Hua Hin set to receive international flights

[misskit]

After a years-long hiatus, the Thai beach resort city of Hua Hin could resume international flights this year following a runway upgrade, jumpstarting its tourism sector.


Experts say this would help Thailand achieve its aim of developing secondary destinations, and officials including Hua Hin’s mayor welcome the prospect of drawing more international tourists.

But some wonder if building a new airport would be better for Hua Hin in the longer term and want more funding from the central government to develop other infrastructure to cope with larger visitor numbers.


In December, the Thai government said it aimed to upgrade Hua Hin’s existing airport to allow for fully fledged international flights to start by this year.


The airport’s runway would be lengthened and widened to meet international standards for wider aircraft, and a road tunnel and runway-end safety area would also be expanded by April 2026 as part of the 300 million baht (US$8.8 million) plan, local media reported.


Its airport currently serves one domestic route – a Thai AirAsia flight four times a week to and from Chiang Mai.


AirAsia had operated flights between Hua Hin and Kuala Lumpur from 2018 but the route was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no public word on which airlines or destinations would be served after the redevelopment.

Hua Hin, about 200km and a three-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, is known for its beaches, night markets, trendy hotels and cultural sights.


It is a family-friendly coastal getaway for Bangkok residents on long weekends or during holiday periods, and is also increasingly popular among Western retirees.


Over nine in 10 of the 11.38 million visitors recorded last year by Prachuap Khiri Khan province – in which Hua Hin is the main attraction and tourism revenue generator – were domestic tourists.


The province’s 750,497 international travellers last year marked an increase of almost 35 per cent from the previous year, said provincial authorities at a meeting chaired by Prachuap Khiri Khan’s governor Sittichai Sawatsan in February, reported news site Hua Hin Today.

Other popular tourist spots in Thailand such as Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai all have international airports, with Hua Hin a standout laggard in that regard.


The nearest international airport to Hua Hin is the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan province to the east of Bangkok, which serves as the main gateway to the Thai capital.


By royal decree on Mar 28, Hua Hin formally reached city municipality status – or Thesaban Nakhon in Thai – giving officials multiple tools to help it grow.


It will give Hua Hin greater access to larger budgets from the central government, which can be used for infrastructure, public services and urban development. It gives Hua Hin similar status to 33 similarly large-sized cities like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya.

Collaboration with the central government on Hua Hin’s growth is key, its mayor Nopporn Wutthiku told CNA.

“This will be challenging and needs collaboration. So, the central government has to send someone with decision-making authority to learn about the issues together with people of Hua Hin, in order to address those issues and create a good impression for visitors,” he said.


“Hua Hin is a tourist city. We are a sea-sand-sun city. It is like a striker of a football team whose job is to score a goal for the team to win. It is a city that needs to make money for the whole country,” he added.


Local officials want more central government support to help solve infrastructure concerns, and to put the region southwest of Bangkok on the map for visitors.


Chanat Pongtratik, vice-chairperson of Hua Hin/Cha-am Tourism Business Association, said there is a “lack of a long-term plan” to develop Hua Hin sustainably.


He cited the lack of water and waste infrastructure, which he said is commonly encountered in places trying to cater to more people.


“The airport (upgrade) will increase accessibility but there are social, cultural, and environmental vulnerabilities,” he said.

Hua Hin business owner Pattana Imsuk said the city and its surrounding region are already being tested by a higher volume of arrivals.


“Currently, we have traffic problems during the weekend and long weekends. And for water, it will absolutely be an issue,” she said.


“There are a lot of other issues too such as with footpaths and signages, which are not catered to foreigners.”


UPGRADE OR BUILD ANEW?


To mayor Nopporn, it is unclear if the existing airport - opened in 1961 - is still fit for purpose. Its location, about 6km from the city centre, is close to the busy urban core and would exacerbate traffic issues, he said.


“Everyone wants to move (the runway expansion) forward but I’m not sure about the limitation of the existing runway. I’m not sure what the solution is,” he said.

An alternative, he suggested, is to build a new full-scale international airport in an outer sub-district 30 kilometres from Hua Hin.


“I think there should be another airport that can meet all the needs and standards. It would expand the city’s development, there will be no congestion and it could connect visitors to Cha-am, downtown Hua Hin, or through a bypass road to other areas,” he said.


Cha-am is a beach town in Phetchaburi province that lies about 20km north of Hua Hin.


Chanat agreed that building a new aviation complex would be better than trying to retrofit aged facilities, if the ambition is to make Hua Hin an international hub.


