Hua Hin Airport expansion to help transform sleepy resort into a truly international tourist destination

[webfact]

Hua Hin Airport expansion to help transform sleepy resort into a truly international tourist destination

 

 

Often considered a quieter alternative to the likes of Pattaya, Phuket or Chiang Mai, the days of Hua Hin being known as a more laid back destination may be about to end.

 

On Saturday, Thai news site Talk News Online reported the Thai government has approved a huge expansion of Hua Hin Airport that will help to transform the sleepy resort into a genuine international tourist destination to rival other more established destinations in Thailand. 

 

The approved 350 million baht expansion consists of two projects, with 250 million baht being spent to extend the runway in order bring it up to the standards required for large scale international air travel, while 100 million baht will be spent on extending the passenger terminal.

 

The project should take between 2-3 years to complete and once finished will enable Hua Hin to welcome not only more domestic flights but also international flights from destinations such as mainland China, South Korea, India and Hong Kong, as well as from other locations in ASEAN.

 

A fully operational international airport will be a huge boost for the economy in Hua Hin and neighbouring Phetchaburi province, officials said.

 

Under the now approved plans, it is understood the runway at Hua Hin Airport will be expanded by up to 45 metres in order to accommodate larger aircraft. 

 

The parking area for planes will also be expanded. Currently the airport has capacity for two B737s but when the improvements are done it will have the capacity to park five B 737s at any one time. 

 

The airport terminal will also be expanded to handle three times the amount of passengers it can handle currently. The present structure can handle only 300 passengers an hour - this will be trebled to 900 passengers per hour. 

 

The expansion of Hua Hin Airport is a key part of measures to develop the whole area from Hat Chao Sam Ran in Phetchaburi down the coast to Chumphon.

 

The planned transformation of the coast has been dubbed "Thai Riviera" project - with the aim to the coastline becoming an alternative to more established tourist areas like Phuket in the south and Pattaya on the Eastern Seaboard. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-02-24

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[Nong Khai Man]

I Won't be going to Hua-Hin when the Airport is Expanded Then !!

[GeorgeCross]

oh god please no

 

 

[NCC1701A]

i live in Hua Hin and as all things Thai the planning is non existent.

or is maximized to include corruption like unnecessary motorbike taxis.  

they don't even have a baht bus route to the new bus terminal yet.

all they have to do is make the U-turn one more U-turn north to include the terminal but no.

 

[Ventenio]

It's fun to watch how the world works.  First you find a "diamond in the rough," and then the word gets out. It takes you a little longer than expected to leave, and then your next "diamond" gets swamped.  It's OK, that's life.   Don't worry, there are 100 more cities that have yet to be "discovered."  

 

The truth..... 1 BILLION people could move to America and it wouldn't be that crowded.  

 

So this expansion is not a problem for anyone reading this.  Talk to me in 200-years

[Emdog]

So high speed rail won't be needed & project cancelled?

Or is it still in the works? So hard to keep up with all the projects

[madmen]

Helloooooo CHINA! 

[NE1]

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Under the now approved plans, it is understood the runway at Hua Hin Airport will be expanded by up to 45 metres in order to accommodate larger aircraft. 

That doesn't sound right....45 metres......are they sure ?

[Jimbo2014]

Im just back from Hua Hin and can hardly breath.  Pollution level is 160 there today.  Disgrace.!

[Canuck1966]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i live in Hua Hin and as all things Thai the planning is non existent.

or is maximized to include corruption like unnecessary motorbike taxis.  

they don't even have a baht bus route to the new bus terminal yet.

all they have to do is make the U-turn one more U-turn north to include the terminal but no.

 

The infrastructure is chronic .

Once you get to the King's palace it can grind to a halt, especially up to the lights and then up near the rail lines. 

 

The canal road is terrible too, potholes galore & they have traffic lights for 70 seconds even though there is zero traffic coming from the other direction.

 

No way it is setup for hordes of tourists, the main streets near the Hilton etc are too narrow and small

[Canuck1966]

Just now, Jimbo2014 said:

Im just back from Hua Hin and can hardly breath.  Pollution level is 160 there today.  Disgrace.!

I'm in Cha am today, lovely fresh mountain air about 8 clicks from the beach.

