Airports Again ...

[churchill]

Plan for third airport in Surat Thani studied

'Surat Thani province may get a third airport if a study by the Department of Civil Aviation shows that it would be beneficial to the local community and also serve to integrate the economy of the southern region while not hurting the environment.

The department, part of the Ministry of Transport, is studying the feasibility of building a new airport in Don Sak district, in the eastern part of the province, where ferry piers serving Koh Samui are located, said Seree Chitsopa, the department's deputy director-general.

The provincial administration proposed the idea to a mobile Cabinet meeting in Phuket. Local businesspeople do not believe that Samui Airport has brought prosperity to the provincial economy. The province decided to pay the Department of Civil Aviation Bt10 million to study the proposal and oversee a terms-of-reference framework, which will be finalised next year.'

continued ...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Plan-for-third-airport-in-Surat-Thani-studied-30185901.html

[limbos]

There's a lot of smoke there, so maybe there's a fire as well. Clearly plenty of people are not happy with BKK Air.

Edited July 11, 2012 by limbos

[Tropicalevo]

I cannot see how another airport at Suratthani will "also serve to integrate the economy of the southern region"

[John 1]

I cannot see how another airport at Suratthani will "also serve to integrate the economy of the southern region"

I agree a total waste of money to build another airport near Surat who in there right mind wants to ride a ferry to Samui after flying for 14 hours on there holidays.

[PoorSucker]

I agree a total waste of money to build another airport near Surat who in there right mind wants to ride a ferry to Samui after flying for 14 hours on there holidays.

Locals, we need it.

Let the tourists fly with Bangkok airways.

[John 1]

I agree a total waste of money to build another airport near Surat who in there right mind wants to ride a ferry to Samui after flying for 14 hours on there holidays.

Locals, we need it.

Let the tourists fly with Bangkok airways.

I'm local but what is the use of a airport when still have to make way to a ferry then a hour trip then to get home what a pain. Price saving is not everything, I don't like the Bkk fare's but for convenience what is the alternative. We just need another strip on Samui.

[churchill]

Plane passengers arriving in Donsak would not need a Ferry ! but a fast boat ... 20 minutes ?

[PoorSucker]

I agree a total waste of money to build another airport near Surat who in there right mind wants to ride a ferry to Samui after flying for 14 hours on there holidays.

Locals, we need it.

Let the tourists fly with Bangkok airways.

I'm local but what is the use of a airport when still have to make way to a ferry then a hour trip then to get home what a pain. Price saving is not everything, I don't like the Bkk fare's but for convenience what is the alternative. We just need another strip on Samui.

What if you could check in in Nathon.

You must check in one hour before anyway.

Straight from the boat on to the plane.

[BigC]

There's a lot of smoke there, so maybe there's a fire as well. Clearly plenty of people are not happy with BKK Air.

yes they are so greed i doubt they even let government officals and VIP;s go for free. Which means if their friends or family want to visit them in samui either theu have to pay for them to come or they have to put their hands in their pocket and depart with their beloved cash.

[BangrakBob]

Plane passengers arriving in Donsak would not need a Ferry ! but a fast boat ... 20 minutes ?

Yep I'd agree, they'd have piers and multitudes of speedboat operators taking you directly to your hotel. Not much different than getting in a taxi after a long-haul flight, just more exciting and enjoyable scenery.

They'd need to enforce some serious safety laws and lane ways. Imagine that many boats flying back and forth day and night on a daily basis.

[BigC]

Donsak does seemtobe a sensible option as people from the mainland can use the airport aswell as Koh Phangyan Koh Tao and Samui people.

They do a 45 minute caterman to donsak.

Plus the ferries can stay in business and should help grouth in DOnsak which is an advantage.

Visa runs and long distance driving would not be much problem if we did not have to allow for 1hr 30 minute ferry each way.

Plus Khanom is lovely part not far from Donsak with some nice hotels and you can see it from samui.

I dunno if samui big busines people would like this though as it might make competitve prices but i doubt it.

Samui still an island and cannot beat that. plus there are more women in samui. People go where the women go.

Khanom is a holiday from too many birds. lol

[oldsailor35]

There's a lot of smoke there, so maybe there's a fire as well. Clearly plenty of people are not happy with BKK Air.

Mate ! i think that 'plenty' is a gross underestimation.

[robsamui]

Just thinking between the lines here . . .

just supposing there is an airport at or near Donsak. Then who would use it in preference to flying from Samui? A great many of the Samui residents . . . assuming that the price was sensible (2,000B or so one way) and also if there was a fast shuttle boat to Donsak (and maybe a bus link at the other side).

Which then leaves BKK Airways with fewer fliers and a customer base composed almost all of tourists and business class.

