AoT upgrading six airports, including Phuket, to increase capacity

[webfact]

AoT upgrading six airports, including Phuket, to increase capacity


CG impression of the new terminal once it is complete in 2015.

PHUKET: -- Three international airports, in Bangkok and Phuket, are now being upgraded and Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Songkhla airports will also be expanded to handle the growing number of air travellers, Airports of Thailand said on Monday.

Budgets had already been allocated for the expansion of capacity at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok and for Phuket International Airport, AoT chairman Sqn Ldr Sita Divari said.

Second phase construction at Suvarnabhumi airport would be completed in 2017, lifting its capacity to 60 million passengers a year, up from the current 45 million.

The AoT was working to resume the 100 per cent utilisation of Don Mueang, where only 30-40% of the airport is in now in use.

It was expected the second terminal at Don Mueang would be reopened in the second quarter of 2014. There were also plans to improve domestic terminal and cargo buildings. When it is in full operation again, the airport would be able to serve 30 million passengers a year, he said.

Phuket airport is building a new international terminal, expected to open in mid-2014 and increase passanger handling capacity to 12.5 million a year, almost double the 6.5 million capacity.

Development was also planned for Chiang Mai to improve the airport's capacity as a hub for the northern region. Feasibility studies were underway. Mae Fah Luang airport in Chiang Rai would also be improved.

Hat Yai airport in Songkhla would also be upgraded, to supplement Phuket international airport.

He said the AoT is in discussion with the Civil Aviation Department, part of the Transport Ministry, for the joint development on airports under its responsibility, particularly airports in northeastern provinces which are gateways to neighbouring countries.

The number of people passing through the six AoT airports had increased continuously in 2013, with passenger numbers rising by 20.34 per cent in September to a total of 86.13 million. In 2012, traffic rose by 7.87 per cent and 15.46 per cent in 2011.

Sqn Ldr Sita said AoT plans to improve its revenue stream by better use of land and building assets.


-- Phuket News 2013-12-30

[khwaibah]

So with only an intern government they are going to do this..

[marcusd]

So I guess the CHINESE and KOREANS are really good quality tourists adding to the wonderful incomes of Thailand?

And all the new housing estates that are for FOREIGNERS to buy as I have been tol;d at so many when I visit in Chiang Mai will get to own them? So they will need extra capacity.

On another note here I see 4 SHOPPING malls with NO ONE in them and enough empty houses to house everyone in thailand.... What have I been told by some developers I met ? (and these are the business people running the shows ...) "FOREIGNERS will come mainly from Europe and want thai women as partners and they will want to buy their new wives houses to live i because houses are cheap in Thailand"

Now thats the thinking of MANY housing developers (10 that I spoke to) so the Airports think more and more tourists will come to OVERPRICED Phuket where the charms are fast depleting and not to emerging places (MYANMAR and Vietnam springs to mind).... so they need extra capacity at all the airports?

Better to wait and see what NEXT year brings foirst I think and just develop Don Muang back to a cpaacity it can handle SAFELY.

[Soi Sauce]

Bangkok is devoid of tourists at the moment. Hotel occupation is officially 25% down, meaning the reality is far worse.

Take a stroll down Sukhumvit, Silom, Ko Sarn etc,, and you will not see a lot of punters.

The low end tourists may be using the airports, but they are not spending any cash.

What is the future, TAT?

[Yunla]

Second phase construction at Suvarnabhumi airport would be completed in 2017

[geriatrickid]

Bangkok is devoid of tourists at the moment. Hotel occupation is officially 25% down, meaning the reality is far worse.

Take a stroll down Sukhumvit, Silom, Ko Sarn etc,, and you will not see a lot of punters.

The low end tourists may be using the airports, but they are not spending any cash.

What is the future, TAT?

Sorry, but the hotels of Silom are quite busy. I was at a few of them last week and places like the Sheraton are full. My hotel was filled with higher quality Russians, Japanese, Hong Kong and Europeans.

Phuket, Koh Samui are busier than last year and here in Hua Hin most everything is solid out. At this time last year the Hua Hin beach was sparsely occupied. It's very busy now.

[SOTIRIOS]

...where is the money coming from....

...and what amounts are involved......important details...

[englishoak]

They are going to paint everything white ... everyone knows when you paint the interior it looks more spacious ... id go for magnolia myself as it hides the cracks better

[dhrobertson]

Be a good idea to buy a few more aircraft for Thai Airlines.

Yet again I was marooned in Bangkok and unable to get a flight to Phuket for several days from Dec 22. Thai told me on that day the next available flight was 2 January!!

In the meantime, airport construction will be primarily a cash cow.......

