View Full Version : SmallAirports:Hua Hin
ich_rocke
11-04-05, 10:22 PM
wadi khrup,
looking through one article on 2bkk i found this:
Casinos for Thailand? - April 7, 2005
Don Entz points this out: The planned launch of a casino business in Thailand will take a step closer
to reality as the new cabinet of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to give top priority to the issue. Thaksin’s advisors will soon come up with the idea that the government build the integrated entertainment complexes, including casinos in Phang-nga province’s Khao Lak island where the construction of a new airport is underway.
Is there a new airport for phuket planned?! never heard of this..
any infos regarding it?
thanx.
I suspect this is a new airport purely for the khao Lak area. It's far enough away from Phuket to have its own; I guess some folk might argue. Khao Lak has a naval base. It would be interesting to know if that base has its own airstrip; and if they are planning to develop that. Many of Thailand's airports previously had/still have military purposes. Indeed, this one might be some of the brass on the outlook for a few extra nice little earners. Amongst the things wiped out by the tsunami was the base golfcourse; a major blow to (morale &) business networking. ;)
...in Phang-nga province’s Khao Lak island where the construction of a new airport is underway.....This was of course nonsense from the newspapers (again), there is no "Khao Lak Island".
Anyway, as GWR said, this has nothing to do with Phuket, but refers to the Kao Lak area in Phang Nga Province, some 80-100 km to the north.
ich_rocke
12-04-05, 09:38 PM
yeah, i see, thanx.
it is really way up too far north from phuket.
Been searching for low airfares. I have come accross this site, where they make the reservations for you, and claim to offer really cheap airfares. Please take a look and suggest, if it is a good idea to use them?
http://www.newtravelagent.com
Does anyone know why Lampang has only one airline, served by PB Air ? Did anyone travel with PB Air ? Is it true that PB Air has its inflight magazine for passenger called "Sabai Flight Magazine" ? I am flying domestically to and from Bangkok to Lampang for the first time on June 18.
Besides horse-drawn carriages, what city attractions do Lampang host ?
Wat Harapunji - A genuinely ancient temple with very authentic Lanna architecture. Definitely one of the best temples to visit here; and I say that as a person who doesn't like temple visits.
Why is Lanna architecture beautiful and why does it move you ? I don't go to temples. Very boring because i don't understand the significance of this temple.
More aesthetically pleasing than either Bangkok or Disneyland, I guess! Nice rooflines, speaking with my ex roof-carpenter hardhat on!
Perhaps Lampang only has PB flights because there are a lot of other folk who also don't like temples, national parks, mountains & markets. [Two on that list leave me completely cold too!]
Anyway, judge for yourself:-
http://sunsite.au.ac.th/ThaiInfo/TourismInThailand/north/lampang/city.html
Yes, i can imagine riding a horse-drawn carriage from Lampang Airport but there is no urban direction map of Lampang on Internet and in Singapore.
I am hardly able to come up with an itinerary of Lampang. So, i will be happy enough to witness how Lampang Airport architecture looks like from the PB Air flight and take analog camera photograph shots of the terminal building and Lampang landscape on the aircraft. This is as good as adding Lampang to my travel route map, which has so far encompassed Johor Bahru, Senai, Yongpeng, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Sepang, Ipoh, Butterworth, Penang, Bangkok, Nakorn Pathon and Jakarta.
Besides i wonder why PB Air must rush back to Bangkok from Lampang as a full-service airline. It has no flight from Lampang between 4 pm and 5 pm unfortunately. The flight turnover is too fast !!!
If it weren't for a lot of pony traps, I'd definitely call it a 'One-Horse' Town.
It's a sleepy place without doubt. The reason there are no maps is because you sit back, relax and let the aircon van driver (or even the songthaew driver if you are feeling particularly 'kii nieow') take the strain.
airlana
12-06-05, 10:39 PM
Wat Haripunchai is actually in Lamphun [near Chaing Mai]
Probably the most famous temple in Lampang is Wat Prathat Lampang Luang which is a few miles south of Lampang city at Kho Kha.
There are many others including those with the Burma influence [architecture] and I've been to most and enjoyed them all.
Mrs Airlana comes from Lampang and we manage to get back there most years, so I know the area pretty well.
Ok, so if we take out the temples and parks what's left ??
