Hua Hin: New airport terminal, more flights, treble air passengers in massive tourism expansion

[webfact]

Hua Hin: New airport terminal, more flights, treble air passengers in massive tourism expansion

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Plans are underway to transform sleepy Hua Hin into a busy international and domestic tourism hub. 

 

The transport ministry has approved ideas to build a new airport terminal, more than double the number of planes that can land, extend the runway, and treble the number of passengers the airport can handle. 

 

The moves come after a local politician presented tourism and economic stimulus requests to the governor of Prajuab Khiri Khan province. 

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

These requests included upgrading the airport into a fully international facility.

 

It could see Hua Hin move in the direction of becoming the hub of the much vaunted "Thai Riviera". 

 

Yesterday the Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset came to the city that lies about 220 kms south of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand coast. 

 

He was met by everybody who is anybody in the city including the Hua Hin district chief, the provincial head of police, municipal leaders, the airport director and local politicians driving change. 

 

The minister outlined the current capacity of the airport and plans that are being made by the Department of Airports to upgrade the facility between next year and expected completion in 2022. 

 

Right now the runway is 2,100 meters long - this will be extended by 45 meters. 

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

The parking area for planes will be dramatically expanded from its present 160m x 80m area. At present two B 737s can park - when the improvements are done it will have the capacity to park five B 737s at any one time. 

 

A new terminal will be built. The present structure can handle only 300 passenger an hour - this will be trebled to 900 passengers per hour. 

 

The deputy minister said that if the plans become a reality the airport will be able to handle many more flights and develop into both a major domestic and international tourism facility. 

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

The visit comes after a former Palang Pracharat party candidate presented proposals to the governor of Prajuab Khiri Khan to stimulate tourism and the economy in the province. Center to this was designating Hua Hin airport as a fully international one. 

 

At present there is just one flight a day, four times a week between Hua Hin and Malaysia. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the moves are likely to be part of measures to develop the whole area from Hua Hin south to Chumphon as the "Thai Riviera" - an alternative to more established tourist areas like Phuket in the south and Pattaya on the Eastern Seaboard. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

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[GeorgeCross]

might want to do something about this before they bring even more tourists here to suffer in the pollution

 

2 weeks now and this has been the best day. thankyou thailand ????

 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

14 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

might want to do something about this before they bring even more tourists here to suffer in the pollution

 

2 weeks now and this has been the best day. thankyou thailand ????

 

 

That's pretty much everywhere in Thailand right now.  Not a local issue.   Keep in mind we're in Asia; this is what Asia is like and always has been.   You just have cool real time apps right now with pretty colors.

[Wiggy]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Plans are underway to transform sleepy Hua Hin into a busy international and domestic tourism hub. 

In order to do this, don't you need some tourists first?

[steven100]

In a few years Hua Hin may be the happening place …..  who knows   !!   could happen.

[sungod]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

In order to do this, don't you need some tourists first?

Thats the idea of expanding the airport.......

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

might want to do something about this before they bring even more tourists here to suffer in the pollution

 

2 weeks now and this has been the best day. thankyou thailand ????

 

Hua Hin does suffer from really poor air quality. Had a friend with lung issues, who attempted to live there, and ended up in near pulmonary arrest. 

[BTB1977]

If you build it,  they will come 

[spidermike007]

I will believe this when I see it. Currently, it is the most under utilized airport in the country. And they signed a deal with Air Asia two years ago, to start 36 flights a day. Thailand completely reneged on the deal. So, much has to be done, to demonstrate some good faith.

 

Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset came to town. Really? Wanna know what the background of his boss at the transport ministry is?

 

Completed secondary school at Suan Kularb College and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the National Institute of Development of Administration.

 

Political career

The former chairman of a working panel under interior minister Chaovarat Charnvirakul during the 2008 political crisis and a former executive of the Thai Rak Thai Party, he was banned from politics for five years after Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007. He is currently secretary general of the Bhumjai Thai Party.

 

The son of politicians Chai and La-ong Chidchob and the younger brother of Newin, he is single.

 

What can one even say? We are talking about some of the least competent ministers currently in office, within the past 20 years or more. 

[Wiggy]

1 hour ago, sungod said:

Thats the idea of expanding the airport.......

But expansion would be based on demand, surely. From what I've been reading on TV, the tourist numbers are down. You don't produce more cars, for example, when demand is low. 

[legend49]

3 hours ago, Wiggy said:

In order to do this, don't you need some tourists first?

And I wonder were the local residents consulted on this explosion of tourists?

[Krataiboy]

Great timing, with the soaraway baht driving tourists elsewhere and a major global recession predicted to be just around the corner.

 

Pity, because I'm sure a lot of us have great memories of being able to hop on a plane at Hua Hin and touch down in Koh Samui less than an hour later. 

