PM wants Hua Hin Airport to be upgraded for international flights
Renaming it Hua Hin Diamond International Airport will indicate it is linked to Phetchaburi, says Srettha
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed the Transport Ministry to accelerate the expansion of Hua Hin Airport’s runway so it can be upgraded into an international airport.
Speaking to reporters while visiting the airport on Monday, Srettha said he wants the airport to be upgraded within a year and a half and renamed Hua Hin Diamond International Airport.
He said that once upgraded, more flights could land in Hua Hin, resulting in more tourists visiting Prachuap Khiri Khan and the neighbouring Phetchaburi province. Hua Hin, some three hours from Bangkok, is a popular seaside town in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Srettha stopped by to check out the airport one day before holding a Cabinet meeting in Phetchaburi. Joining him were Deputy PM and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, and Deputy Transport Ministers Manaporn Charoensri and Surapong Piyachote.
During the visit, Srettha checked the ticket-selling and ticket-checking counters before going upstairs to see the immigration office.
The prime minister then looked at the runway and asked officials which flights landed in Hua Hin apart from those from Chiang Mai. Srettha then said there should be regular flights from Hat Yai and Malaysia.
He also said that he wants the name of the airport to be changed to indicate that it can also be used to access Phetchaburi, which has plenty of sightseeing spots. The Thai word for diamond is “phetch”.
Srettha said he wants the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand Plc to cooperate and turn Hua Hin Airport into an international one. According to the initial survey, the expansion of the runway should take two years, but Srettha wants the time to be shortened by six months so it is ready for high season in the fourth quarter of next year.
He added that before the Covid-19 pandemic, Hua Hin Airport was able to receive international flights, but failed to meet standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Hence, he said, its runway and capacity need to be upgraded.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, meanwhile, said the runway that runs over the Cha-am-Hua Hin tunnel would be expanded by 40 metres on each side.