I think you can expect them to whack up the fares. I'm guessing that 7 out of 10 folks coming here on holiday book through an agent and the fare to Sanui is wrapped up in the total price. And the remaining 30% of holidaymakers (the ones who've been here before and get the flight and accommodation separately) will opt for the direct flight from BKK after their 14-hour journey. When you've spent €700 on a flight from Europe then saving €30 €40 by flying to Donsak instead of Samui will not be a consideration.

So expect a big price hike from BKK Airways if the Donsak airport becomes a reality.

(Although having just paid 4,800 baht ONE WAY the mind boggles as to what the cost of a flight might eventually become.)

R

[Ling Kae]

My opinion as a tourist to the south (live in Pattaya) is that another airport in Surat Thani is a waste of time and money. What they should do is force the current Samui Airport open to all carriers, Air Asia and the likes, then we will see reall change. How about diverting all those millions of baht into reconstructing the current airport on Samui into a true multi carrier airport? Regardless of who owns what on Samui, the focus should be on opening up that airport to all carriers, not pissing around with what nobody really wants.

Just flew to the Philippines for 4,500 baht return, 3 times the distance and half the price of Samui. Something is seriously wrong with olny 2 carriers flying in there and the high prices they charge.

[Tropicalevo]

My opinion as a tourist to the south (live in Pattaya) is that another airport in Surat Thani is a waste of time and money. What they should do is force the current Samui Airport open to all carriers, Air Asia and the likes, then we will see reall change. How about diverting all those millions of baht into reconstructing the current airport on Samui into a true multi carrier airport? Regardless of who owns what on Samui, the focus should be on opening up that airport to all carriers, not pissing around with what nobody really wants.

Just flew to the Philippines for 4,500 baht return, 3 times the distance and half the price of Samui. Something is seriously wrong with olny 2 carriers flying in there and the high prices they charge.

Bandit airways answer to this one is the restiction placed on the airport for the number of daily flights.

As I understand it - there can be a max of 36 (38 now?) flights a day as Samui is a private airport. (ie 18 in and 18 out) This is a legal restriction.

BA argue that at peak season they need all (most) of these flights.

To allow another airline - BA would have to reduce it's own number. Their argument is - it is our airport and you are telling us that we cannot fly there!

Another airport would allow more flights.

The argument by the hotels is that at peak times - there are not enough flights already (at 36/38 per day). Samui cannot possibly fill all of the hotels even if the customers wanted to.

Over the years the number of beds available has increased significantly - but we cannot get more flights or bigger planes! Solution - second airport. (Or we onto the old 'longer runway' thread.)

[Rooo]

That argument re flight numbers needed was all & well in the past when they were running a fleet of ATR's. Then they upgraded to a couple of Boeing's in the fleet, now with Air buses with a fairly large carrying capacity.

The current fleet is comprised of 8 ATR 72-500s, 7 Airbus 319s, and 3 Airbus 320s.

[ydraw]

Bandit airways answer to this one is the restiction placed on the airport for the number of daily flights.

As I understand it - there can be a max of 36 (38 now?) flights a day as Samui is a private airport. (ie 18 in and 18 out) This is a legal restriction.

Behind every shitty situation there is usually some kind of stupid and unnecessary government regulation.

Edited August 10, 2012 by ydraw

[Tropicalevo]

That argument re flight numbers needed was all & well in the past when they were running a fleet of ATR's. Then they upgraded to a couple of Boeing's in the fleet, now with Air buses with a fairly large carrying capacity.

The current fleet is comprised of 8 ATR 72-500s, 7 Airbus 319s, and 3 Airbus 320s.

Thanks for the update Rooo. I am an old git and I forget that things have moved on.

We now need a bright young person with a calculator. What is the carrying capacity of Samui Airport now?

We have Thai, Firefly, Silkair, Berjaya (are they still flying here?) and of course Bandit Airways

I just know that the hotels are saying "We need more flights"

[Tropicalevo]

OK what I wrote was wrong. It is 38 flights per day in and 38 flights per day out.

Looking at the 20th Dec 2012 incoming

BA 11 x 319 (162 pax) (BKK)

BA 10 x AT7 (70 pax) (BKK)

BA 1 x AT7 (70 pax) (Krabi)

BA 2 x AT7 (70 pax Pattaya)

BA 5 x AT7 (70 pax Phuket)

BA 2 x 319 (162 pax HK)

BA 1 x 319 (162 pax KL)

BA 1 x 319 (162 pax SIN) altogether 33 BA flights coming to Samui

Silk 1 x 330- 300?) (285 pax SIN)

TG 2 737-400 (389 pax - BKK)

Finally - Firefly (Penang and KL) AT7 - 70 pax each.

So - Samui Airport can cater for just under 5,000 pax per day at peak times.

Well, that was fun (not)

[smokie36]

How many chicken curry pies is that each?