Samui International Passengers Face Higher Service Charge

[george]

Samui international passengers face higher service charge

Bangkok Airways, a sub-lessee and a property manager of Samui Airport, has been granted permission from Department of Civil Aviation to increase the International Passenger Service Charge (International PSC) for Samui Airport, from Bt500 to Bt600 per ticket.

This will impact passengers whose air tickets are issued from March 1.

DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand) considered this increase as a positive news for Samui Airport Property Fund (SPF), the 30-year airport leasee formed in 2006 with Bangkok Airways as a principal unit holder.

The increase in service charge will generate additional income of Bt20 per an international departing passenger whose ticket is issued from March 1 onwards to the fund. Note that international passengers accounted for 32 per cent of total passengers of 775,201 in 2009.

Currently, the service charge collected by Bangkok Airways is Bt300 per passenger for domestic flights and Bt500 per passenger for international flights. SPF, however, currently gets Bt300 per all types of passengers from the airline which has to shoulder all operating expenses of the airport.

According to the leasehold agreement, SPF will earn 20 per cent, on the upside, if the service charge collected by the operator increases from the current rate. This means that from March 1, SPF will receive Bt320 revenue per an international passenger.

In 2009, the number of passengers to Samui grew 4.3 per cent on year.

-- The Nation 2010-02-17

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[jonclark]

And what can passengers expect as an consequence of this increase in service charge? I notice that SPF and Bangkok Airways make no mention of any improvements to the service they offer passengers. So what will be done with the roughly 7.5 million baht this increase will bring in. Anyone fancy a pay rise???

[churchill]

A couple of things they could do would be to put pressure to get the Taxi service from Samui improved , to stop all the taxi mafia , and to improve the roads around the airport - Samui airport is very nice but as soon as one gets outside it goes downhill - a bit of planting along with the continuing tarmac ?

[givenall]

One more place to stay away in Thailand

[infernalman7]

^^ Bad logic. 100 Baht increase and staying away already? Maybe we all should stay away from Thailand when the VAT increases back to 10%.

[mxyz250newb]

Yah what the hel_l are they gonna do with the cash lol... I love these "news updates"

[geriatrickid]

A beautiful airport. The airport has to invest in new equipment and tarmac upgrades from time to time and the revenue will go for that, as well as keeping the profit margins up to help subsidize Bangkok Airways general operations I guess.

Considering the beauty of this airport, and yes it is beautiful, I wouldn't complain. Show me an airport that is as passenger friendly, with clean functioning toilet facilities and with gate waiting areas as peaceful and relaxing as this one. It's like being at your very own private airport. The downside is the lack of shops near the gate areas. BTW ever notice that at the complimentary food areas for Bangkok airways, there are usually 2-3 staff watching over the inedible cake and congealed alleged edibles?

I know it is a small airport, but I defy anyone to name one other airport with a similar passenger volume that is as fun to transit.

It's not like HKT, the aka Horrible Krappy Toilet of Phuket, where the AoT hasn't invested much.

[bkkjames]

600 baht for International Passengers - same as Bangkok and other airports in LOS no?

Quite honestly, if the extra 100 baht is an issue, I suggest you check out of your 300 USD a night place on Chaweng and move into a 400 baht a night bungalow overlooking the pier in Nathon.

Samui airport is terrific IMO.

[Donnyboy]

here we go again *shakes head*

[Samuian]

The Operator has gone a very, very long way from a single haul -Bkk-USM-BKK to a very competitive domestic operator in the tourism section and is moving on to the international market since some timel..... and it all has begun with a humble dirt track to and from Samui's "Airport", which was just an airstrip back then...and the flight on a Dash 8 aircraft was some 1200 Baht o.w. it did work then and made the jump start possible - since he price increased... and increased and made 2 more Company owned airports possible that is Sukhothai and Trat!

One may fly from BKK-HKT (Puket) with Air Asia for a fraction of the Price asked BKK-USM if it's only an individual itmay not account for much but what if it is a family of 4?

Besides he "Samui Avenue" is a waste of money, the largesse, reminds me a bit on gigamania, befor the renovation and expansion, it was probably one of the nicest, if not the nicest Airport on the planet!!

Besides the high prices and the well maintained and secured monopoly, compared to Puket and other destinations in Thailand, do hurt the tourism influx to Samui and the Businesses depending on them!

Surely it is not just about these 100 Baht... 2 Euro or 3 US one has to pay more than that for a bottle of drinking water on any other airport... but then...

Edited February 18, 2010 by Samuian

[animatic]

A beautiful airport. The airport has to invest in new equipment and tarmac upgrades from time to time and the revenue will go for that, as well as keeping the profit margins up to help subsidize Bangkok Airways general operations I guess.

Considering the beauty of this airport, and yes it is beautiful, I wouldn't complain. Show me an airport that is as passenger friendly, with clean functioning toilet facilities and with gate waiting areas as peaceful and relaxing as this one. It's like being at your very own private airport. The downside is the lack of shops near the gate areas. BTW ever notice that at the complimentary food areas for Bangkok airways, there are usually 2-3 staff watching over the inedible cake and congealed alleged edibles?