 

Mind you, not just the airport has gone downhill since then. Last time I made the marathon hike by bus and ferry, I wish I hadn't bothered. In less than a decade, rampant commercialisation had turned the green and friendly island I fell in love with into a grubby, grasping shadow of its former self.

[30la]

Is there really still someone who believes in the increase in tourism?
I believe this decision is only a favor from a friend to another!

[khunpa]

54 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

But expansion would be based on demand, surely. From what I've been reading on TV, the tourist numbers are down. You don't produce more cars, for example, when demand is low. 

Never mind such a minor thing as demand. It is just Thai-logic. Same as raise the prices, when business is down.

Let them build and learn the hard way.

[mac1970]

High speed trains and bigger airport. Just wonder where all tourists are coming from. Somehow sad as I have always loved this sleepy small town and its more relaxed atmosphere, even if it has changed during years as well. 

[justin case]

let me guess, soon you can fly DM to hua hin ?

[DPKANKAN]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

But expansion would be based on demand, surely. From what I've been reading on TV, the tourist numbers are down. You don't produce more cars, for example, when demand is low. 

A short while ago the Thai Aviation industry where going to sue the airlines which were not using their landing slots!!!! Duuuhhh...... That is because of no passenger requirements!! Now they're gonna make more..... of unused landing slots!!????????????????

[heybuz]

I didn't mind the bus ride from swampy.

[johnarth]

wonder if the boss was consulted about this, he has his fingers in so many puddings and no money left there will have to be a crashing stop soon

[ronaldo0]

They seem to think nobody wants to visit any other country in the world and they are all coming here !!

Deluded much ?? ????

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

It could see Hua Hin move in the direction of becoming the hub of the much vaunted "Thai Riviera". 

Moving East to West... Pattaya is a dead duck so lets create another hole on the same lines.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Right now the runway is 2,100 meters long - this will be extended by 45

 

Ha ha. Trying adding a nought and extending it by 450 meters. The current width of paved strip is 35m so, perhaps, the reporter misread the handout and the figure '45' is to extend the width? It can't extend at the inland end due to development so would have to extend the coast end by going out to sea.

[alzack]

It will never happen with Thai people in Charge

[thonglorjimmy]

Didn't they introduce a daily direct flight from Hua Hin to KL in a blaze of glory a short while ago, only to reduce it to four flights a week recently, the only scheduled flight from the airport?

[British Bulldog]

6 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

That's pretty much everywhere in Thailand right now.  Not a local issue.   Keep in mind we're in Asia; this is what Asia is like and always has been.   You just have cool real time apps right now with pretty colors.

Gee, we must be the lucky ones up here in Vientiane then, we are around 57 at the moment, normal around 27, must be that dirty air blown up from Thailand ... ha ha ha

[DUNROAMIN]

6 hours ago, steven100 said:

In a few years Hua Hin may be the happening place …..  who knows   !!   could happen.

Anything would be better than Pattaya!!

[Caldera]

More delusional <deleted>.

 

[bungalow1969]

1 hour ago, thonglorjimmy said:

Didn't they introduce a daily direct flight from Hua Hin to KL in a blaze of glory a short while ago, only to reduce it to four flights a week recently, the only scheduled flight from the airport?

Not sure why they cut back? I use this service regularly and the flights are quite full each time I’ve been on them 

[bungalow1969]

Not sure why they cut back the KL flight from 7 to 4 days? I use this service regularly and it’s always busy. Pain in the ass for me going back to 4 days as I need to run the gauntlet to swampy in a taxi again, which I try to avoid at all costs

[Jane Dough]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I will believe this when I see it. Currently, it is the most under utilized airport in the country. And they signed a deal with Air Asia two years ago, to start 36 flights a day. Thailand completely reneged on the deal. So, much has to be done, to demonstrate some good faith.

 

Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset came to town. Really? Wanna know what the background of his boss at the transport ministry is?

 

Completed secondary school at Suan Kularb College and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the National Institute of Development of Administration.

 

Political career

The former chairman of a working panel under interior minister Chaovarat Charnvirakul during the 2008 political crisis and a former executive of the Thai Rak Thai Party, he was banned from politics for five years after Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007. He is currently secretary general of the Bhumjai Thai Party.

 

The son of politicians Chai and La-ong Chidchob and the younger brother of Newin, he is single.

 

What can one even say? We are talking about some of the least competent ministers currently in office, within the past 20 years or more. 

Rather than writing about Saksayam Chidchob you might have asked a more relevant question; why did he send his deputy and not go to Hua Hin himself?

 

In the light of the full steam ahead expansion of the Eastern Economic Corridor are the government taking Hua Hin and the "Thai Riviera" seriously or was this visit lip service designed to make them look good. Rhetorical question.

 

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