Betong airport raises tourism expectations

15th Mar 2022

Yala's Betong airport opened on Monday, bringing with it the hope that it will boost tourism and the economy in the southernmost part of the country.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said that the airport was given a licence to operate on January 28 by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

It is the 29th airport to be overseen by the Department of Airports (DOA).

According to observers, the air link to Betong provides a safe and convenient alternative to driving through rugged terrain.

According to Mr Saksayam, the 920-rai airport can handle up to 300 people per hour or 800,000 per year.

The DOA owns and operates the new airport, which is located about 13 kilometres east of downtown Betong.

The airport has a single 1,800-meter runway that can accommodate small, 80-seat turboprops like the ATR-72 and Bombardier Q-400. Its passenger terminal is 7,000 square metres in size.

On Monday, Nok Air will fly to Betong Airport for the first time. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the airline will operate three scheduled flights per week.

According to the transport minister, Betong airport has the potential to become a regional aviation hub for flights between Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The airport's opening, according to Narin Ruengwongsak, vice president of the Betong Tourism Business Association, "puts Betong in high relief on the tourism map."

He claims that getting to the district, which has several tourist attractions, will become easier.

He went on to say that tourism businesses in neighbouring provinces have enquired about the scheduled launch and are already putting up trip packages to attract more visitors from Bangkok and beyond.

The airport, according to Kanpong Limkanchana, chairman of the Yala Chamber of Commerce, has sparked hope for increasing tourism in the district.

At a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Flight DD6260, a Nok Air flight from Bangkok, was welcomed. He was accompanied by Anutin Charnvirakul, his deputy, and Anupong Paojinda, the Minister of the Interior.

He estimates that the new facility will help quadruple the number of tourists that visit Betong each day, which is currently at 2,000.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a government spokesperson, said the government will promote Betong, Thailand's southernmost district, as a tourist destination, especially considering its proximity to Malaysia.

Smaller turboprop aircraft, such as ATR-72s and Bombardier Q-400s, can use the newly opened airport's 1,800-meter runway. Its passenger terminal is approximately 7,000 square metres in size.

The airport will improve Betong district's connectivity, as the district was previously only accessible via a mountainous road, according to the spokesman, who added that the airport's opening is in line with the government's policy of continuously improving the country's transportation infrastructure.

The airport has the potential to become a hub for regional flights between Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, in addition to connecting Betong district with the rest of the country.

Mr Thanakorn added that Gen Prayut thanked the locals of the area for their cooperation throughout the airport's development, before promising that similar infrastructure projects will be launched in other parts of the country.