Airports spruce up with major works to handle tourism surge 

Meanwhile, there have been calls for some small airports upcountry such as in Roi-et, Nakhon Ratchasima and Hua Hin to be upgraded to international status in order to attract more foreign airlines and tourists. The Transport Ministry also plans a new airport in Yala province. 
Wandee Tiansawakit, a tourism expert and former president of |the Professional Tourist Guide Association in Buri Ram province, said businesses such as hotels and travel companies wanted the |government to make Buri Ram Airport an international facility|as well as adding a new cargo |terminal.
The province has become a famous sport destination thanks to the success of the Buriram United Football Club. If Buri Ram Airport could gain international status and a customs office, and have its cargo-handling ability upgraded, it should attract more domestic and foreign airlines into lower part of the Northeaster region and boost tourism. 
The private sector in Nakhon Ratchasima is also urging the government to develop the local airport as the city is growing and has many more attractions. 
In the upper Northeast, tourism operators in Nong Khai and Udon Thani provinces want the latter promoted as an international aviation hub in order to attract business from such markets as South Korea, Japan and Western countries. Nong Khai itself is luring many visitors from Vietnam, China and Korea respectively. Some retired expatriates from Japan and Western countries have settled there.
The Thai Hotels Association has urged the development of Hua Hin Airport to link with neighbouring countries, especially Singapore and Malaysia, as well as other provinces in Thailand. Therefore, the airport needs to expand its runway and aviation facilities to meet with international standards.
The Department of Airports, which owns Krabi Airport, says |it plans to expand capacity to serve the increasing number of flights |by low-cost airlines. The airport was originally designed to handle 3 million passengers a year, |but the numbers keep rising. The department is also planning a |new airport in Yala’s Betong district, and the Transport Ministry has taken responsibility for that plan.
Airports of Thailand (AOT), which operates Phuket Interna-tional Airport, said the airport’s |capacity had been increased from 6.5 million passengers per year to 12.5 million after completion of a new international passenger terminal. 
AOT aims to push Phuket International Airport as the new gateway into southern Thailand, particularly the Andaman Coast, covering five provinces – Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Phang Nga and Trang. 
Meanwhile at Bangkok’s main airport, Suvarnabhumi, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha visited sites of its second-phase expansion in September and was reassured that annual passenger capacity would be increased from the current 45 million to 60 million by 2019.
“The government is undertaking a 20-year development plan including airport expansion and logistics that have been lined up to link Thailand with [the rest of] Southeast Asia,” Prayut said. 
Earlier, AOT announced multibillion-baht plans for further |development at Don Mueang International Airport to serve increasing of tourist arrivals and domestic flights.
In Chiang Rai province, AOT said it would spend Bt6.2 billion for a three-phase expansion project that began last year and would be completed in 2030.
Rear Admiral Worapol Tongpricha, director of Rayong U-tapao Pattaya International Airport, said a further Bt400 million would be spent this year on the airport’s expansion after Bt600 million was spent last year. The budget includes improving the aviation communication system, the navigational-aid system, the runway and taxiway, and other facilities. 
The government earlier granted a budget of Bt800 million to build a new passenger terminal at U-tapao Airport in order to meet demand and increasing tourism in the Eastern region. The airport currently accommodates 4,000 passengers per day, with a maximum capacity of 800,000 passengers per year. Once the new terminal is completed, it should be able to serve up to 3 million passengers per year and increase capacity to 60,000 flights per year.