GreenBkk.com Tourism | Airport, bus ready to service Songkran travelers

Airport, bus ready to service Songkran travelers

BANGKOK, April 2 -- State-run Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Transport Co, Ltd have prepared services to cope with the expected increase in the number of travelers during the upcoming Songkran festival, or Thai New Year, which will start next weekend, officials said Saturday.

Wilaiwan Nadwilai, spokeswoman of Airports of Thailand Public Co, Ltd (AoT)’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, said AoT expected that passengers using the international airport during Songkran festival between April 9-18 would be 1.5 million or an average of 150,000 persons daily, of which 80 per cent of the expected passengers would be foreigners, mostly Chinese and Taiwanese, while the rest would be revelers traveling in the country.

The expected number of passengers this year would represent a 35.5 per cent increase from the same period in 2010, Ms Wilaiwan said.

Adequate budget has been provided to raise the number of immigration police officials stationed at the airport during the period to facilitate travelers arriving or departing the airport as well as providing security there, she said.

During the Songkran festival, a total of 8,555 flights would be either arriving or departing the airport, an increase of 622 flights from normal, she said.

Meanwhile, Wuthichart Kalayanamitr, chief managing director of Transport Co, Ltd, said his company would increase daily buses to 5,400 from 3,500 between April 8-12 to service about 1.02 million passengers leaving Bangkok for upcountry, up 10 per cent from the corresponding period of last year.

And to service travelers to the capital between April 14-18 returning to work, Transport Co, Ltd will increase its daily bus service by about 1,400 from 3,500 while the company is confident that no passengers would be left stranded at bus stations, Mr Wuthichart said.

Most passengers are expected to leave Bangkok for their homes upcountry on April 9, while many of them are due to return to the capital on April 16, he added. (MCOT online news)

Credit: MCOT (www.mcot.net)