I know it is a small airport, but I defy anyone to name one other airport with a similar passenger volume that is as fun to transit.

It's not like HKT, the aka Horrible Krappy Toilet of Phuket, where the AoT hasn't invested much.

Bangkok air could care less for residents who actually drive there and park in the departures parking.

if you come on late flights it is 1 km walk with bags to your car just because they haven't 'trained'

enough people to drive the golf carts and let the only ones go home before las flights even arrive.

When you arrive from stocking up in Bangkok, it is a heavy slog. I came with 2 computers and my bags last trip.

Miserable, sweaty, trudge across hand cart unfriendly stone paving.

8it is a regular slap in the face of the very residents that help keep this island moving ahead.

Totally geared to these tourists that the residents mostly help maintain.

It is all geared to moving tourists into taxi mafia mini-vans and off to resorts,

and charge locals 100baht for a 1Km run Bangrak or 600baht for cross island.

So it is pretty insulting to see they expect MORE cash from farangs

just to make their bottom line increase, at the

ALREADY MOST EXPENSIVE FLIGHT DESTINATION IN THE NATION...

They have repeatedly ignored verbal and written requests to provide

the same appropriate internal transport service expected at most airports.

Sorry this is corporate greed and nothing more.

And yes the roads around the airport are a disgrace.

Edited February 18, 2010 by animatic

[NamKangMan]

Only in Thailand could a charge go up 20% overnight, for no reason. Neighboring countries are looking more and more like a better proposition by the day. Thai greed is killing tourism in this country - from the tuk-tuk drivers to the Government.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Money money money that is what Samui and most of Thailand evolve around, how many people remember when the happy pick up service of the bungalows you stayed at was free even the return leg back to the airport (this was small bungalow set-up not a major hotel)

I love Samui but I can fly my whole family (4) to Krabi for the same price that it costs to fly one person to Samui.

[NALAK]

the old airport was prity, the new is geared soley to extract money. the carts to take you from check into departure lounge never seem to run, of course not because then you have to walk past all those shops in the heat. then sit around in non air con getting ready for that 20 hour trip home, i hate it, i dont want to start a long trip covered in sweat. yet another reason to give Samui a miss

[jackr]

And what can passengers expect as an consequence of this increase in service charge?

A lighter wallet

[goldfinger]

the old airport was prity, the new is geared soley to extract money. the carts to take you from check into departure lounge never seem to run, of course not because then you have to walk past all those shops in the heat. then sit around in non air con getting ready for that 20 hour trip home, i hate it, i dont want to start a long trip covered in sweat. yet another reason to give Samui a miss

many things to add.... the toilet paper not smooth enough(should be silk)and nobody there to hand it over, the music in the toilets too loud(gives head ache)...

and the sea? wasn´t it to salty??

BTW there are wheel chairs available to carry you the long distance from check in to the lounge....

[animatic]

the old airport was prity, the new is geared soley to extract money. the carts to take you from check into departure lounge never seem to run, of course not because then you have to walk past all those shops in the heat. then sit around in non air con getting ready for that 20 hour trip home, i hate it, i dont want to start a long trip covered in sweat. yet another reason to give Samui a miss

many things to add.... the toilet paper not smooth enough(should be silk)and nobody there to hand it over, the music in the toilets too loud(gives head ache)...

and the sea? wasn´t it to salty??

BTW there are wheel chairs available to carry you the long distance from check in to the lounge....

This is returning with a load if stuff,

not the much easier walk past the shopping plaza to the departure gate,

they do have some infrequent but available transport...

better to not have the afternoon geriatrics dropping dead... bad PR.

Sorry my gripe is when the 30 kilo limit is reached or breached (with fee paid),

and the size of the packages gets more than one trolley can bear,

I could care less how soft the TP is, or if the music in the mall area is good or bad.

I am worrying about my eyes stinging from too much sweat and whether something

expensive will break from falling down tottering along the rough paving, and this at the END

not the beginning of a long day of traversing Bangkok getting supplies you can

NOT EVER find on Samui.

I paid the same as everyone, but, end of the day, and you don't get what you paid for

compared if you flew earlier for the same money.

Oh yes, I DID fly through there this morning too, this is rather fresh in my mind.

Sorry mate your attempts at casting aspersions of whining farangs doesn't cut it.

Edited February 18, 2010 by animatic

[Samuian]

with the snap of a finger this company could change the entire business situation on Samui in a very radical way and create income for thousands of resident business!

..why they don't?

Well, this company does make money...

..go and figure the rest!

Edited February 20, 2010 by Samuian

[animatic]

Exactly Samuian.

There is a serious bottle neck to Samuis renaissance as a major vacations escape destination,

and that is the transport monopoly of one company. Most here would gladly go

with fewer awards for image makeovers, and more for decent cost to services ratios.