It was his first visit in the days after his successful elevation to the role of Thai PM. Now he’s scheduled to come back to Phuket – this time checking up on some of the island’s most pressing transportation projects.
The Thai PM, Srettha Thavisin, along with the Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, are set to make a return visit to Phuket on September 29. Their primary focus during this visit is to follow up on key transportation projects, according to Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan.
The visit aims to assess the progress of crucial initiatives, led by the Transportation Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. On the agenda, and high on the list, are the second regional international airport, also known as Phang Nga Airport.
Given the physical constraints of Phuket’s current airport, regarding either extending, or additional runways, or growing the terminal or car parks spaces, a decision has been made to establish a new international airport, just off the island in Phang Nga. The favoured area is the flat lands between Kok Kloi and the township of Phang Nga. The project to construct a brand new international airport in the area has been planned over the last decade but shelved a number of times by the previous government.
Other items on the PM’s Phuket agenda next week include improvements in garbage management, addressing water resource challenges, advancing the Andaman Wellness Corridor project (at the north end of the island), and tackling various transportation projects that have faced delays (including the LONG-discussed Patong tunnel and the expressway between Kathu and the Phuket Airport).
