PHUKET: Confounding the holiday island's critics, passenger numbers passing through Phuket International Airport topped one million in November - rising to 11.6 million for the year so far.
The tally of 1,091,355 arrivals and departures for last month was a 9.32 percent increase over the same month last year.
Domestic travel saw a big lift, with 512,780 comings and goings being an increase of 18.40 percent. International numbers were less sensational, with the figure of 578,575 arrivals and departures representing an increase of just 2.37 percent.
The new international terminal at the Phuket facility is due to open on Valentine's Day, February 14 next year.
With the capacity of the new airport said to be 12.5 million, the expectation is that Phuket's one-runway airport will reach capacity well before it opens.
The tally of passengers for December can be expected to top one million. This year, only May, June and September provided totals of less than one million.
Plans for expanding existing airports - Krabi and Ranong - or for opening a new airport in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to cope with the continuing rise in tourist numbers have yet to be announced.
This is the last of the Airports of Thailand monthly arrivals and departures figures to be reported by Phuketwan. The site closes on December 31.
The tally of 1,091,355 arrivals and departures for last month was a 9.32 percent increase over the same month last year.
Domestic travel saw a big lift, with 512,780 comings and goings being an increase of 18.40 percent. International numbers were less sensational, with the figure of 578,575 arrivals and departures representing an increase of just 2.37 percent.
The new international terminal at the Phuket facility is due to open on Valentine's Day, February 14 next year.
With the capacity of the new airport said to be 12.5 million, the expectation is that Phuket's one-runway airport will reach capacity well before it opens.
The tally of passengers for December can be expected to top one million. This year, only May, June and September provided totals of less than one million.
Plans for expanding existing airports - Krabi and Ranong - or for opening a new airport in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to cope with the continuing rise in tourist numbers have yet to be announced.
This is the last of the Airports of Thailand monthly arrivals and departures figures to be reported by Phuketwan. The site closes on December 31.
It's not confounding the critics, as we know, Phuket has changed into a low cost package tourist destination for chinese and other nationalities. Passenger numbers are up but days spent per passenger are likely to be way down. The nett effect on revenue to Phuket's businesses is clearly down.
Posted by Discover Thainesa on December 11, 2015 17:03
Editor Comment:
And with the change in market character, there are winners and losers. Some businesses continue to survive, others are struggling.