Elephant school at Hang Chat on the road to Chiang Mai.
Egat lignite mine and power station at Mae Mot [east of Lampang]
This link for Lampang might be helpful
http://www.thai-tour.com/eng/lampang/introduction.html
Since the early 1980's Lampang has only been serviced by one airline which was Thai until PB Air. In the good old days the aircraft was Shorts 330 and route was Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Lampang, Nan, Phrae, Phitsanulok, Bangkok.
Don't think it ever got over 8,000 feet which was great for viewing.
Lampang airport is nothing to get excited about, Single runway with basic terminal building. One good thing about Lampang is being able to get close to the runway for photos.
Ganyc, if you look at the map link below, I've marked in a green line. That's a service road, dirt track that runs parallel to the runway. Walk along to the south end of runway and you will be only 30 or 40 meters from the runway. Great for photos. Aircraft 99% of time land on rwy36 depart rwy 18.
Tip: take a hat - there's no shade !!
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/airlana/vtcl%202.jpg
Enjoy Lampang
airlana
.
Wisarut
12-06-05, 10:49 PM
Wat Prathat haripunjai ... The heart of Haripubnjai Kingdom [Kingdom founded by
Queen Jamatewee around 657] ... before being conqured and merged into Lanna Kingdom
in 1296. Now, Lamphung is just Chiang Mai's Suburb. :D
For the case of Lampang, youi better take a train from either BKK or Chaign Mai to Lampang
and you would see nwhy I RECCOMMEND you to do that way - after you reach Khun Tan and Thas Chomphoo Bridge.
The temple in Lampangh you mentioned here is iehter Prhathat Lampang Luang or
Wat Jedi Sao (Temple of 20 pagodas) ... If you failed to count exact 20 pagodas, you may
have commited sinful acts in the past of your life. :p
Motre info about Lampang is here: http://travel.sanook.com/north/lumpang/index.php
Motre info about Lamphun is here: http://travel.sanook.com/north/lumpoon/index.php
airlana
12-06-05, 10:52 PM
one more link satellite photo (http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=99.47542108583026&cpy=18.261672550247013&res=30&provider_id=340&t=pan) of Lampang and surrounding area.
you can't see the horse drawn carriages but you can see the airport :)
I am only happy to shoot two pictures of Lampang Airport terminal and Lampang skyscene from my seat in PB Air's aircraft as a memory of Lampang. I have to fly back to Singapore in the evening from Bangkok.
I am not interested in Burmese influence on Thailand.
jpatokal
13-06-05, 12:17 AM
Does anyone know why Lampang has only one airline, served by PB Air ? Did anyone travel with PB Air ?
Because THAI has allocated to the route to PB Air. Check out a copy of Sawasdee, you'll see THAI list PB Air's routes!
von Hirschhorn
14-06-05, 07:24 AM
Quote:
In the good old days the aircraft was Shorts 330 and route was Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Lampang, Nan, Phrae, Phitsanulok, Bangkok.
Almost, I flew a lot with the former TAC – Thai Airways Company, especially on the route Phitsanulok, Phrae, Nan, Chiang Mai. 3.5 hours pure enjoyment in Thai sky and on the tarmac of charming little airfields.
Flight by sight and sometimes the pilot came out the cockpit and said: “time for a cup of coffee and see if the weather will clear.” Haze from burning and other things disrupted a good (landing) view on many flights.
Waiting in a deserted departure hall until the pilot spoke again: “OK, we are leaving,” walked with the passengers to his plane, slammed the door and took off. Wonder if PB follows the same procedure.
To me it seems you fly there just for the flying or just for have landing and / or take off from that airport – a noble hobby anyway.
In that case you can skip the city, despite the tourist brochure language, there is nothing and there is all. However, the latter only in philosophy and a matter of being there.
On the other hand if your interest goes beyond air transportation and include some ground things as well, visit the station might be an idea. Have a look at the old depot with turntable and atmosphere from bygone days. Also the building itself and in front of that an old ex Japanese C56 steam locomotive on plinth.
At Ko Kha – someone mentioned a temple there – there’s also a sugar factory with left from the gate a nice garden with a lot of old railway stock on display for historical minded (railway) eyes.
