A 1,496-rai plot of land near Songkhla Lake in Phatthalung has finally been selected as the site for a new airport in this southern province.
Backers hope it will become a new hub of tourism and transport for three provinces — Phatthalung, Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The land in tambon Khuan Maphrao of Muang district is owned by the Department of Rice (DoR). The final decision to select the site was made by Phatthalung’s public-private working group at a meeting on Aug 19, Kittiphit Klapkhun, chairman of Phatthalung’s Chamber of Commerce said.
Chaired by Nisakon Wisitsora-at, the provincial governor, the meeting was also attended by senior officials from state organisations, plus a number of airlines, including AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air. The decision was followed by a first round of negotiations with the DoR which was held on Sept 5, said Mr Kittiphit.
Together with the project to build a bridge over Songkhla Lake, Phatthalung’s new airport project will improve travel for locals and tourists heading to and from Phatthalung and nearby districts in Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat, he said.
These districts are Cha-uat, Chulabhorn, Hua Sai and Chian Yai in neighbouring Nakhon Si Thammarat and Ranot, Krasae Sin and Sathing Phra in Songkhla, he said.
Bids for the bridge project will be called next year while work, expected to take 10 years, will likely begin in 2026.
As for the Phatthalung airport project, a feasibility study, conducted from Sept 19, 2020 until Jun 13, 2021, found it worth investing in with an economic internal rate of return (EIRR)of 14.70%. The study found the airport could welcome about 214,129 passengers per year, with about 28 flights per week.
Aside from its investment potential, the Phatthalung airport project, which could cost 2.14 to build, has potential to impress travellers with its picturesque landscape.
The site is about 10 kilometres from Phatthalung’s city centre and the road leading to the proposed airport runs along the lake, he said.
