Thailand Dep. Transport Minister Pushes Forward Phuket Runway Expansion

30th Jun 2016

Deputy Transport Minister of Thailand Omsin Cheevapruek raised the question of expanding Phuket Airport runway again this Sunday, despite opposition to the concept.

Mr Cheevapruek called provincial officials to draft a proposal:

There has been a lot of discussion about this project and I want provincial officials to draft a proposal and submit it to the central government again.

Commenting on the criticism the project has been receiving, Deputy Minister said:

Many people are concerned that the project might affect the environment by disturbing or changing water currents and thus pose a threat to turtles continuing to return to the area. Today, the Phuket runway is three kilometers long and cannot accommodate large airplanes. Studies have shown that it needs to be extended by one kilometre to do so.

He continued:

Many countries have extended runways into the sea and they are doing well, so Phuket needs to push for this project and find a way to make it happen.

Mr Omsin also said the Transport Ministry is placing “high value” on the province because of the island’s attraction to tourists:

Every year millions of tourists visit Phuket and the numbers of arrivals is expected to only increase, so the island’s infrastructure must be ready.

Phuket Tourist Association Opposes the Transport Ministry’s Expansion Concept, Says it Should Go East and Not West

Among those who are openly against this concept is the vice president of the Phuket Tourist Association Sarayuth Mullum, who proposed that the construction goes in a different direction:

It would be better if the runway were extended eastward toward Thepkrasattri Rd because the construction would be easier and the runway could be extended much further, too. Not many people oppose this option because the project will not destroy the beauty of Phuket’s beaches, as extending the runway to the west into the sea would affect many beautiful beaches, including those at Bang Tao, Surin, Naithon, Nai Yang and so on.

Mr Mullum added:

However, if we have no choice but to extend the runway to the west, then we will need the construction technology not only to make the runway longer, but also to create the space needed for large planes to turn around.

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• Phuket Airport

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