Airport Director Monchai Tanod said the airport is in need of expansion. It welcomed about 16,000 domestic passengers per day last month, or 90% of pre-COVID-19 traffic, reports Bangkok Post.
Daily international arrivals and departures were recorded at 22,000 on average, which already outstrips the pre-pandemic traffic in 2019 by 7%, according to Mr Monchai.
Overall, he estimated the number of passengers passing through the airport this year will be no less than 2019’s figure of 18 million. He said the airport is currently working on the design of the new terminal.
"If the design is completed this year, the project will be submitted to the National Environment Board for approval.
"The airport could use an additional international terminal equipped to handle up to 18mn [passengers].
"It will provide passengers with greater convenience," he said, adding that construction is expected to begin in 2026 and the terminal will take up to three years to be completed. The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has earmarked a B6bn budget for the project.
Mr Monchai also said the airport has drawn up a long-term plan to build a dedicated terminal for seaplanes.
Meanwhile, Nutthajit Oonsiem, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Asean, South Asia and South Pacific marketing team, said his team joined the TAT offices in New Delhi and Phuket to hold a welcome ceremony on Friday (May 31) for an inaugural SG89 flight, operated by SpiceJet.
It is the airline’s first direct flight from New Delhi to Phuket. Spice Jet operates a daily direct flight from the Indian capital to Phuket using a single-aisle Airbus A320 Neo aircraft capable of carrying up to 180 passengers.
According to the TAT, Thailand will welcome approximately 2mn Indian visitors this year, bringing in at least B7bn in tourism revenue. Mr Monchai said Indians currently are the third biggest arrivals at Phuket Airport.
In a separate development, Government Spokesman Chai Wacharonke said that more Indian tourists, especially those of Gen Y and Gen Z, are now visiting Thailand, as reported by Bangkok Post.
Mr Chai quoted the homestay platform Airbnb as reporting that the number of Indian travellers reserving accommodations in Thailand through Airbnb rose by about 60% during 2022 and 2023.
The number of Indian tourists looking for accommodations in Thailand through Airbnb during long holidays such as the Holi and Easter festivals soared by 200% and their top five destinations were Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Koh Samui, Mr Chai said.
According to the government spokesman, Gen Y and Gen Z people formed 80% of Indian travellers booking accommodations in Thailand through Airbnb. India has the biggest number of Gen Y (aged 28-43) and Gen Z people (aged 12-27) in the world.
The most desired features of accommodation reserved via Airbnb were swimming pools, beaches, national parks and famous cities.
Small groups of three to five visitors and medium-sized groups of five people and more showed the fastest growth among Indian visitors to Thailand, up by 67% and 68% respectively from last year.
The spokesman quoted Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb general manager for Hong Kong, India, Southeast Asia and Taiwan, as saying that Indian travellers had started to shift to less known destinations.
This helped distribute economic growth to communities, Mr Chai said. The government extended its visa-free scheme for Indian visitors for six months from May 11 to Nov 11.