports, but I just can see it happening. Samui has changed for the worst over the last years and unless something is done soonest, it will end up like Pattaya a few years back.

[Plus]

Somewhere up north they two private airports with airfields perpendicular to each other, with air-traffic directed from Chiang Mai.

The second aristrip was esablished when the partners in the original airpoport split up, they just bought a piece of land enarby and voila, they have another airport.

[sbk]

And just where would you put this new airport?

I have been present for 2 surveys on Samui and the only 2 sites where there is enough room for an airport are both close to mountains where sheer winds are to frequent and the visibility is bad 50% of the time.

The aproach to the runways would also be dodgey at best.

The only place for a new airport would be out into the sea, like the one I worked on in the Seychels. I think the environmental groups would have a ball with that. Yes ICOA will have a say in the location of any new International Airport.

I have been directly involver in the construction and comissioning 3 new airports in the region. Airports are difficult at best, not only to plan and impliment as many rules and regulations MUST be followed.

Normal time on a well planed , non-political, well funded, qualified contractors, good logistics and qualified labor force is 5 years to complete and another year to commission.

What do you think the odds are here!

Koh Phangan is in the same boat, they were surveying areas for a new airport a few years ago and it panned out because the land wasn't feasible (not sure why but the guy who owned the land next door told me it was good enough to land a plane on). Best place to put it would also be the area most heavily populated by locals: Ban Tai. And there would be a full scale riot if they attempted to force people off their land there. Or, out to sea is, I guess, the other option they were considering here as well. I don't see that happening for the same reasons you list samuiislander.