Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has come up with a plan to build new airports in Chiang Mai and Phuket to generate more income from tourism.
Raising tourism revenue was one of Pheu Thai's campaign promises, which the party intends to make good on, the new premier said yesterday.
He said airports are essential for tourism in both provinces, which are popular destinations. The party attaches importance to how tourists can access the provinces.
The government will see to the construction of new international airports and improve the existing ones in both provinces to augment their tourism-handling capacity, according to Mr Srettha.
Meanwhile, Chiang Mai International Airport yesterday hosted a forum on a development plan aimed at doubling its passenger handling capacity from eight million to 16.5 million a year.
During the seminar yesterday, Sarayut Jumpha, the airport's deputy director, said the plan was conceived in 2018, before the pandemic, in anticipation of increasing passenger traffic.
According to Mr Sarayut, the plan is divided into two phases to support growing air traffic in the next 20 years. However, the plan does not involve building a new runway.
The first phase, Mr Sarayut said, will chiefly cover projects to accommodate a projected expansion of airport users.
The work will be divided into three main clusters. The first will focus on airside development, including the addition of more aircraft parking bays, from 19 at present to 31.
The second focuses on terminals and auxiliary buildings. According to Mr Sarayut, a new international terminal is expected to be constructed to the south of the airport, while the current terminal will operate domestic flights.
The third cluster will concentrate on infrastructural support development, such as a new six-lane road, a power plant and a water plant.
The airport has commissioned the TCMA Consultant Group to study the project's impact and compile an Environmental Impact Assessment report. The study is expected to take two years, costing 300 million baht.
The construction of all projects is expected to take about three years at a cost of 10 billion baht.