[Jimbo2014]

2 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

I'm in Cha am today, lovely fresh mountain air about 8 clicks from the beach.

I just checked airvisual - screenshot below.  I think we are all accepting this abnormal as the new normal ???? - glad you are managing.

[PETERTHEEATER]

11 minutes ago, NE1 said:

 

That doesn't sound right....45 metres......are they sure ?

Of course it's not correct. Superb journalism decided to drop the zero after the figure 45. After all, if zero means nothing why use it?

[Canuck1966]

15 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

I just checked airvisual - screenshot below.  I think we are all accepting this abnormal as the new normal ???? - glad you are managing.

I don't trust those apps 100%, there is a strong breeze everyday at the moment so I can't believe the air is too bad here. I used to have to use a ventolin inhaler in the UK, never touched it whilst living here!

Edited February 24, 2020 by Canuck1966

[Misab]

I think 45 meter is print error.

For International flight it should be about 60-meter-wide and 3,7 km long.

As I understand it Hua Hins runway at the present is 35-meter-wide and 2,1 km. long so adding 45 meters makes it 2,145 km long.  

[Misab]

13 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

I don't trust those apps 100%, there is a strong breeze everyday at the moment so I can't believe the air is too bad here. I used to have to use a ventolin inhaler in the UK, never touched it whilst living here!

It was in both Cha-Am and Hua Hin this morning about 175 

If you don't trust the apps just look at the mountains, this morning you could easy see how dirty the air is.  Properly from burning, it goes a little down in the afternoon but raise again during the night. The morning air is here very unhealthy.  

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Misab

[JimHuaHin]

Time to leave Hua Hin.

 

[SoilSpoil]

Sugar cane farming has turned this city, once known for its fresh air, into a very filthy place. Another great achievement of the present leadership.

[Tops]

2 hours ago, Misab said:

I think 45 meter is print error.

For International flight it should be about 60-meter-wide and 3,7 km long.

As I understand it Hua Hins runway at the present is 35-meter-wide and 2,1 km. long so adding 45 meters makes it 2,145 km long.  

Thai experts calculations using Thai calculators, says it all !

[ratcatcher]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Hua Hin Airport expansion to help transform sleepy resort into a truly international tourist destination

Just like glorious Pattaya across the bay. Basically , there goes the neighborhood. Hua Hin was always supposed to be a lot classier than the tearaway known as Queen of the Eastern Seaboard. Maybe because a much loved figure used to spend time up the road at his Klai Kangwon Palace.. 

[pontious]

2 hours ago, Misab said:

2,145 km long.  

That is long.????

[RocketDog]

2 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

I'm in Cha am today, lovely fresh mountain air about 8 clicks from the beach.

I lived in chaam fur 3 years before moving OUTSIDE Huahin 3 months ago. 

I can assure you the air can be good and bad in either place depending on the season and the wind. 

 

Unfortunately it probably won't get better any time soon. If you get the Air Visual app you can monitor air in both places and see what I mean. 

[phetphet]

Thailand. The HUB of new projects.

 

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Hua Hin Airport expansion to help transform sleepy resort into a truly international tourist destination

From a sleepy resort destination that I liked to visit transformed into another Pattaya style hell-hole.

[Redline]

More pollution great!  The pollution there is on par with BKK 

will the be handing out facemasks?

[Krataiboy]

3 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

I'm in Cha am today, lovely fresh mountain air about 8 clicks from the beach.

Sure you are in the right place? I've lived there nearly twenty years and never seen a mountain close by. 

 

Right now, AQI count is an "unhealthy" 151 and the PM2.5 count of 56.2 is more than twice the WHO safe limit.

 

Hope you're wearing a good quality mask!

Edited February 24, 2020 by Krataiboy

[Dr No]

Hau Hin has even less to offer than <deleted>ty Patty for tourists....

[hhinhh]

10 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

I Won't be going to Hua-Hin when the Airport is Expanded Then !!

Me too, I would fly there :)

[Caldera]

Hua Hin's only charm is that it's sleepy. Once that changes, it will have no appeal whatsoever.

 

[Rodjrin]

OMB, no!!!  I, for one, prefer it to be a sleepy getaway destination.