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Phuket Region Would Benefit From New Phang Nga Airport, Says Province Governor
1st Jul 2016
With the Phuket Airport already well over its traffic capacity a possible solution could be building a new airport in Phang Nga, about 40 kilometers from the airport in Phuket.
Governor of Phang Nga Pakkapong Tawiphat introduced the idea at a press conference, saying:
The airport is set to be located in Taimuang District. The project is backed by a private company that has asked to remain nameless for the time being. The airport will be situated about 40 kilometers from Phuket International Airport (PIA). Its dimensions and other details have not yet been disclosed.
Last month President of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said that expanding Phuket Airport’s domestic terminal building would not be possible, basically because there is nowhere to expand it. The possibilities are certainly limited as PIA can only be expanded eastward (into the sea) or some of the hills surrounding the airport would have to be removed.
Mr Nitinai said about expanding Phuket Airport:
A lot of people ask the AoT ‘what are we going to do after the last phase of Phuket Airport is complete for [a capacity of] 18 million passengers?’. I just ask them back, ‘what is Phuket City going to do about the traffic?’. The bottlenecks are in the city, not at the airport.
About 12 million passengers pass through Phuket International Airport yearly, which is nearly double the amount the airport is designed to accept (6.5 million). As the number is only going to grow in the coming years, the Transport Ministry plans to expand it to 18 million a year.
Environmentalists are Opposing the Sea-Bound Expansion
When it comes to possibly expanding the airport east into the sea, an idea that is being pushed by the Transport Ministry, the environmental experts are strongly against it, saying it would negatively affect the marine life there.
Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat said:
The expansion of the runway is not the only option we have. The sea is the heart of Phuket, to expand into the sea means to attack the heart. We must think about the consequences before we do anything further.
He also called the other environmentalists to oppose the expansion project:
I completely disagree with the idea, as it will harm the environment. Nai Yang and Mai Khao beaches are also home to turtles, which will be adversely affected by the construction. I am not trying to prevent economic growth, but rather suggesting that growth should come from abundant natural resources and they should be kept safe for our future generations as well.
Phuket Tourist Association is also opposing the project, saying the expansion should go east and not west.
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