So what seems to be nothing at first sight comes out as quite an adventure. Happy flight :)
Honolulu Jimmy
30-11-05, 01:11 AM
Any news on resumption of service to Buri Ram? I've seemed to become a Surin regular and after 3 Rt's via car/train I would like to be back in the air again......The nearest palne is now Ubon and that's 3.5 hrs by car!
Clayton
05-12-05, 07:15 AM
I e-mailed Phuket Air on this subject over a month ago - still waiting for a reply, what a surprise!
Honolulu Jimmy
05-12-05, 01:12 PM
PB Air http://www.pbair.com/ is doing it in a 50 seater
M/W/Sat Lv BKK 9am....quick turn and back to BKK at 10:10
fifty minutes is far better that 5 F-ing hours....Bus sucks, train too long, BKK Taxi too crazy, Benz cool but 10000 baht......3300 RT is about right. For me there are a number of cars in my Darling family......Now she wonders why I put her in Driving School!!!! the Buri Ram Airport is adhacent to H226 you can plainly see the car park and the terminal......Soon to test out the service....that may be the baht express for Issan....
Clayton
06-12-05, 07:27 AM
No wonder they (Phuket Air) didn't return my e-mail, still good to here though that flights have resumed.
Honolulu Jimmy
06-12-05, 10:51 AM
I'm wondering is there is alot of cash carried by the passengers. Considering that Issan is supported by Farang, like me, I wouder if a "Great Plane Robbery" might take place. Some mahy rmember the hree banditos dressed like monks who were holding up drivers on the road in Issan. True that I did see three monks at the road side someplace between Korat and BuriRam a few weeks back....Good thing that my Darling has a Bank of Hawaii AMT card with her name on it.....she has to account for all but 10,000 Baht a month (I like her being a rich girl). I stopped carring over 20,00 baht some time ago!:rolleyes:
Rumors has it that a new airstrip/port will be build on Koh Chang. Anybody knows who is behind and what kind of operation its for?
Stories say anything from ultra-light to 20 seaters...
Pete
Presumably in keeping with ex-PM Thaksin's plan to make the island a rather exclusive resort for the benefit of his contractor & tourist industry chums:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g580110-i9814-k1098676-l6590049-Koh_Chang_Airport_coming_soon-Ko_Chang.html
Koh Chang Airport - coming soon
Ian_on_Koh_Chang
Koh Chang, Thailand
LOCAL EXPERT for Ko Chang
Posted on: 12:16 am, March 24, 2007
Save Save
Pretty soon anyone with a private plane and good medical insurance will be able to fly into Koh Chang and attempt to land on the island.
A a new airstrip which should be complete within the next few weeks and which will be suitable for six seater planes is being built in Klong Prao.
Klong Prao appears to be on the west coast. But it gets a bit confusing when you read this. Perhaps there are going to be two airstrips in the area. Koh Maisi is a small island NW of Koh Kut. Not to be confused with Koh Maisi SE of Koh Chang:
http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/3343.asp Saturday, April 14, 2007
Six Senses Resorts and Spas is planning to build a private airstrip on the island of Maisi to fly in clients to neighbouring Ko Kut where they will stay at what is being promoted as an exclusive hideaway.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webblog/view_blog.php?uid=377&bid=1316 On December 25, 2006
Six Senses Resorts & Spas are currently working on the new Soneva Kiri resort situated on Koh Kut/Kood. Set on 150 acres and 100 nautical miles from the new Bangkok airport and 20 minutes by speedboat to Cambodia, this project will have its own 12-seater Cessna aircraft with 8 luxury leather seats to make access even easier, using an airstrip on a nearby island with final transfer by boat. In total there will be 42 units - 63 bedrooms. Soneva Kiri is due to open in mid 2007 - around June. Soneva Koh Chang is another future development planned by Six Senses Resorts & Spas - 2007 completion date still to be confirmed.
My guess is that Soneva Koh Chang is building the Koh Chang strip for the new resort projected above.
The site below describes the Koh Kut airstrip and even pictures it on an island offshore the main island. The shape corresponds with that of Koh Maisi on maps:
http://www.thaiflyingclub.com/linkairportkohkud.html
Name: Koh Kud Airport
Coordinates: ??*??' N x ??*??' E
Frequency:
Runway Heading:
Length: 850 meters (approx)
Surface: Laterite
Slope: none
Elevation: ??'
