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11.09.09 Phuket Airport to get Asean upgrade
Will the upgrade at Phuket Airport make crowds like this a thing of the past?
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MAI
KHAO, PHUKET: Phuket may have lost out to Hua Hin in the race to host
October’s Asean Summit, but a 30-million-baht upgrade of Phuket Airport
planned to help cope with the meetings will go ahead anyway, the Gazette has learned.
The
improvements, which include increasing the number of channels through
Immigration, adding X-ray machines and expanding the car park, should
ensure a much quicker journey through the airport for tourists.
“After
the expansion, we’ll be able to get every passenger out of the airport
within half an hour of landing,” Ditsapol Padungkul of the airport’s
development team said.
It is hoped the improvements can be in place before high season begins in November.
Airports
of Thailand (AOT) had planned to withdraw the 30 million baht budget
after the Asean Summit went to Hua Hin/Cha-am, but Senator Thanyarat
‘Gee’ Achariyachai, chair of the Senate’s Tourism Committee, argued
that the money should stay in Phuket.
Ditsapol Padungkul, from
the airport’s development team, said the airport was going to buy four
new X-ray machines in addition to the six already in place.
“The car park is also going to be expanded because it’s not big enough right now,” he said.
The number of Immigration channels in and out of the country will be dramatically increased.
There
are currently a total of 20 Immigration channels – 10 in and 10 out –
but this will be increased to a total of 44 channels by high season.
Additional Immigration staff will need to be drafted in to manage the extra channels.
Senator
Thanyarat said the budget was not large enough to provide accommodation
for the extra personnel, but, if necessary, she would pay for it out of
her own pocket.
“We will also have to find a way to get new Immigration computers for them – they cost 400,000 baht each,” she said.
Mr Ditsapol said the improvements would be formalized in the airport’s development plan next week.
Source: Phuketgazette, 11.09.09
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=7764
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Serious serenity at Sejuice
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