Phuket Airport Counter Ban Angers Charter Tour Firms

A Phuket airport counter ban has upset tour operators who meet charter flights from Russia. They say a new rule stopping them from setting up temporary passenger-service desks in the terminal makes it harder to handle large tour groups just as the busy season starts, The Phuket News reported, citing MCOT.

About 10 companies are said to be affected. Operators say the arrangement had worked for close to ten years before it was ended this year.

Why the counters matter to tour groups

According to the report, each charter flight brings in 300 to 400 passengers, and 10 to 20 of these flights land in Phuket every day, with more expected in the high season. The temporary desks act as a meeting point where guides can:

• hold up signs so arriving groups can find them;
• check passenger names and head counts;
• organise transfers to the buses taking tourists to their hotels.

Operators say the desks were only in place for two to three hours during arrivals and were taken down once passengers had boarded their buses. The companies paid rent for the space.

What changed at Phuket International Airport

The operators link the restriction to the arrival of a new airport general manager, Karan Thanakuljeerapat, who moved to Phuket from Chiang Mai Airport. They say they were told that such counters are not allowed in Chiang Mai and could spoil the look of the terminal.

The companies argue that Phuket handles far bigger tourist volumes and many more charter flights than Chiang Mai, especially in peak months, so the same rule should not simply be copied. They also say a planned meeting to find a compromise was dropped, and that they were later told even small tables would be banned. They want a clear explanation and a review of whether some arrangement for tour groups is possible.

Airport says it will keep improving

Representatives of the tour companies met the general manager and other airport executives on Monday, November 2. In a statement afterwards, Phuket Airport said it had explained its rules on terminal space, which aim to keep order, make sure areas are used for their intended purpose and protect passenger convenience and safety.

The airport said the company representatives had accepted the guidelines and were willing to cooperate, and that it would keep improving its services and use of terminal space ahead of the tourist season.

However, the statement did not say whether the ban would be changed, whether temporary counters could return under new terms, or whether any alternative space would be offered to tour operators, according to The Phuket News.

What it means for arriving visitors

Russia is one of Phuket's biggest source markets, and charter groups often arrive in large waves. If guides cannot set up a fixed meeting point, arrivals halls could become more crowded at peak times. Travellers on package tours should check with their operator where to meet their guide before they fly.

For more on the island's gateway, see our Phuket airport guide, the new airport to Rawai EV bus and our earlier report on how Phuket airport tightened security.

Photo: Phuket International Airport domestic terminal, by Athikhun.suw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo.