Green the way to go
.Passenger terminals must have a design that takes full advantage of the natural light, he said.
At Suvarnabhumi Airport, passenger terminals are equipped with glass to allow more natural light in, while the energy generated from heated water is converted into electricity for cooling purposes, he added. A solar-powered energy system has also been implemented to supply electricity to the equipment for measuring noise pollution.
AoT also plans to add electric shuttle buses and more hybrid limousines for arriving and departing passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as well.
To further reduce carbon emissions, AoT will implement fixed electrical ground power (electricity supplied to the aircraft at the gate from a central airport system) rather than relying on running the aircrafts auxiliary power units and burning substantial quantities of fuel to run the air conditioning and on-board electrical systems while on the ground. This energy-saving policy will be implemented at Phuket International Airport, as well.
A new international passenger terminal, which is currently under construction, will be a double-sided glass building to allow more natural light in and prevent heat from entering the terminal to help reduce energy consumption of central air conditioning systems, said AoTs managing director.
The airport will have a unique design that allows relatives and friends to see and be able to wave goodbye to passengers while the plane is taking off, he added.
The new terminal is scheduled to be completed by early 2015. Once built, it will give the airport double capacity _ enough to handle 12.5 million passengers a year.
Phuket [International] Airport is now overcrowded. The maximum capacity of the facility is 6.5 million passengers a year, but the airport served around eight million passengers last year, he said.
With the new international terminal, Phuket International Airport will be able to offer passengers more space at boarding gates as well as shopping areas; the new facility is expected to reach its maximum capacity in 2018.
The total construction cost of the new passenger terminal is 5.7 billion baht, of which 10% will be used for the airports green initiative, he noted.
Phuket gains new attraction
Amusement Centre has opened its second Siam Niramit in Phuket.
The islands new attraction features a performance theatre that will host daily Thai cultural shows with subtitles in six different languages, and can accommodate 1,740 people. Inside, Siam Niramit Phuket presents a village area that showcases samples of traditional Thai houses from the central, south, north and north-east regions, a restaurant, a lake, as well as a floating market.
Located on a 57-rai (9.1-hectare) plot of land off the bypass road near Phuket International Airport, Siam Niramit Phuket is a 2-billion baht investment.
Ready for reopening
Dreamworld, the giant amusement park on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road Khlong 3 will finally reopen on Jan 10, after three months of temporary closure due to the massive flooding.
Normally, Dreamworld welcomes about 4,000 visitors each day, including foreign visitors. However, during the peak of the flood crisis, that number dropped by half; Dreamworld decided to temporarily close after floodwaters inundated the Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok area at the end of Oct. It is estimated the amusement park suffered a loss of 150 million baht in damages to its premises and facilities; Dreamworld had set aside a 30-million baht budget for repairs and renovations.
Hotels update
- Centara Hotels amp; Resorts recently announced the soft opening of Centara Taum Bali, the groups first overseas venture with its value brand Centra.
Located in Seminyak, one of Balis best-known leisure and nightlife spots, the hotel is within five minutes stroll to the white sandy beach.
Centara Taum Bali features 90 rooms, including family and pool suites. Each room also has a balcony with a double daybed and a kitchenette with an electric hob oven. Other facilities include a swimming pool with a childrens play pool, plus sun deck, spa and fitness centre.
Centara Hotels amp; Resorts operates 38 hotels in Thailand and 16 resorts in the Maldives, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius Indian Ocean, which brings the total to 54 properties.
- Indigo Pearl in Phuket has launched its new seven private pool villas.
Designed by Bensley Design Studios, each villa is set within a walled garden with two bungalows: one for the bedroom and the other for living space and lounge, dining area, spa and private pool. The size of each villa is 550 m2, and some can even be interconnected to become a four-bedroom suite with about 2,500 m2 of living space.
Visit www.indigo-pearl.com.
- Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga and Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi recently hosted a charity dinner each to raise funds for flood victims and sea turtles.
Both events raised about 320,000 baht.
Airlines update
- Thai Airways International (Thai) and Turkish Airlines have signed a code share cooperation on several routes from Bangkok to Asia and Europe.
By code sharing with Turkish Airlines, Thai can now reach many other European cities through Istanbul, which is another gateway for Thai flights into Europe, as well as destinations in Turkey, according to Piyasvasti Amranand, president of Thai.
The added destinations include Istanbul, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Thai operates 10 domestic and 61 international destinations, while Turkish Airlines operates 45 domestic and 149 international destinations.
- AirAsia will introduce two new daily flights from Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom and Kuala Lumpur to Surat Thani in Feb. The airline will use the new 180-seater Airbus A320 for the added flights; the flight to Surat Thani will begin on Feb 6, while the flight to Nakhon Phanom will start Feb 15.
AirAsia has also dropped the 100-baht check-in fee for all international flights, however, the check-in fee for domestic flights will remain; the policy is aimed at reducing the costs for its passengers.
At present, AirAsia operates 139 routes in its 10 years of service.
Visit www.airasia.com.
- Oman Air has opened a Business Class Lounge on the second floor between concourse G and concourse E at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The lounge can accommodate up to 40 passengers and offers traditional Arabic fayre and oriental dishes prepared under the direction of the chef of the Dusit Thani Bangkok Hotel. Other facilities include an internet corner with free Wi-Fi service and sleeper sofas.
If you have any comments or news to share, send them to karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th