Thailand is moving to emulate the Maldives and introduce seaplane services across the country to boost tourism.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is joining forces with private operators to launch "a new era of air travel" with a seaplane project at Koh Kradan in Trang, The Nation newspaper reports.
The island will serve as a “sandbox” for testing operations before the service is expanded elsewhere. CAAT wants to begin the project this year, with Phuket under consideration as a future site.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, CAAT’s director, said Koh Kradan was chosen because of its favourable geography and strong support from Trang authorities, local agencies and private partners.
Phuket, while included in long-term plans, was deemed less suitable for initial trials due to harsher sea conditions.
Two licensed seaplane operators - Siam Seaplane and Thai Seaplane will participate in the trials.
The seaplanes are being mooted aa favourable way to transport tourists to and from some of Thailand’s lesser-known islands and connect them with other major tourism hubs.
The long-term goal is to develop seaplane routes with passenger terminals and related infrastructure.
Trans Maldivian Airways, which operates flights to many island resorts, has the world’s largest seaplane fleet, taking passengers from Velana International Airport in Malé to holiday destinations.
Image: Seaplane in the Maldives. Jaya Waskar, Scop.io
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