BANGKOK – Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister, proposed the idea of developing Hua Hin Airport in Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, to accommodate international flights. The plan is to attract additional passengers from the nearby Phetchaburi Province, which has potential for cultural and food tourism, apart from the beautiful Cha-am Beach.
“I have an idea that is not yet final, so I would like to propose that everyone try to think about it. If we expand this airport by combining it with Phetchaburi Province, we can change the name of this airport to Petch-Hua Hin or something else,” Srettha said. (Note: “Phet” in Thai also means “diamond”.)
He surveyed the airport along with Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Transport; Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports; and Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport, during the official Cabinet meeting held outside Bangkok in Phetchaburi Province on May 13-14.
Hua Hin Airport, under the Department of Airports, Ministry of Transport, has a total area of 492 rai (around 78.72 hectares or 194.57 acres). It has a two-story passenger terminal building with an area of 7,200 square metres, capable of accommodating 300 passengers per hour, and an aircraft parking area of 11,000 square metres.
Currently, the airport can accommodate approximately three Airbus A320 aircraft and is also the location of the Civil Aviation Training Center, the Civil Aviation Institute, and the Hua Hin Royal Rainmaking Center, which oversees the upper southern region. Currently, the only airline operating at the airport is Thai AirAsia, with a daily Hua Hin-Chiang Mai flight.
Prime Minister Srettha said that Hua Hin Airport has potential but is not yet fully utilized. Currently, the runway and aviation safety zones are being expanded to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards to accommodate international flights.
The project is expected to be completed within two years, but he has instructed the Ministry of Transport to shorten the timeline to be completed within one and a half years to be ready by the fourth quarter of next year, which is the peak tourism season.
He stated that Hua Hin-Cha-am has many hotels and golf courses that can accommodate international tourists for business, tourism, and conferences. Currently, there is only one flight per day, and in the past, it only operated three days a week.
When inquiring with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, he was informed that if the airport expands to accommodate more tourists, there will also be an influx from Hat Yai. This aligns with the government’s policy to encourage tourists, meaning that if they come to Hat Yai or from Malaysia, they can also visit Hua Hin or Phetchaburi, extending their stay in the country.
Previously, the Department of Airports had developed Hua Hin Airport by improving and expanding the runway to a standard length of 2,100 metres and a width of 60 metres, including shoulders, allowing it to accommodate Airbus A320 aircraft.
Currently, the plan to upgrade safety standards in the area surrounding the airport is underway, with the construction of a road tunnel and the expansion of the safety zone around the runway at the car and train tunnels from 40 metres to 60 metres, and the safety zone at the end of the runway at the train tunnel to a width of 90 metres, in accordance with the standards of ICAO.
The second bidding process has already been announced. If the plan is completed, Hua Hin Airport will have the potential to accommodate international flights in compliance with international safety standards, positively impacting transportation and economic development in the area.
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