Yesterday it was a new cruise ship terminal for the Gulf island. Today it’s an expansion of the Bangkok Airways-woned airport.

 

The Thai PM has confirmed that a feasibility study to expand Koh Samui Airport is underway, with the hope of boosting tourism on the island.

 

Srettha Thavisin, who visited Samui airport on Sunday, says expansion of the facility would allow it to welcome larger aircraft and more passengers. It’s hoped the study will be completed by the beginning of 2025.

 

By Peter Roche

Caption: PHOTO: Samui Island Explorer

 

Full story: Phuket GO 2024-04-09

 

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Will that mean it becomes a public airport?

 

Bangkok Airways owns it, and the landing and handling fees are crazy expensive for any other aircraft.

That reminds me when I checked in there about 1994: A hut or two were the "terminal" and the fire engine was watering the plants.

Very idyllic.

 

 

43 minutes ago, rexpotter said:

Will that mean it becomes a public airport?

 

Bangkok Airways owns it, and the landing and handling fees are crazy expensive for any other aircraft.

The Prasarttong-osoth family is Hakka, Shinwatras are Hakka.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_people

so more tourists to rip off with their ridiculous fares and to an island that is struggling to provide enough water to the existing population ?

The infrastructure on Samui cannot even handle the present number of tourists. The PM says that he is a salesman, a problem with many sales men is that they sell something that is not ready. Selling more tourism will not work, if the vacation quality sucks, for example because of lacking infrastructure. Make first the infrastructure work, then you can begin selling. It might even be better and more profitable to sell high quality than large budget quantity.

Don't think there is enough room to extend the existing runway and certainly bkk airways ain't going to let anyone build another airport in the south.

Although I'm sure they said it wasn't possible due to any other airport being too close to the existing one and posing a danger to flights. But that could be just them protecting the golden goose.

7 minutes ago, ronster said:

Don't think there is enough room to extend the existing runway and certainly bkk airways ain't going to let anyone build another airport in the south.

Although I'm sure they said it wasn't possible due to any other airport being too close to the existing one and posing a danger to flights. But that could be just them protecting the golden goose.

HAHA... obviously you have never seen the landfilling that goes on in Asia... they move mountains.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Srettha Thavisin, who visited Samui airport on Sunday, says expansion of the facility would allow it to welcome larger aircraft and more passengers. It’s hoped the study will be completed by the beginning of 2025.

Thailand only has tourism in it's sights... 

Well, the airport is privately owned by Dr Prasert who, co-incidentially also owns Bangkok Airways, Bangkok Air Catering and the Bangkok Hospital Group all over Thailand. 

So, if anyone is eyeing anything, it would be Dr Prasert who, despite his age, is in excellent state and very sharp minded. Srettha is one of the PMs who came and went while the business icon is still there ........ 

What happened about the land connecting bridge they were going to build????

I’m all for it if it becomes a public airport and I cannot see that happening as it’s the biggest earner for Bangkok Airways The PM would be a wiser man if he invested monies into infrastructure such as sorting out the severe water shortage when you can’t flush the toilet because the water has been turned off or you can’t get rid of the sewerage only into the sea as I witnessed several weeks ago at Fisherman village Bohhut ( Turds In the sea) then we have a major problem ! The airport is privately owned and charges rip of prices i can fly from Bangkok to India for less than Samui to BKK 

Replace airport to moo3 area. Make an island in the sea for airport.

"Saves" fuel and out of inhabitants living at today's airport. In case of crashes people arent hurt. Also noise reduction.

The new airport completely separated from island.

Extend it some more and put a water treat plant on it. With solar power. Salt water RO filtering for drinking water.

And also on that spot make the cruise ship harbor, all in one. Cost you some, but ok Thailand has money, looking at all projects.

 

On 4/10/2024 at 8:35 AM, Sydebolle said:

Well, the airport is privately owned by Dr Prasert who, co-incidentially also owns Bangkok Airways, Bangkok Air Catering and the Bangkok Hospital Group all over Thailand. 

So, if anyone is eyeing anything, it would be Dr Prasert who, despite his age, is in excellent state and very sharp minded. Srettha is one of the PMs who came and went while the business icon is still there ........ 

If he's sharp minded, or not.

As a monopolist, it's not very difficult, to extend your chain unlimited, and be prosperous.

Every child can do that, by just watching it running, or "invest" money (like Dagobert Duck) in something, where is only a very little risk to fail.

There are more "Enterprises" like this, in Thailand. Where the "MD's", or owners, need no skills  but "connections".

It's just the simple shape of monopolies.

About the PMs, you're right. They come, and go. Some of them using their terms, to create their own monopoly, aka. Cannabis "legalisation" has been thrown out. But quite not well planned (with the "hot needle", like so often).

The money flow is not under control (taxing?), and the revenues are going into too many (small) pockets.

Greediness, wants the monopoly.

That seem to be the real problem.

For example, also "7/11/PT", might would like to have a slice of the Cannabis cake? They don't have (very "unrighteous").

So, they don't support it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

If he's sharp minded, or not.

As a monopolist, it's not very difficult, to extend your chain unlimited, and be prosperous.

Every child can do that, by just watching it running, or "invest" money (like Dagobert Duck) in something, where is only a very little risk to fail.

There are more "Enterprises" like this, in Thailand. Where the "MD's", or owners, need no skills  but "connections".

It's just the simple shape of monopolies.

About the PMs, you're right. They come, and go. Some of them using their terms, to create their own monopoly, aka. Cannabis "legalisation" has been thrown out. But quite not well planned (with the "hot needle", like so often).

The money flow is not under control (taxing?), and the revenues are going into too many (small) pockets.

Greediness, wants the monopoly.

That seem to be the real problem.

For example, also "7/11/PT", might would like to have a slice of the Cannabis cake? They don't have (very "unrighteous").

So, they don't support it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You summarized Thai economy and the political power grid quite nicely; as long as 1% of the people control ......... the rest is history 😉 

On 4/10/2024 at 6:13 AM, Skipalongcassidy said:

HAHA... obviously you have never seen the landfilling that goes on in Asia... they move mountains.

The hub of big plans, and big dreams.

Cruiser piers, extended airports, bridges... Building, building, sealing, surfacing everyting with cement, in their concrete mania.

Like there is no tomorrow.

But there is a tomorrow. With more power failures, lack of tab water, suffocating in traffic, and garbage. This peoples are incapable to think, and planning just 3 month ahead.

Too many examples confirming it.