PHUKET: Phuket International Airport gains its first woman as general manager and director on a flight from Bangkok on June 14 when Duangjai Korndee arrives on Phuket.
The following day, she becomes the first woman in charge as Phuket International Airport begins a multi-billion baht transformation that will see its capacity grow immensely to cope with Phuket's increasing number of tourists.
Khun Duangjai flies in as deputy of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and on June 15 takes charge of Phuket's most essential piece of tourism-related infrastructure during the most important phase of its development.
Lifting the capacity of Phuket airport beyond its present seven million passengers a year to 12.5 million or more will be her prime task.
At peak times, when several aircraft land or take off in the same hour, the airport becomes a difficult place for travellers to negotiate smoothly.
It's a fairly safe bet that Khun Duangjai's second most important priority will be to smooth out the turbulence in passing through Immigration and Customs for incoming and outgoing Phuket passengers.
The airport has been in the hands of a temporary general manager, Wing Commander Passakorn Surapipit, since January when the permanent person in that position, Wing Commander Prathuang Somkhom, was moved within 24 hours.
His quick departure from the Phuket post related to a strange incident the previous October concerning passengers without credentials who tried to board a VIP flight to the Middle East.
Wing Commander Wicha Nurnlop, who managed Phuket International Airport after the crash of One-Two-Go flight 269 in 2007 and planned the expansion after the 2008 Phuket airport invasion, was Phuketwan Phuket Person of the Year 2008.
The following day, she becomes the first woman in charge as Phuket International Airport begins a multi-billion baht transformation that will see its capacity grow immensely to cope with Phuket's increasing number of tourists.
Khun Duangjai flies in as deputy of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and on June 15 takes charge of Phuket's most essential piece of tourism-related infrastructure during the most important phase of its development.
Lifting the capacity of Phuket airport beyond its present seven million passengers a year to 12.5 million or more will be her prime task.
At peak times, when several aircraft land or take off in the same hour, the airport becomes a difficult place for travellers to negotiate smoothly.
It's a fairly safe bet that Khun Duangjai's second most important priority will be to smooth out the turbulence in passing through Immigration and Customs for incoming and outgoing Phuket passengers.
The airport has been in the hands of a temporary general manager, Wing Commander Passakorn Surapipit, since January when the permanent person in that position, Wing Commander Prathuang Somkhom, was moved within 24 hours.
His quick departure from the Phuket post related to a strange incident the previous October concerning passengers without credentials who tried to board a VIP flight to the Middle East.
Wing Commander Wicha Nurnlop, who managed Phuket International Airport after the crash of One-Two-Go flight 269 in 2007 and planned the expansion after the 2008 Phuket airport invasion, was Phuketwan Phuket Person of the Year 2008.
Thai journalists can write what they want, but, personally, I don't believe in any women's management ( because behind them there are many interested prompters )!
Posted by Mario on June 11, 2011 15:15