Aug. 06--The Transport Ministry is working on plans to attract airlines to Krabi airport as an alternative to congested Phuket international airport.
Krabi handles only a million passengers a year, despite having the capacity to handle up to 3 million.
The Civil Aviation Department is thinking of a duty-free shop at Krabi and a possible ferry link between the two airports, Transport Minister Chadchat Suttipunt said.
The ministry expects 6.35 million passengers to use Phuket airport in the coming high season, October to March, an 11% increase from the same period of last year.
Phuket airport can handle 6.5 million passengers a year but traffic volume is expected to reach 10.5 million this year.
Airports of Thailand Plc plans to build a temporary terminal to ease the load of the main terminal in Phuket.
Copyright 2013 - Bangkok Post, Thailand
