Thailand’s PM plans secondary city airport revitalisation to boost tourism

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s recent plan to revitalize airports in secondary cities has been warmly received by tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima. The airport revitalisation proposal, aimed at driving up tourist arrivals and stimulating the economy, was announced yesterday.

 

Local tourism promotion association’s leader, Pongthep Malachasing, sees this as a golden opportunity to invigorate Nakhon Ratchasima Airport. The airport, despite the province’s robust road and rail transport networks, has seen minimal activity. The airport, positioned 30 kilometres from the city, has struggled to draw in passengers and requires political backing to drive air travel demand.

 

Pongthep expressed his hopes that the Pheu Thai-led government would consider the idea of upgrading Nakhon Ratchasima Airport and connecting it with other cities to bolster air traffic, bringing airport revitalisation into action for posterity.

 

by Mitch Connor

TOP: Srettha Thavisin plans to rejuvenate secondary airports for a tourism boost. Photo: thaipost.net

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailands-pm-plans-secondary-city-airport-revitalisation-to-boost-tourism

 

-- The Thaiger 2023-08-30

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[phetphet]

I wonder if Sansiri will start building developments near these new airports.

[mfd101]

Would be lovely to have one in Surin! (instead of having to drive for an hour to get to Buriram airport) ...

[keith101]

There is no working airport here in Uttaradit and really no need as there is very little tourist attractions for anyone to come and see .  I would love to be able to fly to Bangkok but doubt that there will be an airport here before i take my last breath .

[spidermike007]

All regional airports should be given support and an attempt should be made to boost them. Any alternative to the two Bangkok airports is a step forword. Remember. You guys have been ignoring public transportation infrastructure for 75 years now. Time to make up ground and develop cargo alternatives, too. Hua Hin, and Chumporn airports, etc., also need alot of work. Stop talking. Get busy. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by spidermike007

[ezzra]

The man talking about 'building another airport' as if he's talking about building  a park of something, talk is cheap.

[bendejo]

They will need tourist attractions.  Free-standing tower?  Water park?  How about a Disneyland knock-off?

 

[rbkk]

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

Would be lovely to have one in Surin! (instead of having to drive for an hour to get to Buriram airport) ...

There is. Thai Army refused to continue sharing it though as the previous bribe ran out. Same in many other towns I'm guessing.  

[mfd101]

17 minutes ago, rbkk said:

There is. Thai Army refused to continue sharing it though as the previous bribe ran out. Same in many other towns I'm guessing.  

Yes, I'm aware of that. Perhaps I should have said: 'Would be lovely to have a usable one in Surin'.

[ChrisY1]

2 hours ago, phetphet said:

I wonder if Sansiri will start building developments near these new airports.

Maybe…but anyway, they probably own the land:)

[wensiensheng]

I don’t get it. The existing airport has minimal activity. So you revamp it, expand it? Why would activity increase above minimal as a result?

 

if people dont want to fly somewhere, then they won’t.

 

unless they think relocating the airport 3 km from the town instead of 30. 

[youreavinalaff]

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Would be lovely to have one in Surin! (instead of having to drive for an hour to get to Buriram airport) ...

It's been tried at tge old army airport.

 

I'm sure most expats would like an operating airport in their province.

 

It won't happen. Airlines won't want to service 2 or more airports in such close proximity.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by youreavinalaff

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, keith101 said:

There is no working airport here in Uttaradit and really no need as there is very little tourist attractions for anyone to come and see .  I would love to be able to fly to Bangkok but doubt that there will be an airport here before i take my last breath .

Far far better to build better and faster railways. Why are the man made climate warriors not out demonstrating against civil aviation, as it is a major pollutant of the atmosphere?

Perhaps because they like flying as much as anyone who doesn't believe it.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

All regional airports should be given support and an attempt should be made to boost them. Any alternative to the two Bangkok airports is a step forword. Remember. You guys have been ignoring public transportation infrastructure for 75 years now. Time to make up ground and develop cargo alternatives, too. Hua Hin, and Chumporn airports, etc., also need alot of work. Stop talking. Get busy. 

I thought you were a big supporter of the man made climate change thing? Perhaps not if you want more planes flying.

[Sydebolle]

Decades ago there was one "wing" near the zoo, more than enough "airport" for the post-Indochina-war. That airport was planned and built by the Americans. 

Then a second airport was built some 30kms east of Korat which was and is a total waste of money. No capillary infrastructure and certainly questionable if shuttling by car is not more convenient and certainly faster. 

Now a third aerodrome - for how stupid do these politicians take the electorate, honestly? I don't mind as I do not pay for it (any longer) but it shows - new pigs at the same old troughs nicely kept filled by the taxpayers ???? 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I thought you were a big supporter of the man made climate change thing? Perhaps not if you want more planes flying.

I am absolutely convinced climate change was largely brought on by us recklessly soiling the planet and it's atmosphere. I am not a republican. LOL. 

