Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has confirmed that three airports beneath Department of Airports administration are to be transferred to Airports of Thailand in a bid to boost tourism. Udon Thani, Krabi, and Buriram airports will all be managed by AoT within the hope that they can be transformed into hubs that may handle higher tourist numbers.
According to a Bangkok Post report, the transfer has been in the works for some time and follows session between the ministry, each airport operators, and the Treasury Department, proprietor of the land on which the 3 airports are located. From January 1, Udon Thani and Buriram will be managed by AoT, with Krabi to follow at a later stage.
Saksayam says the speed for leasing the land where the three airports are positioned can be prone to change to the speed charged for land on which 6 other AoT airports are located. The three leases may also change from being renewable each three years and can instead be prolonged to turn into 30-year agreements.
Meanwhile, the minister says discussions are underway as to how the DoA might be compensated for the lack of the three airports. One suggestion was to award the division a one-off sum primarily based on the projected income AoT might earn from the airports over 30 years. Another was to have AoT put aside some of that income for the DoA.
ติดตั้งโซล่าเซลล์ ราคา that the DoA is alleged to oppose the transfer of the three airports, pointing out that the earnings from 2 of the airports had been used to prop up much less profitable DoA airports. The department says it’s going to now lose important income and expects to have to seek state assist to maintain operating. Out of 29 airports managed by the DoA, only 6 make a profit. According to the Bangkok Post report, they’re Udon Thani, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, and Surat Thani.
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