End of Monopoly: New Airport for Ko Samui

End of Monopoly: New Airport for Ko Samui 
The Nation, Thailand

Published on Dec 30, 2003 


THAI has plan to begin flights to tourist resort

The Transport Ministry plans to end Bangkok Airways' airport monopoly on Samui 
Island by constructing a second airport at a cost of Bt600 million.

"The Transport Ministry will complete a feasibility study on the second airport 
on Samui within three weeks," said Deputy Transport Minister Vichet 
Kasemthongsri.

Privately run Bangkok Airways is the only domestic airline operating air 
services to the island's airport, which the carrier built more than 10 years 
ago.

However, tourists have complained for a long time that Bangkok Airways' fares 
are too expensive. Currently, a round-trip ticket on the Bangkok-Samui route 
costs more than Bt6,000.

National carrier Thai Airways International has had a plan to launch a new 
service to Samui in the works for several years. 

Vichet said the time had come for a second airport, which the ministry believes 
will be necessary to cope with expected growth in domestic air traffic.

There are 26 provincial airports, many of which are under-utilised. Some 21 of 
these are controlled by the Department of Aviation, Samui is controlled by 
Bangkok Airways, while Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai airports are 
run by Airports of Thailand Plc.

The Transport Ministry wants to expand the capacity of provincial airports to 
cope with the expected growth of domestic passenger traffic from 8 million to 
20 million per year within five years.

Low-cost airlines are expected to propel substantial growth in the domestic 
market.

Chalor Kocharat, director-general of the Department of Aviation, said landing 
fees at Samui Airport - Bt90,000 - are too high. This compares to just Bt10,000 
at many other provincial airports.

The cost of constructing a new airport on the island would be no more than 
Bt600 million, he said.

"The new airport will support the growth of tourism on Samui," he said.

The Transport Ministry also wants to construct new airports in Mae Hong Son and 
Uttaradit provinces.

Bangkok Airways called an executive meeting yesterday to discuss the 
government's plan to build a second airport on Samui. 

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