BKK Airport reports increase in flights after Thailand Pass nixed
Since the elimination of the Thailand Pass complicating entry into Thailand, flights and passengers have increased at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by about 10% on average. July 1 saw the lifting of travel restrictions, including the need to apply in advance for a Thailand Pass, which the government touted as opening the floodgates to a surge of international travellers, predicting 3 and a half times the arrivals in the last 6 months of 2022 as having arrived in the first half of the year.
So far Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen a slight increase in air traffic for the first 3 days of the month. Travel in June had averaged 130 flights per day landing at Bangkok’s main airport, by far the busiest in Thailand, with between 23,000 and 24,000 travellers per day. Friday saw 27,642 travellers arriving on 140 flights, while Saturday dipped slightly to 134 flights with 27,147 passengers. Sunday saw the best day yet, with 28,910 passengers arriving on a total of 150 flights.
The figures were shared today by Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul who said the numbers, so far in July, we’re on track with the predictions made by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The ministry says that the daily arrivals should pass the 30,000 per day mark very soon, and estimate that the arrivals will double to 60,000 in October.
The average for international arrivals in 2019, across Thailand, was 108,500 passengers per day. However, Thailand is now trying to fill hotels without Chinese or Russian tourists who added 30-40% of the total tourist arrivals pre-Covid.
The new air travel growth is being celebrated by the government by holding an event at Suvarnabhumi Airport to launch the “Thailand Moving Together” campaign. The programme is designed to show that Thailand is ready for a surge in international flights and tourism.
The campaign is a joint effort between the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and the Ministry of Transport, and the launch will be headed by Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul. This will mark his first official appearance after returning from a recent trip to Europe where he contracted Covid.
SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand
