Samui Tourism Receives Massive Boost

The recent upgrading of daily flight capacity from 36 to 50 flights a day is set to stimulate Koh Samui’s tourism market.

Based on media reports, the environmental restriction was lifted November 24th and will allow greater access by both regular scheduled service and charter flights.

Flights will continue to be allowed to take-off and land between 6 am and 10 pm, but the increase of 36% in daily traffic is expected to spur increases.

Bangkok Airways who launched an IPO this year are adding three more Airbus A320 aircraft in 2015.

A key stimulator of long haul and regional growth has been the Kuala Lumpur flights to the island which connect onto Europe, the Middle East and Australia. With greater capacity, more flights could multiply tourism growth.

There still remains the China question with AirAsia currently supplying much of the Chinese traffic via Surat Thani.

Overall the new airlift capacity into Koh Samui is a strong fundamental positive for one of Thailand’s leading resort destinations.