
Koh Samui airport has been granted permission to raise its flight frequencies after authorities were convinced the increase would not harm the environment, particularly in terms of noise.

Passengers are transferred from Koh Samui airport's terminal to a waiting Bangkok Airways aeroplane. The Civil Aviation Department has granted permission for the airport to raise its number of daily flights to 50 from 36.
Effective Nov 24, the Civil Aviation Department granted permission for the airport, operated by Bangkok Airways (BA), to raise the flight count to 50 a day from the previous 36.
Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, president of the SET-listed full-service airline, said the change would enhance tourism growth for Koh Samui and nearby islands.
The approval comes in time for the peak travel period for Koh Samui, which is particularly popular among international tourists.
Bangkok Airways executives said the new flight total would be meted out to scheduled and charter airlines as needed.
On Nov 19, Bangkok Airways ramped up its daily frequencies through the airport to about 40, mostly on its busy Bangkok-Koh Samui route, which serves 30 a day.
The airline also operates flights from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai, Krabi, U-tapao, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong.
This year, Koh Samui expects to handles 32-45 flights a day, an average of 38.5, between 6am and 10pm, the period when aircraft take-offs and landings are allowed.
The other international airlines operating through Koh Samui are Thai Airways International, Singapore's SilkAir, Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly and charter-only China Eastern.
Bangkok Airways has sounded cautiously optimistic about a tourism recovery in Thailand, telling the SET recently that the industry would improve marginally.
BA shares closed yesterday on the SET at 22.40 baht, unchanged, in trade worth 110 million baht.