Obstructions: n/a
Location: Northwest of Koh Kud (island) near the Cambodian border.
Activities: Private airstrip for Soneva Resort. We are hoping that they will permit General Aviation use of their airstrip to support the growth of General Aviation in Thailand
http://www.thaiflyingclub.com/images/linkAirportPics/picAirportKohKudRolf.jpg
Good picture! Clear enough to see the piers on both islands and the resort itself near the main island pier. My map tells me the property on the left (North) of the island is Ban Koh Maisi School.
Hi GWR,
Great info - so many thanks!
Well... the "strip" in Klong Prao... It's only about 300 meters (my guess) and with so many objects to hit in the flight-path... that can't be it!!!
Pete
Yes. I sort of thought Klong Prao might already be a bit too crowded for airstrip comfort. Soneva seem to have neatly sidestepped this problem in Koh Kut by finding a nice flat-looking island nearby with what looks like rubber-trees. Easy to cut down trees (when the economics of rubber-growing on an island may not be that good) and create a laterite runway.
Here's the Soneva-Kiri site:
http://www.sixsenses.com/soneva-kiri/
Which I discovered from Iamkohchang's rather irreverent thoughts on the subject:
http://www.iamkohchang.com/Updates/updates_Jan-June2006.htm
For anyone interested in 6-star luxury getaways, Six Senses Resorts now have a webpage for their new Soneva Kiri Koh Kood resort, which is opening next year. Lots of blurb on the eco-friendliness of the resort which guests will be able to travel around by electric golfcart or bicycle. This is in an effort to compensate for the guilt they must feel about the amount of fossil fuels burned in transporting them by private plane to a newly built airstrip, on the nearby island of Koh Mai See Lek, and then being whisked by private speedboat for the last 2 kilometres of the journey to their 'green' hideaway. One final thought . . . would Six Senses sue if you named your resort 'Soneva Bitch'?
CWR,
Looking at the high-res picture of an airstrip on Koh Kud... something I don't get:
1. Where is this island? I can't find that island at all!
2. What is the land in the upper part of the picture?
Pete
The airstrip is actually on Koh Maisi, which is a short speedboat ride from the Resort on the NW coast of Koh Kud. That initially confused me too, but a fairly decent map showed me that the land at the top of the picture is the coast of Koh Kud. The foreground island is Koh Maisi. Left = North. The shape of the island and the shape of the opposite coast correspond to features shown on the map very well.
http://i17.tinypic.com/2gw4yrk.jpg
http://i13.tinypic.com/2j1rcck.jpg
Hi GWR,
Ahhh - much better... Got it! That is really a nice map you got there - where did you buy that?
Do you know if that strip is acutally build or if photo is just a fake?
Pete
Thinknet Thailand 2007 on CD by MapMagic. Set it up as a small program on your harddrive. You get a papermap thrown in. Yours for a couple of hundred odd baht from many places like Se-Ed bookshops. 299 baht. Zooms down to 5,000 Bilingual. My main complaint about their products is that they could do with a part-time English proofreader. It doesn't have a direct program link to GPS, but you can use it with GPS co-ordinates.
http://www.thinknet.co.th/home.html
I'll take a look in Google Earth to see if it exists.
Google Earth doesn't show anything conclusive, but that's not unusual. There's a water-treatment plant near my house which is shown 50% in GE. GE is a patchwork of bang up-to-date and really quite dated sat pics.
The airstrip photo looks pretty authentic, and descriptions seem to indicate it's already operating.
I'll take a look in Google Earth to see if it exists.It's not there (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=trat,+thailand&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=11.716368,102.530422&spn=0.039752,0.058365&t=k&om=1), but we don't know how old that satellite data is.
The airstrip photo looks pretty authentic, and descriptions seem to indicate it's already operating.To me, it looks like a pretty wild ride and an interesting starting/landing experience..... ;)
I don't get it...
The resort opens in 2008 - why on earth would any sane person make the strip and buy the $2,000,000 plane and just have it sit there for a year!
It's like the socalled airport at Koh Chang - I would even think twice before taking a 25 kg remote controlled plane up from that strip!
Pete
Boeing seeks maintenance centre in Isaan
Boeing, a US-based aircraft manufacturer, is interested in leasing an airport in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima as an aircraft maintenance centre.
