The public hearing will be held at the Proud Phuket Hotel in Sakhu from 9am to midday on Mar 8.
The aim of the public hearing is to receive feedback and suggestions from the public about the expansion and to present details of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the Phase 2 expansion, which will increase the airport’s passenger capacity to 18 million a year.
Phuket Airport General Manager Monchai Tanode explained last October that the “Phuket Airport Development Plan, Phase 2 (2023 - 2027)”, will increase the airport’s air traffic volume from 20 flights per hour to 25 flights per hour.
The project is set to cost B6 billion.
The expansion will see the new aircraft parking bays added, the construction of a new Ground Service Equipment (GSE) area and the construction of the expansion of the fence around the airside area.
The International Terminal Extension will see construction at both passenger and support buildings, and a “bridge” connecting main buildings at the airport. Further work under the project includes ‘Airport Support Systems’, namely public utility systems, Mr Monchai said.
Work to expand and improve the water supply system, the electrical system and the airport’s wastewater treatment plant will start. Bidding for contractors was set to open early this year, with construction to begin by November 2024, Mr Monchai added.
“The construction period [of Phase 2] will take three years, which according to the plan is expected to be completed by 2027,” he said.
People within a five-kilometre radius of the airport are especially invited to take part in the public hearing on Mar 8. The affected area includes residents in Sakhu, Mai Khao and Thepkrasattri.
The public hearing, and the feedback, are required to be included in the EIA report to be submitted to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning next month.
The consultants hired to carry out the EIA, Seatec Consulting Engineers (Southeast Asia Technology Co Ltd) and STS Green Co Ltd, have already publicly posted a draft report with their findings on noise, vibration and air pollution levels recorded late last year. (See report here.)
The consultants have also held a series of local meetings in villages Mai Khao and Sakhu in November, followed by more follow-up meetings with residents now underway.
A meeting with local residents was held at Ban Mak Prok Mosque in Moo 1, Mai Khao, and at the multi-purpose community hall in Moo 6 Baan Bo Sai, Mai Khao, yesterday (Feb 20).
Another meeting will be held at Sala Phikun Thong, in Moo 4, Baan Mai Khao, today (Feb 21), followed by a meeting at the offices of the Sakhu Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) from 9:30am to midday tomorrow (Feb 22), and another meeting at the multi-purpose community hall in Baan Laem Sai, Moo 6, Thepkrasattri, from 3pm to 5:30pm on Friday (Feb 23).
A copy of the draft report has already been distributed to key provincial agencies, namely the Phuket office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE Phuket), the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office and the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Office, notes the EIA official website.
Local level agencies that have received the draft report include Phuket Airport Office. Thalang District Office Thalang District Public Health Office, Mai Khao OrBorTor, Sakhu OrBorTor, Thepkrasattri OrBorTor, Thalang Hospital, Baan Mai Khao Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital, Sakhu Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital.
To register to attend the final public hearing on the Phuket Airport Phase 2 project, people were instructed to contact Benjawan Thongkaew at Seatec Consulting Engineers at eiaseatec@yahoo.com or by calling 02-7133888 ext 231 or 086-0627018.