Tourism Phuket Airport Thrives Amid Drop in Chinese Tourists with Russian, Turkish Boost

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Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Phuket International Airport is charting a robust course towards welcoming a record-breaking 18 million passengers this year, despite a notable drop in Chinese tourists. According to Monchai Tanode, head of the airport, the number of Chinese visitors has dipped significantly from over 3,000 daily during peak times to between 1,000 and 2,000 currently. This decline is attributed to safety concerns stemming from call centre scams, which have dampened Chinese travel enthusiasm.

 

In a substantial shift, Russian tourists have now surpassed Chinese as the leading source of visitors to Phuket. Data from Airports of Thailand (AOT) shows an average of 1,370 Chinese arrivals daily in April, highlighting the downturn. This has been compounded by the withdrawal of flights by several Chinese airlines, including Spring Airlines and China Eastern, affecting both chartered and regularly scheduled services.

 

Nonetheless, the tourist hub's fortunes remain bright, with Russian and Turkish arrivals filling the gap. Turkish Airlines has notably supported the influx, balancing out the seasonal reduction in flights from Russian carriers like Ikar Airlines and Azur Air.

 

Statistics reveal a strong rebound in international travel, with Phuket Airport recording nearly 17,895 international flights in the first quarter, closing in on 2019's pre-pandemic figure of 18,036. International passenger numbers have surged to 3.5 million, surpassing the same period in 2019. Domestic travel also shows a promising rebound with 1.8 million passengers and 13,152 flights, achieving 89% and 97% of 2019's figures respectively.

 

 

 

Looking ahead, Phuket Airport is preparing to expand its capacity with plans for a new international terminal, expected to accommodate an additional 5 million passengers annually. The design phase is in progress, with construction slated to begin by 2027 and complete within three years.

 

Further boosting the region's aviation capacity, the proposed Andaman Airport remains under feasibility evaluation. Once operational, it promises two runways and the ability to handle 22.5 million passengers each year.

 

In parallel, Airports of Thailand is actively inviting investments by opening 2,512 rai of land around six airports, including Phuket, for real estate development, estimated to attract at least 28.8 billion baht in investment.

 

With these strategic expansions and initiatives, Phuket's tourism sector, fuelled by Russian and Turkish visitors, continues its upward trajectory, offering plenty of growth opportunities on the horizon despite the cooling Chinese market.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-04-30