Bangkok Airways says advance ticket reservations on the Samui route from January to September 2026 grew 6% compared with the previous year, after Samui was named the world's best island for 2026 by Travel + Leisure magazine. President Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said demand remains strong even though flights are nearly full. The company has increased flight frequency on the Phuket–Samui route from three to four flights a day to eight flights a day to accommodate passenger distribution from Phuket, which is becoming a key tourism gateway. In addition, the number of high-end travellers arriving on Samui by private jet has risen from one to two aircraft a day to six on some days, to the point where parking space is becoming insufficient. The company is therefore preparing to develop dedicated areas and facilities for this passenger segment, along with a plan to expand the Samui airport passenger terminal from 2,000 square metres to 4,000 square metres and to seek approval to increase flight handling capacity from 50 flights a day to 73 flights a day. On the fleet side, the company plans to gradually take delivery of 12 new ATR 72-600 aircraft by 2028 and currently operates 22 aircraft.
Bangkok Airways Public Company LimitedAdvance bookings up 6% after Samui wins best island award; demand strong, flights nearly full.