Forget about martial law; the forthcoming high season is expected to provide a shot in the arm for air passenger traffic matching the double-digit growth seen in previous years.
The upturn in travel confidence and tourist sentiment has led Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) to come up with a projected increase of almost 12% in passenger volume passing through the country's six main airports it operates in the six-month period starting early next week.
Aircraft movements through those airports including Suvarnabhumi should also increase in tandem with a 7.5% rise from the present season.
The state-controlled airport operator said average daily passenger throughput is estimated at 283,220, up from 252,800 now. Aircraft movements are expected to grow to 1,876 a day from 1,745.
"The cool season is normally a travel and holiday season in Thailand, so it's natural to see a surge in traffic,'' said AoT acting president Niran Teeranartsin.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry said foreign tourist arrivals in the first nine months this year fell by 10.3% year-on-year to 17.5 million due to political unrest and the May 22 coup.
The Thai tourism industry has called on the government to lift martial law, which it sees as an impediment to restoring the country's tourism image and regaining robust arrival growth. But Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said martial law is still needed for long-term security.
Nearly half of the total passengers will go through Suvarnabhumi during the high season, some 137,800 a day, up from 122,600 now. Aircraft movements at Thailand's largest airport are projected to rise to 826 from 780.
Don Mueang, Thailand's de-facto hub for low-cost carriers, is expected to see passenger traffic increase to 71,200 a day from 68,500, and aircraft movement growing to 526 a day from 515.
Passenger traffic at Phuket, Thailand's third-busiest airport, is projected to grow to 36,100 from 29,900, with aircraft movements surging to 233 a day from 200. Passenger traffic at Chiang Mai is estimated at 22,700, up from 18,400 a day, with aircraft movements up to 526 from 515.