Koh Samui: Build a second airport for budget airlines, much better than a bridge, says MP

[webfact]

Koh Samui: Build a second airport for budget airlines, much better than a bridge, says MP

 

File photo

 

Fresh calls have been made to build a new airport on the holiday island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand.

 

New Palangdharma Party MP Dr Ravee Maschamadol told parliament that tourism in Samui was on a downward spiral. 

 

He suggested that the current airport arrangement that has existed for years is a rip-off and is only for well heeled tourists. 

 

He wants PM Prayuth Chan-ocha to consider building a new airport for low cost carriers. This would be much better than building a bridge from the mainland, an idea mooted in recent years and raised again in the last few weeks.

 

Dr Ravee said that the current airport used by Bangkok Airways just meant price gouging for the consumer. Their current 5,490 baht price was often even higher at 6 - 7,000 baht. 

 

A return trip could cost well in excess of 10,000 baht while low cost airlines offer trips to the south to places like Krabi, Surat Thani and Trang for as little as 1,000 baht. Tourists could spend the money they save helping local economies. 

 

He said that tourism in Koh Samui had been going down and down for the last three to four years. Right now hotels are empty even in the high season.

 

And the coronavirus outbreak is only making matters worse. 

 

He said that a new, second airport needs to be built for low cost airlines that would cater to budget minded tourists rather than the current arrangement that serves only wealthy tourists. 

 

This would mean more tourists, greater revenue and be much better than constructing a bridge for vehicles to cross from the mainland. 

 

Source: Manager Online

 

 

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[PJPom]

Why not issue a compulsory purchase order for the current airport citing national interest ?.

It will no doubt end up in Court for years meanwhile the flights increase as it is opened to low cost carriers, the costs diminish and tourism has a boost.

 The main problem will be the current owners, just how much influence do they have and who are they connected to.

[KhunBENQ]

21 minutes ago, PJPom said:

The main problem will be the current owners, just how much influence do they have and who are they connected to.

Resistance will be strong.

It's a money machine.

7000 or more for a domestic return flight from Bangkok.

Other routes are less than half the price.

 

A former work mate wants to come to Samui in June.

I am uncertain whether I should throw out money and go meet him.

 

Kill more unspoiled nature to make room for a second airport on a 228 km² (88 sq mi) island?

[Gulfsailor]

I prefer quality over quantity. Thailand has plenty low cost destinations already, and are struggling more than Samui. The reason affluent travelers visit Samui is because it’s not like Pattaya or Phuket. The hotels that are struggling on Samui are the low and mid tier ones. The luxury accommodations are doing fine. Let’s not ruin that with plane loads of budget travelers please. 

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

New Palangdharma Party MP Dr Ravee Maschamadol

he's new, not enough experience yet.... but building a bridge would allow for more Thais (who can't afford a air plane ticket) to visit Samui and surrounding areas thus bringing in extra business for the locals

[DrTuner]

Or, do the right thing, invest in quality instead of quantity. Although it's probably too late now, I was driving along Chaweng yesterday, the place is an overbuilt mess (the current roadworks aren't helping either). Last time I visited was in 2009 I think, gone downhill. 

[Mavideol]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

Or, do the right thing, invest in quality instead of quantity. Although it's probably too late now, I was driving along Chaweng yesterday, the place is an overbuilt mess (the current roadworks aren't helping either). Last time I visited was in 2009 I think, gone downhill. 

since 2014 not many things in Thailand moved up hill.....oh, ok, one at least, the quantity of the thick envelopes

[spiekerjozef]

what causes more accidents a bridge or an airport (both during construction and afterwards)?

[metempsychotic]

Why not shatter the monopoly and expand the existing facility.

 

Currently anyone who wants to can fly into surat and bus and boat over. 

 

Still a hell of alot faster than road travel.

 

One can only hope the bridge will not extend to koh phangan.  

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, PJPom said:

The main problem will be the current owners, just how much influence do they have and who are they connected to.

Probably connected to the 'Do You Know Who I Am' group.

[30la]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He suggested that the current airport arrangement that has existed for years is a rip-off and is only for well heeled tourists.

I remember that some years ago some of your colleagues officially declared that they want only classy people for Samui, what is it now? With the Chinese you also accept some lower levels ...

A second airport is a big wane, force Bangkok Air to drop prices and allow other airlines to land at their airport!
Ups, I asked for an absolutely impossible thing ...

[robertson468]

2 hours ago, PJPom said:

Why not issue a compulsory purchase order for the current airport citing national interest ?.

