Thai Airways International Holds Seminar on Phuket as Future Southern Aviation Hub

Today, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, government functions, and the private sector in Southern Thailand organized a “Seminar on Phuket as Future Southern Aviation Hub.”

The seminar was held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket and was presided over by Mr. Kanok Abhiradee, THAI’s President, who spoke on the topic of long-stay tourism for the Muslim market. Also in attendance were Mr. Pongpayom Wasabhuti, Governor of Phuket; Mr. Tasnai Sudasna na Ayudhya, THAI’s Executive Vice President for Commercial; Mr. Methee Tanmanatrakul, President of the Association for Hotels in Southern Thailand; Mr. Pamuk Achariyachai, Chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, and over 150 seminar participants from the government sector, private sector, tourism industry, and members of the press.

Mr. Kanok Abhiradee, THAI’s President, said that the government’s policy is to support tourism strategies, with measures introduced supporting Phuket as the southern aviation hub, Chiang Mai as the northern aviation hub, and Ubon Ratchathani as the northeastern aviation hub. Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Ubon Ratchathani will serve as provincial aviation hubs operating at high standards in Thailand, facilitating passenger traffic from Bangkok International Airport and supporting their respective efforts to become aviation hubs in Thailand.

These future hubs serve as destinations that passengers frequently travel to connect flights to an onwards destination in Thailand and within the Asian  region, supported by provincial airports in Chiang Rai, Krabi, and Khon Kaen, also boosting Thailand’s position as the future commercial air cargo hub in the Asian region. THAI recently conducted a seminar on Chiang Mai as the future northern aviation hub in 24 August 2002, which proved successful, and received support and cooperation from related government and private sectors.

THAI recognizes Phuket’s market potential as a future aviation hub in Southern Thailand, as Phuket is renown for the beauty of its natural environment and has tourism as well as economic potential. Phuket is also recognized as having an already strong and growing tourism market, with long-stay tourists, eco-tourism travelers, sports and active holiday travelers, with tourists being Asians, Australians, and Europeans.

The seminar held on Phuket’s potential as the future aviation market in Southern Thailand was made possible with the support of seminar guest speakers and discussions in workshop sessions, organized in cooperation with representatives from the government sector, state enterprises, tourism associations, chambers of commerce, international schools, golf courses, ground handling agents, airlines, hotels, and health care organizations. These special interest groups gathered together to seek solutions towards establishing Phuket as the southern aviation hub. THAI also plans to implement the results, findings, and conclusions of the seminar towards developing the aviation hub in Ubon Ratchathani in Northeast Thailand.