A leading Thailand-based hotelier has urged the country to better utilise Hua Hin airport, on Thailand’s Gulf Coast.
Bill Heinicke, Chairman & CEO of Minor International, has urged more airlines – especially low-cost carriers such as AirAsia – to fly direct to Hua Hin. Currently the airport is served only by private aircraft. “A direct flight to Hua Hin is one of the things that’s missing,” Heinicke told Travel Daily recently. He also pointed out that Pattaya, on the opposite coast of the Bight of Bangkok, is served by charter flights.
Heinicke, whose Minor group operates the nearby Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, said that Hua Hin airport is well-equipped and located close to the centre of town, making it ideal for airlines from Singapore, Hong Kong and other Asian cities. He admitted however, that the proximity of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports was a stumbling block.
“They still look at Bangkok as a hub,” he said.