It will no doubt end up in Court for years meanwhile the flights increase as it is opened to low cost carriers, the costs diminish and tourism has a boost.

 The main problem will be the current owners, just how much influence do they have and who are they connected to.

I can see a "brown envelope" being bunged at some official to block this idea, sadly.  Quite a few Thai people on the Island had been petitioning the Government for a long time to address this rediculous situation.  It costs less to fly from Bangkok to India than it costs to fly Bangkok to Koh Samui!

[spidermike007]

Kudos to Ravee for calling out the BA mafia. For many years they have been discussing alternatives to that abusive monopoly. An airport near DonSak was discussed for a long time. Also one in Koh Phangan. I think another one on Samui, or Don Sak is a great idea. Leave Phangan alone. It is a gorgeous island that would be wrecked by an airport. 

 

Regardless of how much BA invested in the land, granting them an eternal monopoly on Samui was beyond ridiculous and no doubt was a result of high corruption. A 20 year monopoly would have been reasonable. I can fly from Los Angeles to Miami (4400 km.) for what it costs to fly under 300km. from Samui to BKK.  

[legend49]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

he's new, not enough experience yet.... but building a bridge would allow for more Thais (who can't afford a air plane ticket) to visit Samui and surrounding areas thus bringing in extra business for the locals

You missed his thinking. He gets more brown envelopes in building an airport.

[Jane Dough]

2 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

I prefer quality over quantity. Thailand has plenty low cost destinations already, and are struggling more than Samui. The reason affluent travelers visit Samui is because it’s not like Pattaya or Phuket. The hotels that are struggling on Samui are the low and mid tier ones. The luxury accommodations are doing fine. Let’s not ruin that with plane loads of budget travelers please. 

Goodness! how things have changed since I stayed on Chaweng in 1982 for 25 baht - myself and a friend shared a bungalow that cost 50 baht. It was wonderful. 

 

Mind you I wouldn't go there now if you paid me.

 

Rooster

[spidermike007]

Considering the fact that the average cost of a bridge over the sea, seems to be in the neighborhood of $60 million per km. it is doubtful this silly bridge idea would ever happen. Another airport is a good idea.

 

If the well connected BA makes a big legal stink, sieze Samui airport under eminent domain. They have already made their fortune on it. 

[tlandtday]

8 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Considering the fact that the average cost of a bridge over the sea, seems to be in the neighborhood of $60 million per km. it is doubtful this silly bridge idea would ever happen. Another airport is a good idea.

 

If the well connected BA makes a big legal stink, sieze Samui airport under eminent domain. They have already made their fortune on it. 

60 million can buy a lot of mercs... airport equals a lot of civics... case closed.

[Hayduke]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He wants PM Prayuth Chan-ocha to consider building a new airport for low cost carriers.

 

Have they decided who to name the new airport after?

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Mavideol said:

he's new, not enough experience yet.... but building a bridge would allow for more Thais (who can't afford a air plane ticket) to visit Samui and surrounding areas thus bringing in extra business for the locals

Bring in the low end tourists who can't afford anything and the trash vendors will follow after for a fast buck.

5 year down the line Samui will have gone from a half decent place to a hell-hole!

[Beggar]

16 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Bring in the low end tourists who can't afford anything and the trash vendors will follow after for a fast buck.

5 year down the line Samui will have gone from a half decent place to a hell-hole!

Samui was a paradise about 20 - 30 years ago. With the Baht crises the mass tourism started and this was the end of the paradise. Visited it the last time about 10 years ago. Booked for 2 weeks but fled after a couple of days. 

 

[khunPer]

It's not a question about airport or bridge, it's a question about infrastructure and how much tourism the environment can bear.

Bear in mind that Europen tourist destinations, and even countries, have or are proposing to tax tourists, because the infrastructure and environment cannot take more, there are already too many.

 

The benefit with one private airport, and relative high fees for using it, is that it in a way sort the tourists, so the better spenders that can afford Samui are those arriving. And for those that wish to travel cheaper it's both affordable and fairly easy to use Air Asia to Surat Thani, and their link with bus/ferry to Samui.

 

There are by the way probably not enough affordable accommodation available for a massive increased numbers of budget travellers. Another question is, if there also is a huge enough increasing demand for visiting the island...????

[Sydebolle]

Dr. Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, Chairman of Bangkok Airways, is the visionary behind Bangkok Airways as well as the airport on Samui island. He bought the land and built the airport to make Samui - aviationwise - "online". 

