Thailand developing six airports, in preparations for AC

BAGNKOK, January 25 (TNA) - The Ministry of Transport, through the Department of Civil Aviation, plans to spend a state budget of over 3 billion baht on developing six Thai airports, as part of national preparations for the formation of the ASEAN Community (AC) by 2015. Department of Civil Aviation Director-General Voradej Harnprasert told a workshop on Thailand's preparations of air transport to serve the upcoming AC, opened in Bangkok on Friday morning by Deputy Transport Minister General Prin Suwannathat, that his department will soon spend the over 3-billion-baht budget on the development of the six Thai airports in provincial areas to facilitate people's travels to other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Under the plan, Voradej acknowledged, a new airport will be built in Betong district of Thailand's southern border Yala province to serve people in the far South, with its construction set to be complete by 2015, and improvements will also be taken place at the Mae Sot Airport in Tak province, along with the Nakhon Ratchasima, the Ubon Ratchathani, the Udon Thani and the Narathiwat Airports. According to the department of civil aviation chief, the six airport projects support the Thai government’s policy on developing Thailand to become a regional transport hub in the future. The department of civil aviation chief also said that Thailand's multilateral negotiations on liberal aviation with nine other ASEAN member countries have been successful, and that he expects all ASEAN member states will liberalize their air transport without limiting flight destinations, numbers and frequencies before the establishment of the AC. Meanwhile, the deputy transport minister noted that air transport covers services for passengers and cargoes, suggesting that, as ASEAN neighbours namely Indonesia, the Philippines and Laos are improving their air transport standards in the lead-up to the AC, Thailand should also revise air transport regulations to be in line with those of the ASEAN neighbours before the formation of the AC for the sake of smooth connectivity of air transport in the 10-member ASEAN bloc. (TNA)