6 new provincial airports to be built for better air-transport connectivity

[Lite Beer]

6 new provincial airports to be built for better air-transport connectivity

BANGKOK, 4 October 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Transport is looking into a possibility of building six new provincial airports in order to strengthen transport connectivity between Thailand and its neighbouring countries, promote an exchange of visits and enhance Thailand's economic growth.

Minister of Transport Arkom Termpittayapaisit revealed after a ministry workshop to solve problems in air transport that the ministry is studying the six new investment projects which should be finalized within 1-2 months.

The new airports will likely be located in 6 regions as follows: Uttaradit in the North, Mae Sot District in Tak in the northwestern region, Kanchanaburi in the West, Aranyaprathet District in Sa Kaeo in the East, Betong District in Yala in the South, and either Loeng Nok Tha District in Mukdahan in the Northeast or Klong Leuk District in Trat in the East.

The minister said the proposed construction of the airports should take at least five years each to complete. However, the ministry has yet to determine the best locations for all airports.

-- NNT 2014-10-05

[englishoak]

Has the airport in Hua hin reopened yet for all those travellers ?

Edited October 4, 2014 by englishoak

[sscsamui]

How about a government run Airport on Koh Samui. This would stop Bangkok Air's monopoly on the Island. It is So expensive to fly in and out of Samui, thanks to Bangkok Air

[Costas2008]

Now, now......we are entering the silly period.

All pompous announcements just for the sake of making noise.

The economy is in a downturn, first sort this problem out and then start speaking about constructing new airports.

But Thais still live in a dream world of their own.

[khwaibah]

Waiting for Dumbo to fly into Surin..

[oldsailor35]

How about a government run Airport on Koh Samui. This would stop Bangkok Air's monopoly on the Island. It is So expensive to fly in and out of Samui, thanks to Bangkok Air

This will never happen. The owner of Samui Airport is a personal friend of one of the highest families in Thailand.

[Totster]

Kanchanaburi ?? Could prolly drive to bkk quicker.

totster

[keestha]

A few years ago, there were strong rumors of an airport to be built on Koh Kaw Kao island opposite Khao Lak. Once ever there was an airport there, which was used during the second world war for operations against the Japanese. It is an open meadow now, where buffalo's are grazing. They even improved the main road on the island, in anticipation of this happening. If this airport would be built, growing Khao Lak wouldn't depend anymore on Phuket Airport. But for a long time, I didn't hear anything anymore about this project.

[rajyindee]

How about a government run Airport on Koh Samui. This would stop Bangkok Air's monopoly on the Island. It is So expensive to fly in and out of Samui, thanks to Bangkok Air

You could argue that it's only possible to fly in and out of Samui thanks to Bangkok Air. I assume they done a deal to put up the cash and build/run the airport when no-one else was interested. What was the deal? A 20 year concession? I'm one of the many folk who are happy to pay a bit extra for an airport which hasn't destroyed the area that it's meant to serve.

Doesn't Bangkok Airways also already operate an Airport in Trat?

Edited October 5, 2014 by rajyindee

[Mrjlh]

Location, location, location....look at the airport for Korat. So far out of town, its costs more for the taxi than the plane ticket even if the did have service there. It sits mostly empty and unused except for some private planes the last time I was there.

[barryofthailand]

Years ago before someone got the bright idea to build Korat airport halfway to Buriram Korat had service from Bangkok using the wing 1 Royal Thai Air base the same way that Chiang Mai uses the same runways as the airbase in Chiang Mai.

I don't know exactly what happened but when things changed Korat was left without service.

Why can't they go back to the way it was before and have Thai smile take the route BKK-Korat-Surin-BKK. This was a very sucesful route flown by Andaman Airways when they were in business.

Barry

[hkt83100]

Location, location, location....look at the airport for Korat.

Do you remember when Air Asia offered a flight Korat-Bangkok for 9 Baht? I think it was the time of the old Korat Airport, which was not far out...

[Ace of Pop]

Mae Sots been open for Years. The Flight to C.M. by Crop Sprayer Pilots should be on your Bucket List.I loved it.

[SOTIRIOS]

...this would definitely play on the value of the surrounding lands.....

[wirat69]

How about a government run Airport on Koh Samui. This would stop Bangkok Air's monopoly on the Island. It is So expensive to fly in and out of Samui, thanks to Bangkok Air

... and thanks to the insurance underwriters.... many planes do not use the runway even when it is there!

[cbluck58]

Sounds a bit like the plans for an F1 event in BKK - don't buy your tickets yet !

[finnomick]

These provincial airports all share the same problems, they're in the middle of nowhere. Pattaya and Buriram are two such examples. You can fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok quicker than you can drive from Pattaya to Pattaya Airport. Added to this the lack of service like three flights a week, which airline is prepared to operate at a probable loss ?

[Lite Beer]

Transport Ministry to build six airports in preparation for AEC

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry will conduct a study for the possibility of building six more airports to link up with neighbouring countries in preparation for the Asean Economic Community (AEC), said Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisit during a seminar on Saturday.