Meanwhile, the Aviation Department has encouraged the private sector to utilise commercial airports under its supervision.
Department director-general Chaisak Angkasuwan said yesterday that Boeing had recently sent officials to survey the possibility of utilising the airport at Nakhon Ratchasima.
According to preliminary talks, Boeing is interested in using the facility as a centre for aircraft maintenance. However, it has not yet made official contact or sent an application to the department.
The agency has promoted commercial airports under its supervision to utilise their business potential. At present, there are a number of such airports that do not have regular flights.
The Aviation Department has officials stationed at 27 airports. However, there are eight that have no regular flights: Nakhon Ratchasima, Phetchabun, Mae Sod, Tak, Chumphon, Ranong, Hua Hin and Pattani.
Chaisak said the department had been trying to encourage airlines to use the services of the 27 airports for domestic routes, for instance, from Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Mai or from Nakhon Ratchasima to Phuket.
To cite one example, SGA Airline (Siam General Aviation) flies from Phrae to Chiang Mai.
The department has to date granted licences to 47 companies for the operation of aviation businesses.
Earlier, it considered transferring the operating rights of commercial airports to the provinces concerned or to agencies that would be established to operate them. The idea was conceived in order to ease the debt burden of the department.
However, the department for now is encouraging the private sector to do business at the airports under its supervision, instead of transferring the rights to others.
Watcharapong Thongrung
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/27/business/business_30032824.php
So presumably, any visitor to the koh Kood resort who flies in will have to pay an additional carbon levy:
Fun, Sun and carbon neutral
By Peter Janssen
Bangkok (dpa)
Some tourist centres believe visitors will pay up to 10 per cent more for accommodation and lodgings - if they really think the resort is doing the right thing.
Where do you go nowadays if you're a millionaire looking for an island getaway but you don't want your vacation dampened by global warming guilt?
You might try the Six Senses Resorts & Spas, a Bangkok-based luxury hotel chain with properties in the Maldives, Thailand and Vietnam, that has started to specialise in carbon-cutting getaways for the rich and famous.
Last month the Six Senses group announced that it would make its flagship property in the Maldives - the Soneva Fushi - into a carbon-neutral resort by the year 2008 and go completely carbon free by 2010.
To reach their carbon-neutral goal, for starters, all visitors to Soneva Fushi are now required to pay a carbon tax for their flight (about 120 dollars on a round-trip flight from Frankfurt) which goes into the Six Senses Carbon Offset Fund.
The fund will be spent on renewable energy projects for villages in Sri Lanka and India, thus, offsetting among the poor the carbon emissions caused by jets transporting the rich to the Maldives.
For it's own part, Six Senses has invested in redesigning the 65 "residents" at Soneva Fushi by adding more ventilation, better insulation, shifting to coconut-based bio-fuel for the resort's boat fleet and to battery-powered carts and motorbikes to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by next year.
"In 2010 we aim to be carbon free which means we will not generate any carbons on the island where Soneva Fushi is," said Raymond Hall, Bangkok-based chief marketing officer for Six Senses Resorts & Spas.
To reach that ambitious goal, Soneva Fushi, situated on Kunfunadhoo Island near the Maldives North Baa Atoll, will need to switch from diesel-generated electricity to solar, wind and a deep water cooling system.
"We can bring water from 300 metres off the edge of the atoll, where it is very cold down in the ocean 100 metres, and use it as an alternative cooling system," said Hall.
Similar global-cooling and environment-friendly efforts are underway at Six Senses' other nine resorts properties in Asia.
The strategy is starting to pay off in terms of recognition. For instance, Six Senses' Evason Phuket was one of three resorts in Asia to win the Kuala Lumpur-based conservation group Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Award last year.
Six Senses, founded by Indian businessman Sonu Shivadasani and his wife Eva (hence its brand names Soneva and Evason combining the couple's first names), is looking for renewable energy solutions at all its properties.
For instance, at its Soneva Kiri resort on Koh Kood, a island in the Gulf of Thailand, Six Senses uses many of the energy-saving innovations used in the Maldives, with some modifications.
Although the Soneva Kiri will not be carbon-neutral upon its opening scheduled for June 2008, it is being built to be highly energy efficient and will offer at least one eco-suite that is completely carbon-free using a passive cooling system utilising the island's underground water, said Louis Thompson, Soneva Kiri's deputy project director.