Bangkok Airways is a true boutique airline and not comparable to a low cost carrier. I happened to be on a 6-passenger-flight in a 100-passenger aircraft and, despite being possibly the loss leader of that particular day, the flight was operated - which was very, very important to me. This is something which cannot be said by most other airlines in Thailand. 

Dr. Prasert and his team of leading professionals put Samui and their airline where they are today. The "expensive" part comes from all those half-empty hotels overcharging tremendously (a bottle of local soda at Baht 90++) and blocking entire sections of the beach for private hotel guests (restaurant guests spending more than B 1000/head did not count).  

[jasonsamui55]

11 minutes ago, khunPer said:

It's not a question about airport or bridge, it's a question about infrastructure and how much tourism the environment can bear.

Bear in mind that Europen tourist destinations, and even countries, have or are proposing to tax tourists, because the infrastructure and environment cannot take more, there are already too many.

 

The benefit with one private airport, and relative high fees for using it, is that it in a way sort the tourists, so the better spenders that can afford Samui are those arriving. And for those that wish to travel cheaper it's both affordable and fairly easy to use Air Asia to Surat Thani, and their link with bus/ferry to Samui.

 

There are by the way probably not enough affordable accommodation available for a massive increased numbers of budget travellers. Another question is, if there also is a huge enough increasing demand for visiting the island...????

The infrastructure is already a mess.  Traffic is a nightmare even now. when there is supposedly nobody here.  Samui could a lot better with about 75% reduction of cars on the roads these days.  If there is so much traffic on the road, who else could it be? 

[Cake Monster]

And Hey !

The new Airport could be Named

" Prayuth Chan o Cha Airport." after our great leader.

Better than naming a paltry Bridge after him.

[crazykopite]

Bangkok airways which is privately owned generates the majority of its annual income directly from the Koh Samui flights this information was released last year without Samui airport and the extortionate prices they charge they would go bust within months.

[Burma Bill]

Whether a new road bridge or a new budget airport, it will be a slap in the face for Bangkok Airways and its over-priced monopoly!

[DefaultName]

Hmmmm, I wonder who owns a bit of land that would be ideal for an airport?

[digger70]

5 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

I prefer quality over quantity. Thailand has plenty low cost destinations already, and are struggling more than Samui. The reason affluent travelers visit Samui is because it’s not like Pattaya or Phuket. The hotels that are struggling on Samui are the low and mid tier ones. The luxury accommodations are doing fine. Let’s not ruin that with plane loads of budget travelers please. 

So what are you thinking out loud . That you belong with the Hi So and like them don't like the Normal people /Tourists. I always been thought that we are All equal. or do you think that Hi So people cost more from Making than Normal people. I don't think so It makes no difference that you are Made in the backseat off a cat or in an Posh Hotel room. ????

[ThomasThBKK]

16 minutes ago, digger70 said:

So what are you thinking out loud . That you belong with the Hi So and like them don't like the Normal people /Tourists. I always been thought that we are All equal. or do you think that Hi So people cost more from Making than Normal people. I don't think so It makes no difference that you are Made in the backseat off a cat or in an Posh Hotel room. ????

 

He's thinking out loud that this low quality mass tourism isn't sustainable, is that so damn hard to understand?

And no 10 people spending 1000 bath each are not better nor equal than 1 spending 10k THB. 

[CG1 Blue]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

It's not a question about airport or bridge, it's a question about infrastructure and how much tourism the environment can bear.

Bear in mind that Europen tourist destinations, and even countries, have or are proposing to tax tourists, because the infrastructure and environment cannot take more, there are already too many.

 

The benefit with one private airport, and relative high fees for using it, is that it in a way sort the tourists, so the better spenders that can afford Samui are those arriving. And for those that wish to travel cheaper it's both affordable and fairly easy to use Air Asia to Surat Thani, and their link with bus/ferry to Samui.

 

There are by the way probably not enough affordable accommodation available for a massive increased numbers of budget travellers. Another question is, if there also is a huge enough increasing demand for visiting the island...????

Absolutely right, and this being a key point:

"And for those that wish to travel cheaper it's both affordable and fairly easy to use Air Asia to Surat Thani, and their link with bus/ferry to Samui."

 

It would be sad if they decide to destroy even more of the diminishing natural habitat on this small island to build another airport. If all the trees are cut down and replaced by concrete, then they'll really see a drop in tourist numbers - forever!