Thailand’s Department of Airports has secured THB42.69 million (approximately USD1.23 million) in funding for fiscal years 2026–2027 to advance the Phatthalung Airport project, enabling detailed design work and additional environmental assessments. The allocation will support studies and engineering designs for core airport infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, aircraft apron, and associated facilities, alongside further Environmental Impact Assessment activities.
The project is being progressed based on a feasibility study completed in 2021 and submitted to the Ministry of Transport in 2022. The study estimated that, in its initial phase, the airport could handle more than 214,000 passengers per year and around 1,400 flights annually, reflecting rising air travel demand in Phatthalung and neighbouring provinces.
Economic analysis from the feasibility study indicated strong project viability, with an internal rate of return of 14.7 percent and a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.26. These results support the airport’s potential role in boosting regional tourism, logistics activity, and broader economic development in Thailand’s lower southern region.
During preparatory works, authorities identified that the originally proposed airport site overlaps with land currently used as a rice research centre. To avoid disruption, Phatthalung Province has proposed relocating the airport to an alternative site and has informed the Department of Airports that procedures to secure replacement land are now underway. Officials stated that the current phase of studies and coordination with national and local agencies is a key step toward improving regional air connectivity and reducing reliance on airports in other provinces.
