PATTANI: Villagers have voiced strong opposition to plans to extend Pattani airport's runway another 1,100 metres, arguing it would cause major problems among their communities -- especially for schools and mosques.
Residents said there is plenty of idle farmland in the area and the airport should be moved.
They made their feelings known when authorities spoke to residents from Moo 3, 5 and 6 villages in tambon Bo Thong of Nong Chik district at a meeting on Tuesday to sound out their views about expanding the airport, also known as "Bo Thong" airport.
Officials who outlined the plan to about 500 villagers included Ek Yangaphai Na Songkhla, head of Nong Chick district, Abdulkodae Bueraheng, the mayor of tambon Bo Thong municipality, Col Hanpol Petmuang, Special Ranger Task Force 43 commander and Grp Capt Amarit Kanokkaew, head of Air Task Force 9.
They said the present runway was only 1,500 metres long and the airport needed to be brought up to international standards for commercial aviation. This required the runway being extended by 1,100 metres.
However, this would affect schools, mosques, cemeteries and householders in Ban Padaelanga, Ban Bo Thong and Ban Phai Man.
The villagers called on the authorities to review the project.
It would be better to move the airport, they said. Nong Chik district has hundreds of rai of idle fields which could serve as a site for a new airport.
Asked who disagreed with the runway's expansion, all the residents present raised their hands.
Grp Capt Amarit said he would raise their concerns with the government.
Extending the runway would cost about 800 million baht, while a new airport would cost about 3 billion baht.
The airport was built by the air force, initially for military use. It was then converted to serve commercial aviation, with Thai Airways Co (TAC) using the airport from 1963.
TAC was later incorporated into Thai Airways International Plc.
The airline struggled make flights between Songkhla and Pattani profitable, because of a lack of passengers. The service was discontinued in 1994.
Currently, Pattani airport serves only small chartered flights and state agency aircraft, including the military.
The runway extension plan was raised by the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command's Forward Command at a meeting involving various agencies in July last year.
Participants agreed the airport must be developed and its runway extended as part of efforts to turn Nong Chick district into a pilot city for economic development in the three southernmost provinces.
