Seven projects planned to turn Phuket into regional economic hub

Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said these projects will help maximise the southern province’s tourism and logistics capacities for land, sea, and air transport, supporting its target of becoming a regional economic hub and global tourism destination.

The projects are:

1. Upgrading Phuket International Airport in the second phase, to increase the capacity from 12.5 million passengers to 18 million passengers per year, with a budget of 6.21 billion baht.

2. Expanding lanes of highway no. 4027 from Ban Para to Ban Muang Mai, worth 510 million baht.

3. Building a frontage road connecting Ban Muang Mai to Phuket Airport, worth 2.46 billion baht.

4. Building an elevated intersection of highways no.402, 4027 and 4025, worth 2.42 billion baht.

5. Krathu-Patong highway, worth 14.67 billion baht

6. Muang Mai-Koh Kaew highway, worth 42.63 billion baht

7. Development of Phuket’s second airport (Andaman Airport), with a budget of 80 billion baht.

Suriya said these projects are part of the ministry’s urgent investment plan and will be financed by the budget for fiscal 2024, which will be available from next month.

The construction of certain projects will start immediately once the budget is disbursed, Suriya said, adding that he expected them to be open for public use starting from 2026 onwards.

As for the tram project from Tha Nun station to Phuket Airport and Chalom Intersection, covering a distance of 58.5 km. that has been proposed by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), Suriya said it could only be started after the highway projects are completed as the tram tracks will be built on these roads.

“We expected the construction projects on that route to be completed within the next 2 years. This will allow MRTA enough time to thoroughly study the feasibility and environmental impact of the tram project,” he said.