He named the six potential airports as Betong in Yala province which will link with Malaysia and Indonesia, Mae Sot airport in Tak province to link up with Myanmar, Muk Dahan airport to link up with Laos and Vietnam, Uttradit airport , Kanchanaburi airport to link up with the Dawei project in Myanmar and Aranyaprathet airport in Sa Kaeo province to link up with Cambodia.

The study will take two months and construction is expected to commence next year if any of the projects get the nod from the government, said Mr Arkhom, adding that construction of each of the airports will take about five years.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong announced that the government would go ahead with the second phase of the expansion of Suvarnabhumi international airport estimated at 62 billion baht in costs.

Also, he said that the committee to be set up to study the second phase project would, at the same time, consider the Airports of Thailand Company’s plan to build a new multi-function terminal.

The phase two expansion project for Suvarnabhumi airport includes the expansion of the passenger’s terminal, a monorail train to link the old and new terminals, new runway, 28 parking bays for planes and a car park.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/transport-ministry-build-six-airports-preparation-aec/

-- Thai PBS 2014-10-05

[apetley]

Kanchanaburi ?? Could prolly drive to bkk quicker.

totster

Kanchanaburi already has a military airfield that has been rumoured to be upgraded to a joint civilian airport for over a decade. Edited October 5, 2014 by apetley

[KC 71]

Any news on them building one on kpg

[pramaprow]

How about a government run Airport on Koh Samui. This would stop Bangkok Air's monopoly on the Island. It is So expensive to fly in and out of Samui, thanks to Bangkok Air

...an airport which hasn't destroyed the area that it's meant to serve.

Samui was dynamite before the airport...look how that turned out...

[laolover88]

Build one on Ko Tao..Then there won't be room for much else.

[jaywalker]

Location, location, location....look at the airport for Korat.

Do you remember when Air Asia offered a flight Korat-Bangkok for 9 Baht? I think it was the time of the old Korat Airport, which was not far out...

Even better would be to do something about the 400 gazillion over loaded & under powered trucks that clog the roadways all over the country that can barely pull a limp willy out of a Pattaya Soi 6 gal's derriere.

I've driven (or been driven), BKK-Surin and Pattaya- Surin dozens of times. Either route is about 240 miles & takes 6-7 hours, which is an average of about 35 mph.

Every half a mile or so, you get stuck behind some giant truck that's barely moving. I am often loathe to pull over for a bathroom break, as I then get to pass/overtake 2 dozen trucks again that I already had to pass before.

[Danhig]

Aranyaprathet will be handy for the border-runner with a bit of dosh.

[Estrada]

Waiting for Dumbo to fly into Surin..

Looks like business as usual and no change in the need to build new projects to obtain finanical advantage. They spent Millions on reconstruction of Surin Airport and there are still no commercial scheduled flights. This is like a lot of projects, they construct them to make money but after that are not bothered if they are never used.

A friend is an Advisor to the Transport Minister and AOT so on friday I asked him to get the flights restored to Surin and he told me he will press them on this issue. The next flights will probably not be in time for the elephant round up though, but hopefully early next year.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Estrada

[Wombat6]

These provincial airports all share the same problems, they're in the middle of nowhere. Pattaya and Buriram are two such examples. You can fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok quicker than you can drive from Pattaya to Pattaya Airport. Added to this the lack of service like three flights a week, which airline is prepared to operate at a probable loss ?

You can add Cha Am to the list of remote Airfields..It is in the middle of nowhwere and difficult to find (very little signage to help)

[belg]

how much for a helicopter flight from bangkok to hua hin ? hate the 3 hours in the car

[keestha]

Will never forget my sole visit to Ubon Ratchatani "International Airport" in 1999. Huge airport, but only one flight per day, going to Bangkok. I spent over 10 hours waiting around there, till briefly before departure time being the only person using this facility. I remember going to the toilet, and calculating that over 20 men could relieve themselves at the same time there, lots of urinals and a long row of toilet cubicles. When I inquired about food, I was told to walk down a dusty unpaved road for about 300 meters, in order to go to a noodle shop.

[khaosai]

how much for a helicopter flight from bangkok to hua hin ? hate the 3 hours in the car

That would be pretty expensive I think. I flew on a light aircraft quite a few years back from Hua Hin to Bangkok. It worked well but was probably not much quicker than driving when you add in the airport hassles. I think the company was called SGA.

[Sydebolle]

Location, location, location....look at the airport for Korat. So far out of town, its costs more for the taxi than the plane ticket even if the did have service there. It sits mostly empty and unused except for some private planes the last time I was there.

Well, that credit goes to Chatichai Choonhavan. Some 20+ years ago Thai Airways (the small domestic mother company TH, not the bigger international sister TG = prior to the "merger") there were flights into Korat's airforce airport between the city and the zoo. I took that flight very frequently as it really was a faster option. Once moved some 20+ clicks east of Korat I took the flight once only; could not get a taxi nor any ground handling staff to assist and ....... never flew to Korat again.