Of course, energy innovations make good economic sense on Koh Kood, which is off Thailand's national electricity grid. The island, Thailand's fourth largest, is 30 kilometres away from the mainland.
Such island getaways are offering a good business opportunity to renewable energy specialists.
For instance, Germany's SunTechnics Energy Systems Company - part of the Conergy AG Group in Germany, opened an office in Bangkok on June 5 to offer alternative energy solutions to Thailand's bio-fuel and tourism markets.
"In Thailand our strategy is first to focus on the bio-market and secondly on key accounts for tourism," said Daniel Rosa, SunTechnics business development manager for Asia-Pacific.
SunTechnics has found that the tourism sector may be ahead of the public sector in Thailand, in recognising that renewable energy is a crucial part of marketing a destination.
"International hotel chains are recognising that by implementing green solutions they are meeting their clients demands to lessen the impact on the environment that travel entails," said Rosa.
Of course, only a certain clientele can afford to be environmentally correct, and even millionaires set limits on the carbon-tax they are willing to pay.
"I have to say that this is not for everybody," said Hall. "We don't like to talk about our guests but we have quite a few who have the ability to drop quite a lot of money."
Even so, Hall acknowledged, there are limits to the guilt trip.
"They will pay up to 10 per cent more for accommodation and lodgings if they really think the company is doing the right thing," he concluded.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119951
For some rather negative waves on the controversial subject of carbon offsets:
http://www.newint.org/features/2006/07/01/keynote/index.php
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/27/business/business_30032824.php
Certainly there is a marked landing strip at both of these places, but the quoted report (^above^)says SGA flies to Phrae. The reference to Mae Hong Son in the following report suggests Pai, however. Perhaps SGA flies to both:
Pai airport to be enlarged
Published on December 2, 2007
The rapid increase of tourism in Mae Hong Son province has prompted the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to spend Bt20 million to extend the runway at Pai airport, which could then take more flights.
DCA's director-general Chaisak Angsuwan said the agency planned to extend the runway of Pai airport from 700 metres to 900 metres and the funding would be approved for next year. He said the plan was to encourage economic growth from the tourism industry in the area.
At present the only airline operating in Pai district is SGA, providing three flights per day from Pai to Chiang Mai.
The company plans to increase the flights this month. Flights would start at Bt1,450 from Chiang Mai to Pai and Bt1,580 from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/12/02/national/national_30058027.php
SGA's website certainly lists flights to Pai, but NOT to Phrae:
http://www.sga.co.th/en-GB/index.html
On the other hand, this site makes it clear that Phrae was under reconstruction early in 2007. Pictures suggest that SGA has flown there in the past. Another site says that scheduled flights stopped in January 2004:
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~ito-nori/prh/index.html
Wikipedia indicates that some redevelopment has already taken place at Pai Airport:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai%2C_Thailand
wadi khrup,
looking through one article on 2bkk I found this:
Casinos for Thailand? - April 7, 2005
Don Entz points this out: The planned launch of a casino business in Thailand will take a step closer
to reality as the new cabinet of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to give top priority to the issue. Thaksin’s advisors will soon come up with the idea that the government build the integrated entertainment complexes, including casinos in Phang-nga province’s Khao Lak island where the construction of a new airport is underway.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Plans laid for B1.3bn airport in Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will request a budget of 1.3 billion baht from the new Cabinet to fund construction of a domestic airport in Phang Nga province.
Plans have already been drawn up for the construction of an airport that would cover 1,400 rai on Koh Khao, a 45,000-rai island in Takuapa district.
The DCA will submit plans, along with the results of public opinion surveys, to the government.
The results of several public surveys showing support for the airport have already been returned to the DCA, allowing funding to now be sought, Chief of Phang Nga Governor’s Office Sakon Chaowananont told the Gazette on Monday.
About 84% of those surveyed were in support of the DCA’s plans, said K. Sakon, although he was unable to say how many people were surveyed, stating that the most recent survey was a questionnaire given to 300 randomly-selected residents in Phang Nga province.
The remaining 16% of those surveyed did not necessarily oppose the project, but cited that if an airport were to be built in the area, it should be designed to handle large airliners, such as Boeing 747s, added K. Sakon.