Hoping for Hua Hin to at least have direct flights to other Southeast Asian cities in future, he said: “It is like renovating an old hotel. And the capacity does not suit.”


If there is a direct flight to Singapore, for instance, this would help “connect to other international flights without passing via Suvarnabhumi”, he said.


Thailand’s Department of Airports did not respond to CNA’s queries on the upgrade of Hua Hin’s airport.

PROMOTING UNIQUENESS OF DESTINATION


Sharing the spoils of – and the responsibilities for – Thailand’s burgeoning tourism industry is an important consideration for the authorities, said Noor Ahmad Hamid, chief executive of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, a membership association that promotes the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific.


“Developing secondary destinations is not just a short-term tourism strategy, it is essential for Thailand’s long-term tourism sustainability,” he said.


It is why Hua Hin’s airport development is a key piece of infrastructure.


Niti Vongvichasvadi, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Prachuap Khiri Khan office, said he expected the airport upgrade to result in a “surge in tourist arrivals, particularly from regions with direct flight connections”.


He explained that TAT was using a “hub and hook strategy”, combining Hua Hin with major destinations like Bangkok to try to draw tourists to all eight districts of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.


“Every district borders the sea and features distinctive tourist attractions,” he said.


The province is a relatively less trodden destination, and so too is neighbouring Phetchaburi.


Given that the nearest international airport south of Hua Hin is Surat Thani, some 430 km away, there are opportunities to boost tourism if these provinces are treated and promoted as a cluster destination, Chanat said.


At the moment, the tourism marketing strategy for Hua Hin is “unclear” at the national level, with most promotional efforts still relying on the private sector, he said.

Niti said TAT's “Hidden Gems Cities” initiative would help distribute tourism income more evenly, create jobs in areas where traditional industries may be declining, and stimulate the growth of local businesses.


Launched last year, "Hidden Gems Cities" aims to promote lesser-known destinations across Thailand, reduce seasonality and promote sustainability.


“Environmentally, it helps alleviate pressure on major cities, promotes ecotourism, and raises awareness about natural beauty in less-explored regions,” he said.


Hamid said the uniqueness of different destinations should be better highlighted, rather than replicating what works in popular locations.


For example, Phetchaburi could develop its cultural attractions while Prachuap Khiri Khan could promote ecotourism and agritourism, he suggested.


As for Hua Hin, there is potential to show how “new destinations should adopt a gradual and sustainable approach to development” to avoid over-commercialisation and keep locals satisfied, he said.

Thailand’s Hua Hin set to receive international flights – can tourism take off amid traffic, water woes? - CNA

[harrybarracuda]

An alternative, he suggested, is to build a new full-scale international airport in an outer sub-district 30 kilometres from Hua Hin.

Yes, let's trash more of the environment and squander billions.

[Shutree]

That's a much bigger cake tin.

[DrWilly]

If traffic is already tight then expanding the airport is not a great idea.

[Mendip]

^ Yeah, but think about how pleasant trips to the airport could be!

Also, which may be of interest, the elevation of Hua Hin airport is 19m. This is appreciably higher than Swampy (2m) and Don Muang (3m)!

[BLD]

You can get a train ride there now. I quite like hua hin and cha am, prachuam kirri
An airport would be handy but where to put it?

[DrWilly]

^ Yeah, but think about how pleasant trips to the airport could be!

Also, which may be of interest, the elevation of Hua Hin airport is 19m. This is appreciably higher than Swampy (2m) and Don Muang (3m)!

And a 1133 metres lower than KK airport in Lusaka.

[katie23]

Hua Hin looks to be getting popular with the digital nomad & foreign retirees. I've seen it featured in many vlogs now, due to the YT algorithm. Saw a lot of new condo buildings too. I think it attracts more of the "couples" retirees than the singleton who seek the pleasures of Pattaya. As for the younger digital nomads, it's more of the quieter, introvert people who seem to live there (which I can understand). I think if I were to choose between HH & Pattaya for a beach town/ city, I'd choose HH. In my 20s,I would've chosen Pattaya or BKK.

[armstrong]

You can get a train ride there now. I quite like hua hin and cha am, prachuam kirri
An airport would be handy but where to put it?

Probably about where it is now.

[Joe 90]

^ Yeah, but think about how pleasant trips to the airport could be!

Also, which may be of interest, the elevation of Hua Hin airport is 19m. This is appreciably higher than Swampy (2m) and Don Muang (3m)!

And it's practically next to the sea.

[cyrille]

An airport would be handy but where to put it?

Probably about where it is now.

There's gonna be a jailbreak...somewhere in this town.