Airport General Manager Monchai Tanode said the airport is operating at its highest level of readiness to facilitate travel and ensure passenger safety during the festival period from April 10-15.
Safety remains the top priority, Mr Monchai said, noting that a full-scale emergency response drill simulating an aircraft crashing into the sea was carried out on Tuesday (Apr 7).
The airport yesterday formally deployed additional security personnel, integrating operations with Royal Thai Police and other relevant agencies to bolster passenger confidence during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Despite the heightened preparations, the airport expects slightly lower traffic compared with last year.
Between Apr 10-15, Phuket International Airport is forecast to handle about 1,800 flights, averaging 302 per day, down from 312 daily flights recorded during the same period in 2025.
Passenger numbers are projected to reach around 291,000, compared with about 308,000 last year.
Mr Monchai attributed the decline to ongoing instability in the Middle East, rising oil prices prompting some flight cancellations, and the seasonal transition from winter to summer, which typically sees fewer long-haul travellers escaping colder climates.
However, he expressed confidence that Phuket’s core markets will continue to underpin tourism during Songkran.
“Tourists from Russia, China and India remain the main groups visiting Phuket and continue to play a key role in supporting the island’s tourism,” he said.
Figures from airport immigration show that Phuket welcomed 493,585 international arrivals in March, led by Russian visitors at 130,081, followed by Indian (53,465) and Chinese (45,902) nationals.
Other significant markets included travellers from the United Kingdom (25,286), Germany (23,343), Australia (20,606), Kazakhstan (19,771), France (14,858), Malaysia (14,132) and the United States (11,811).
Mr Monchai said he expected these established visitor bases to help offset broader global pressures and maintain steady tourism momentum through the Songkran holiday period.
MOVING MARKETS
Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, President of the Phuket Tourism Association, reported that tourist arrivals to Phuket posted a modest increase in the second half of March, driven largely by strong growth from Asian markets.
Data covering Mar 16-29 showed total arrivals rose by 1.45%, increasing from 220,630 in 2025 to 223,820 in 2026, Mr Thaneth said.
Mr Thaneth noted that the growth was primarily fuelled by a surge in visitors from Asia, which jumped by 19.67% from 72,270 to 86,490 over the same period.
Oceania also recorded a modest rise, with arrivals increasing by 5.72%.
However, the gains were partially offset by declines in other key markets.
Europe, Phuket’s largest source of visitors, saw arrivals fall by 4% to 111,070, while the Middle East experienced a sharp contraction of 52.21%, dropping from 12,240 to 5,850.
Arrivals from other regions also slipped by 4.73%, reflecting broader global travel pressures, Mr Thaneth said.
Despite mixed performance across markets, the overall uptick suggests Phuket’s tourism sector continues to show resilience, with Asian travellers playing an increasingly important role in sustaining visitor numbers, Mr Thneth concluded.