Rat Phuklang Leads Urgent Call to Revitalize Trang Airport Amid Construction Woes

In the picturesque southern province of Trang, a spirited civic group is taking bold strides, urging the Ministry of Transport to hasten its handling of a lingering construction issue at Trang airport. This concern, the group insists, is at the heart of dwindling air passenger numbers and soaring ticket prices that have left both locals and travelers bewildered.

Rat Phuklang, the earnest president of the People’s Voice Club, recently stepped into the spotlight as he presented a petition to none other than Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri. The focus? Trang airport’s beleaguered new terminal, a grandiose 1.2-billion-baht project that seems to have fallen into a slumber, abandoned by its contractor when tantalizingly close to completion—98% there, to be exact. However, this promising transformation now languishes, looking more like a defeated labyrinth than a gateway to new adventures.

“It’s as if the contractor up and vanished, leaving a withering work of art behind,” Mr. Rat lamented, his voice tinged with frustration. “And in a cruel twist, this terminal of dreams is now the bane of our airport, nudging travelers to seek alternatives. Plane lovers are flying less, wary of overpriced tickets and a forlorn entrance.”

With curiosity piqued, it’s no wonder Mr. Rat’s concerns echoed through the air, binding demand with supply in a delicate dance that’s currently offbeat. Air travel costs have sky-rocketed, surpassing neighbors with a hefty gap that raises eyebrows and tempers alike. As perplexing as a plot twist in a mystery novel, one-way fares between Trang and Bangkok have spiked to a wallet-emptying 4,000 baht.

Comparatively, a jaunt to Bangkok from nearby Krabi or Hat Yai airports would only set you back by 1,500 to 2,000 baht. A source whispered tales of sticker shock, where at one time, ticket prices dared to hit a jaw-dropping 9,000 baht, leaving the locals chuckling through the tears as complaints piled up like the autumn leaves outside.

While those astronomical prices have since tumbled back to earth, the numbers still weigh heavy when stacked against southern siblings like Krabi. For a province rich in culture and scenery, it’s a mark that has stubbornly refused to fade.

Step into the shoes of Songklot Sawangwong, Trang’s own provincial governor, who found himself dashing off a letter in haste. Directed to the Department of Airports (DoA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), it cried out about the suspended animation of the terminal construction.

The DoA, in an exchange that felt more like a game of telephone, assured they had nudged the wayward contractor back to the fold with a tentative promise of a return on October 1st—a promise colder than an unfulfilled New Year’s resolution. Yet, the resolute return was never to be, and the terminal remained as still as a cat watching the rain.

The governor, sharing whispers from travelers and residents alike, noted the stark lack of security presence—an echo in a vast terminal that felt less like a fortress and more like an open field. “Safety should never be in question, especially when it comes to the comfort of our esteemed passengers,” was his earnest observation, hoping for harmony to be restored.

And thus, the tale of Trang airport carries on, a saga intertwined with hope and community action. It beckons travelers to watch as this civic group raises its voice and spirits, awaiting the crescendo where dreams land on a runway paved with shared resolution. As the leaves turn and days march on, the airport stands as a testament to resilience and the ever-pressing need for solutions to lift off.