More airports to be built in Thai North and South

BANGKOK, June 7 (TNA) - Two more airports will be built in Thailand's northern and southern regions, while further development plans will be implemented in 15 others, mostly in those located in the southern region. Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), told journalists of the information on June 6 after the CAAT Board had endorsed a master plan on the development of Thai airports over the next 20 years. Chula said that under the 20-year master plan, a new airport will be built in Ban Thi area of Lamphun Province in the Thai North as the Second Chiang Mai Airport and the Second Phuket Airport will be built in Khok Kruat area of Phang-nga Province in the Thai South, both of which will be under the supervisiton of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT). Besides, the CAAT Board gave the green light for development plans based on the commercial purpose at 15 out of a total of 28 other Thai airports under the mandate of the Ministry of Transport's Department of Airports, most of which are improvement or expansion projects of their passenger terminals, namely those in Krabi and Surat Thani Airports in the Thai South. (TNA)