BANGKOK Airways will fly daily from Phuket to Bangkok from October 31, expanding the choices for travellers to and from the holiday island.

The announcement comes as Bangkok Airways expands services to meet the challenge of competition.

With a 7.10am departure from Phuket each morning and a 9.50pm takeoff from Bangkok, the move seems clearly aimed at business people and day-trippers.

New routes will also open. Bangkok Airways also announced four-times weekly flights between Phuket and Trat, via Samui, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

That delivers new prospects for rapid development of Trat as a so-far undeveloped holiday destination. Would-be explorers now have an increasing network of short-haul flights to zips around more of South-East Asia at rapid speed.

Once-competing marques Thai and Tiger have already announced their intention to launch a joint budget airline as soon as possible.

Existing brands can be expected to shuffle destinations, timetables and prices as the battle for the hearts, minds and backsides of passengers intensifies.

The wait is already on for a reaction from AirAsia, perhaps the most adventurous and aggressive of the regional competitors.

In today's move, Bangkok Airways also announced new schedules for daily flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh and twice-daily between Bangkok and the former capital of Burma, Yangon.

The airline will also fly to the Maldives from Bangkok three times each week.

However, the Phuket-Bangkok announcement was at the top of the list. Look for more in the battle for the skies soon.