With the current plans, the airport would be able to accommodate airliners as large as Boeing 737s.
Although the airport would not make travel to Phang Nga Town any more convenient than traveling there from Phuket International Airport (PIA), it would serve tourists visiting Khao Lak, Takuapa and Kuraburi districts, and the Surin and the Similan islands, offering an alternative to PIA, K. Sakon explained.
He added that he hopes the Cabinet will approve the budget as part of Thailand’s development plan to support tourism growth in the Andaman region.
http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?id=6259
CARGO
MOC proceeds with agricultural cargo airports
The Ministries of Commerce and Transport on Friday agreed to turn 36 airports nationwide into agricultural cargo airports.
The agricultural cargo airport is one of The plan is one of seven policies of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan. It aims to promote the trade of Thai fruits and vegetables, which due to lengthy shipment process by ships tend to rot and lose value. Once inventories are kept low, the prices are also expected to rise.
The move aims to solve an oversupply of agricultural products particular for the seasoning fruits, and reap benefits from remaining areas of many airports in the Kingdom.
The two ministries will soon meet with involved agencies such as Agricultural Ministry and Finance Ministry as well as private airline operators.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/15/business/business_30065534.php
Trendy image for Hua Hin
Published on February 21, 2008
Tourism operators are intensifying their efforts to transform Hua Hin into a trendy, upmarket tourist destination.
Both the Western Region chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are promoting the beach town in Prachuap Khiri Khan province domestically and abroad and expect tourist arrivals to grow 10 per cent by next year.
"Hua Hin is being developed as the new trendy, boutique destination," THA president Wasan Kittikul said yesterday.
He said that about 10 small boutique resorts were scheduled to open along the beaches around Hua Hin in the next two years. In Prachuap Khiri Khan province, at least three will be in Hua Hin and several in Pran Buri. Others will be in Cha-am, in neighbouring Phetchaburi province.
The association says there are 287 hotels and resorts already operating in Hua Hin and Cha-am, with a total of 11,000 rooms. Another 1,000 rooms will open this year, 30 per cent of them in "trendy" hotels. Existing boutique and trendy hotels include the AKA Resort, the Putahracsa, The Dune, the X2 Resort and Let's Sea.
Wasan said Hua Hin received three million visitors a year, 85 per cent of them local tourists and the rest from abroad. The number of both international and local visitors is expected to grow 10 per cent next year because of the opening of lifestyle and boutique resorts.
Sasi-apha Sukontarat, executive director of the TAT's Product Promotion Depart-ment, said the agency was promoting Hua Hin in foreign markets, particularly in Scandinavian countries, as well as in Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia. It is targeting high-income tourists and niche markets, such as honeymoon couples.
Sasi-apha said new-generation tourists were searching for trendy, boutique or chic hotels, so Hua Hin could serve their needs.
The TAT and the THA have launched a hotel guide book called "New Luxury and Trendy Hotels 2008", featuring 56 trendy hotels around Thailand. They expect the book to encourage both local and foreign tourists to visit Hua Hin throughout the year.
Wiboon Nimitrwanich, director of the TAT's Central Region office, said the authority was talking to private-sector operators and airlines in an effort to bring chartered flights to Hua Hin.
At present, only one small airline, Siam General Aviation, operates services between Bangkok and Hua Hin. Its three daily flights are failing to meet high demand, he said.
Hotels in Hua Hin have called on all airlines to launch direct service to the area.
Suchat Sritama
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/21/business/business_30065989.php
Siam General Aviation:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=13009&postcount=14
http://www.sga.co.th/en-GB/index.html
jpatokal
21-02-08, 02:56 PM
At present, only one small airline, Siam General Aviation, operates services between Bangkok and Hua Hin. Its three daily flights are failing to meet high demand, he said.
Hotels in Hua Hin have called on all airlines to launch direct service to the area.
I'll second this -- I was planning a weekend getaway from Singapore to Hua Hin last month, but it's just not possible to connect if you leave Sing in the evening. You've got to spend one night in Bangers and continue on by bus or return to the airport for a morning flight on a SGA Cessna, neither particularly attractive options. Unfortunately, HHQ's runway at 2100m is too short for eg. a fully-loaded 737, so they'll need to extend that to get better service...
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