(BTW in Phuket, there is insufficient power for the new sub-station required. Grid upgrade? I doubt it)

[oldsailor35]

How about a new government Airport for Koh Samui. Stop the "Ticket theft". Bangkok Air ....Samui to Bangkok BHT 5130

Nok Air.............Suratthani to Bangkok BHT 1900.

Same distance !

How do they get away with this robbery ?

[weegee]

If they just open the doors to the Hatyai terminal....there would be more than enough room. They closed all the doors to the new terminal not long after it was built.

[Ricardo]

Second phase construction at Suvarnabhumi airport would be completed in 2017

And only seven months ago, when the selection of the design consultant was announced, it was promised that completion would be in 2016.

Whoopsie, it already slipped a year !

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/638643-suvarnabhumi-airport-phase-2-expansion-a-o-t-to-hire-design-consultant/

But the Cabinet actually approved the expansion back in August-2010, also for completion by 2016 !

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/392931-thai-cabinet-approves-bt63b-expansion-plan-for-suvarnabhumi-airport/

Isn't there some phrase, concerning 'piss-ups' & 'breweries' & 'organisational-ability', which applies to these situations ?

[ginjag]

How about a new government Airport for Koh Samui. Stop the "Ticket theft". Bangkok Air ....Samui to Bangkok BHT 5130

Nok Air.............Suratthani to Bangkok BHT 1900.

Same distance !

How do they get away with this robbery ?

It's a BOUTIQUE airline, and they own the airport, and they have a monopoly, AND THEY CAN.

Put them on the route from UDON Thani, in competition with Air Asia, haha and they would be out of business.

[hughben]

DM needs a rail link before they think of expansion. It is archaic that in the 21st century an airport in a major city doesn't have a rail link.

Maybe the designers should make any new designs 'protester' proof.

[BlackJack]

sounds like a good investment to me

AOT and SCC

dont forget theres a growing middle class in China just dying to get out and live in Thigh Land

[superdome]

Bangkok is devoid of tourists at the moment. Hotel occupation is officially 25% down, meaning the reality is far worse.

Take a stroll down Sukhumvit, Silom, Ko Sarn etc,, and you will not see a lot of punters.

The low end tourists may be using the airports, but they are not spending any cash.

What is the future, TAT?

Sorry, but the hotels of Silom are quite busy. I was at a few of them last week and places like the Sheraton are full. My hotel was filled with higher quality Russians, Japanese, Hong Kong and Europeans.

Phuket, Koh Samui are busier than last year and here in Hua Hin most everything is solid out. At this time last year the Hua Hin beach was sparsely occupied. It's very busy now.

Sorry to inform you..I am a Samui person [25yrs+]...but have NEVER in all those yrs seen it so quiet...sorrry

[ginjag]

Bangkok is devoid of tourists at the moment. Hotel occupation is officially 25% down, meaning the reality is far worse.

Take a stroll down Sukhumvit, Silom, Ko Sarn etc,, and you will not see a lot of punters.

The low end tourists may be using the airports, but they are not spending any cash.

What is the future, TAT?

Sorry, but the hotels of Silom are quite busy. I was at a few of them last week and places like the Sheraton are full. My hotel was filled with higher quality Russians, Japanese, Hong Kong and Europeans.

Phuket, Koh Samui are busier than last year and here in Hua Hin most everything is solid out. At this time last year the Hua Hin beach was sparsely occupied. It's very busy now.

Sorry to inform you..I am a Samui person [25yrs+]...but have NEVER in all those yrs seen it so quiet...sorry

Excuse me but <deleted> ?? GKID says that is near all booked up---this guy from Samui who should know says it is Quiet, suppose if you are living there one has to take their word for it.

[Ricardo]

DM needs a rail link before they think of expansion. It is archaic that in the 21st century an airport in a major city doesn't have a rail link.

Maybe the designers should make any new designs 'protester' proof.

Actually there's a railway-station, just across the very busy highway, from Don Muang.

But wouldn't it be nice, if those trains (in/out of Hualampong) could somehow run on to Swampy ?

[Soi Sauce]

Bangkok is devoid of tourists at the moment. Hotel occupation is officially 25% down, meaning the reality is far worse.

Take a stroll down Sukhumvit, Silom, Ko Sarn etc,, and you will not see a lot of punters.

The low end tourists may be using the airports, but they are not spending any cash.

What is the future, TAT?

Sorry, but the hotels of Silom are quite busy. I was at a few of them last week and places like the Sheraton are full. My hotel was filled with higher quality Russians, Japanese, Hong Kong and Europeans.

Phuket, Koh Samui are busier than last year and here in Hua Hin most everything is solid out. At this time last year the Hua Hin beach was sparsely occupied. It's very busy now.

Sorry to inform you..I am a Samui person [25yrs+]...but have NEVER in all those yrs seen it so quiet...sorrry

So says a friend in Pattaya.

Would an informed tourist come here?