Thailand's airports
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Do you know all airports in Thailand? Oh, I'm sure you can name a few: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, U Tapao, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Ko Samui, but after that it gets a bit more difficult, doesn't it? Did you know that there are at least 75 places with runways in Thailand?
What is an airport?
The most basic definition of an airport is “a place where airplanes take off and land”. It will surprise many that there are officially over 81 facilities that fit this description in Thailand. There is at least one take-off and landing facility in 51 of the country's 76 provinces, and more than one in 20 provinces.
Of course, airports vary in size, from just a single narrow runway with perhaps a small building to the sprawling complex of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which handled nearly 2017 million domestic and international travelers in 61.
Thailand's airports
There are 35 airports (see 24Radar website) with regular commercial services, 11 of which operate as international airports. About 18 airports are strictly for military use, reserved for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Royal Thai Army (RTA) or Royal Thai Navy (RTN). Fourteen others are joint public/military airports.
Six airports are operated by the Airports of Thailand (AOT), a government-owned company, and 30 by the Department of Airports (DOA), under the Ministry of Transportation. Then there are a few private airports in the country, for example three owned and operated by Bangkok Airways.
Overview in The Big Chilli
Maxmilian Wechsler of the monthly magazine The BigChilli has listed all Thai airports, complete with photo. You can view the whole series at this link: www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/happy-landings-airports-in-thailand
Finally
A number of the airports mentioned are located “in the middle of nowhere” and Maxmilian asked what function these airports have. He wondered whether those airports are sometimes used for possible illegal activities. A negative thought that Maxmilian counters with a positive sound, namely, that such an airport can be used by a pilot in an emergency situation.
Source: The BigChilli magazine
The airport in Bangkok is indeed very good and convenient. I have been to Thailand many times. I prefer the Thai airports to the European ones
the most important thing is that the equipment is properly maintained and if necessary. fixed, i would like to fly from chiang mai to mae hong son sometime a good training for the pilots!
In Bang Pra there is a small airport where you can fly with a Cessna 172 or 150. Last year I made a flight there as a PPL pilot with a local instructor next to me because I don't understand the radio in Thai. This was very nice. However, I found it bizarre that in Thailand this plane rental is more expensive than in Belgium. You would expect everything to be cheaper there.
We flew along the coast to Pattaya Jomtien and then over Koh Lan.
The landing happens rather dangerously close to the side of a mountain and then passes the small runway after a sharp turn. Real cowboys over there.
security costs money, and Westernization will undoubtedly play a role. the regulations and procedures should not be any different from those elsewhere, that's what those ICAO audits are for.
flying in a tropical weather system with a sports box seems very nice to me idd!
The first in line is Lanna airport, those are the people who told me about the newly planned Chiang Mai airport in their area. They fear for their own territory. Should visit again but it's hard to find someone there
Part of the article must of course be that many of these airports were built by the Americans during the Vietnam War. They have since been mothballed and are now reopening to accommodate the growth in air traffic. Some runways are/were strong enough to allow a fully loaded B-52 bomber to take off.
Nongkhai once had an airport. Now it is only a heliport for military traffic. It was closed during the Pathet Lao uprising when the communists were scared that a plane destined for Nongkhai came so close to their border….
Udon Thani Airport is designated for people from that region. The runway at that airfield has been extended for the benefit of the bombers and you can still feel the 'bump' on landing where both parts connect.
A new airport will soon be added to the south, near the city of Betong in Yala province. It is not yet known when flights will take place. However, the airport itself is finished.