Thai govt to re-open abandoned airports

[Admin]

Thai govt to re-open abandoned airports 
Bangkok Post: 30 Jan 2010
Govt to re-open abandoned airports
The Ministry of Transport will next week call a meeting of representatives from the Industry Ministry, airline operators, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Traffic Policy and Planning Office to discuss ways to utilize the abandoned airports in several provinces.

“The meeting will discuss how the state can maximise benefits from existing resources. We will look into the problems and then make a report and recommendations to the Joint Public and Private Committee and the cabinet for consideration,” Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said on Friday.

Mr Sophon has ordered the Traffic Policy and Planning Office to make a study of which provincial airports have the highest development potential. The Civil Aviation Department will be responsible for the development of the high potential airports for commercial use to generate income for the government.

The airports with no commercial potential will be handed over to the air force for military use, which would be better than abandoning them.

Of the 28 provincial airports under the supervision of the Civilian Aviation Department, only 13 are being used regularly for commercial flights by airlines. They include Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Krabi. Six of them provide services for some commercial flights from time to time, and the remaining nine are not used by any airlines.

“Some of them have been used for dry-cropping or grazing,” the minister said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/166860/govt-to-rehabilitate-abandoned-airports

[nookiebear]

Why didn't they develop Utopao which boasts the longest runway in SE Asia instead of building Swampy.........The old,old same answer corruption

[Lourens]

Not everything in Thailand is always about corruption as you so very frequently imply nookie. Utapao is a joint civilian-military public airport approximately 90 miles (140 km) southeast of Bangkok. How would you like to travel that distance to Bangkok after a long flight from Europe or elsewhere? How about the taxi fare?

Utapao Airport was established in 1965 in the period of Vietnam War in accordance with the Thailand and the United Stated of America cooperation in 1962 for the purpose of protecting the Southeast Asian region from Communism. Almost the entire infrastructure of the airport was built and funded by the USA. Today, Utapao is also the Royal Thai Navy Airfield, home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing. The airport is under the administration of the Royal Thai Navy and serves many functions including maintenance, aviation practice place for commercial pilots, domestic and international aviation repairing center and manufacturing center of aviation and international transportation.

The closeness of the Utapao USAF base to Pattaya during the Vietnam War era is frequently cited as one of the main reasons for the development of prostitution in that town.

Suvarnabhumi Airport was built because Don Mueang Airport became just too old and there were no place to expand anymore. Sure, Suvarnabhumi had its fair share of teething problems in the beginning but it is now one of the best airports in Southeast Asia. Also, Utapao serves as a backup to the other two international standard airports of Bangkok.

It is nice to see the positive aspects of a situation sometimes. Give it a try and see how much more pleasant a place Thailand can be for you.

[nookiebear]

The building of Swamy is one of the most classic cases of corruption you will ever come across here in Thailand.The buying up of the swamp for peanuts then 2 years later the announcement of where the location of the new airport was going to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!....making trillions of baht when selling it to develop the airport...It stinks!!

[Starman]

The building of Swamy is one of the most classic cases of corruption you will ever come across here in Thailand.The buying up of the swamp for peanuts then 2 years later the announcement of where the location of the new airport was going to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!....making trillions of baht when selling it to develop the airport...It stinks!!

Well it is a swamp Nookie!