 

That does not mean I object to regional airports. Whether or not someone flies out of Don Muang or Hua Hin is going to have little to no effect on the environment. It might ease just a little congestion in Bangkok, though. And help people to avoid the nightmarish highways there. Perhaps you have not thought this through?

Edited August 30, 2023 by spidermike007

[carlf]

From an ecology point of view, I question the interest in spending a lot of money to develop those regional airports.  Perhaps the money would be better spent in developing the train infrastructure at this stage.  For info, France has now essentially outlawed domestic flights.  Short haul flights evidently are considered major culprits in polluting the environment and the government wants to encourage using the high-speed rail lines.  Seems like a good idea to me.

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I am absolutely convinced climate change was largely brought on by us recklessly soiling the planet and it's atmosphere. I am not a republican. LOL. 

 

That does not mean I object to regional airports. Whether or not someone flies out of Don Muang or Hua Hin is going to have little to no effect on the environment. It might ease just a little congestion in Bangkok, though. And help people to avoid the nightmarish highways there. Perhaps you have not thought this through?

Of course I have thought it through. Air travel is highly polluting, and not just in the planes, but in cars going to airport.

Replace domestic air travel with good trains and no need for planes. Stations in the city, not far away, so short journeys on local public transport to get there. The answer is no planes, not more airports. Trains not planes.

 

 

[billd766]

On 8/30/2023 at 8:44 AM, mfd101 said:

Would be lovely to have one in Surin! (instead of having to drive for an hour to get to Buriram airport) ...

Korat is the nearest airport to me. The next nearest would be either Tak (at Mae Sot) or Phitsanulok around 180 km away. If I wanted to fly to Chiang Rai (500 km away, I would have to take a bus to Lat Yao (for Korat) a second bus to Korat and a third bus to Korat airport. To fly from Mae Sot or Phitsanulok I would have get to the big village somehow, take a baht bus to Kamphaeng Phet, another bus to Phitsanulok and another to the airport. To get to Mae Sot (Tak) I would need to get to KPP and get a bus to Mae Sot and another to the airport, and then fly to Don Muang. Then back north west to Chiang Mai and take a bus from there, as CR has no airport.

 

There are no regular scheduled frights from Korat anyway.

 

Thailand needs to stop dreaming and concentrate on real practical solutions to help the majority of the Thai people.

[billd766]

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course I have thought it through. Air travel is highly polluting, and not just in the planes, but in cars going to airport.

Replace domestic air travel with good trains and no need for planes. Stations in the city, not far away, so short journeys on local public transport to get there. The answer is no planes, not more airports. Trains not planes.

 

 

A great idea but to use the trains properly the whole SRT needs upgrading to dual track and to standard gauge. That in turn requires completely new rolling stock, widening all the stations, blocking ALL the illegal crossings,  a new signalling system and then they need to expand the rail network into areas that it doesn't cover at present.

 

Here is a link in English to the network as it is now.

 

https://www.thailandtrains.com/thailand-train-map/

 

If you can overlay that on a map of Thailand you can see where the SRT network does NOT go.

 

https://www.thailandtrains.com/northern-line-map/

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, billd766 said:

A great idea but to use the trains properly the whole SRT needs upgrading to dual track and to standard gauge. That in turn requires completely new rolling stock, widening all the stations, blocking ALL the illegal crossings,  a new signalling system and then they need to expand the rail network into areas that it doesn't cover at present.

 

Here is a link in English to the network as it is now.

 

https://www.thailandtrains.com/thailand-train-map/

 

If you can overlay that on a map of Thailand you can see where the SRT network does NOT go.

 

https://www.thailandtrains.com/northern-line-map/

Sadly planes make more profit for the usual suspects so they will continue to be used. I reckon they think that as only poor people use the trains they are not worth improving.

 

I'm only saying what would be better than planes, but I have no hope that anything will improve.

I'm writing in a country that has invested so pitifully in it's public transport that to get around a car is essential for all but the very poorest. In comparison, Thailand has the best public transportation on the planet ( I'm not claiming it does, as just comparing it to where I live ).

I loved traveling by train in Thailand and never flew if I could avoid it.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course I have thought it through. Air travel is highly polluting, and not just in the planes, but in cars going to airport.

Replace domestic air travel with good trains and no need for planes. Stations in the city, not far away, so short journeys on local public transport to get there. The answer is no planes, not more airports. Trains not planes.

 

 

I like trains too. But, not the insipid network they currently have. A high speed train makes alot of sense. But, as you may or may not know, the 2nd phase from Korat to Nong Khai was recently approved. When will they start it, much less complete it? I estimate it will be completed by 2037. Do any of us have that kind of time to wait for it? I doubt I will still be doing much travel by the time that leg opens, and that is only one route. What about the rest of the country, and regional travel? Nah, I will stick with flying until they get their act together.