Thailand will be turned into a regional aviation hub within this decade as it is enjoys a strategic location where major cities across Asia are within a four- to six-hour flight, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Mr Srettha outlined his vision and experience with infrastructure development in Thailand in a keynote address at the opening of MIPIM 2024, an international real estate market event, on Tuesday in Cannes, France.
With Bangkok alone welcoming over 60 million passengers annually, Thailand aspires to further expand its capacity to accommodate even more travellers, said Mr Srettha, who is also the subject of a cover story headlined “The Salesman” in Time magazine this week.
He said plans are in place to expand existing airports and construct new ones. A notable project is the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport to add new terminals and build two more runways. Once completed, the airport will be able to handle 150 million passengers yearly, compared with 60 million now.
Additionally, two new international airports will be built — one in the North and one in the South.
Lanna International Airport will serve as a second airport to the bustling tourism industry in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces.
Meanwhile, Andaman International Airport in Phangnga, adjacent to Phuket, will complement the long-haul hub in southern Thailand. Together, these new airports will accommodate an additional 40 million passengers annually, he said.
“With these large investments in infrastructure and services, I believe Thailand is well-positioned to lead the region as its aviation hub,” Mr Srettha said.
The premier also told his audience about the southern Land Bridge encompassing deep-sea ports in Ranong and Chumphon provinces, linked by a double-track railway, a motorway and an oil pipeline system.
If it is completed, he said, the Land Bridge would become the cornerstone of maritime connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Today we face a huge risk by solely relying on the Malacca Strait to travel between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Currently, 25% of the world’s cargo flows through this narrow strait,” he said.
“Each year, 90,000 vessels have to navigate through this already congested waterway, resulting in slow-moving traffic and significant queuing. Consequently, shipping cargoes through the Malacca Strait is expected to face more problems in the near future.”
The Land Bridge project, he said, is important not only from a commercial standpoint, but is also critical in maintaining global trade and supply chain stability amid geopolitical uncertainties.
“We are confident that our Land Bridge project will be a success and a proud jewel of Southeast Asia, especially with Thailand as a neutral party, our Land Bridge will always be open to everyone,” Mr Srettha said.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is featured on the cover of Time magazine this week.
