Landing at Tubkaek: The Seaplane Route Reshaping Andaman Connections

On the morning of 10 June 2026, Thailand’s Deputy Transport Minister Phattrapong Phattraprasit confirmed what many along the Andaman coast had been waiting to hear: pilot seaplane services between Krabi and Phuket are on schedule to begin before the end of this year [ref:1]. For villagers, artisans, and seasonal fishermen scattered across the limestone-studded bays between the two provinces, the news carries weight — not just of convenience, but of change.

The route is short by any measure. Krabi to Phuket by road takes close to three hours along winding mountain roads; by sea, a speedboat covers it in roughly ninety minutes. A seaplane gliding twenty-five minutes across the open Andaman promises something different entirely: a connection that treats the sea as a corridor rather than a barrier.

Tubkaek Beach: Where It Begins

At the heart of this new route is Tubkaek Beach, a quiet stretch of Krabi coastline that has so far escaped the development pressure of Ao Nang and Railay. In May 2026, the Krabi Provincial Marine and Coastal Resources Committee approved three temporary seaplane landing zones here, chaired by Deputy Governor Suwit Suriyawong [ref:2]. The green light went to Siam Seaplane’s Krabi branch, represented by executive Ekachai Kittitharakul, who presented the proposal to the committee. Conditions are strict: full compliance with aviation safety standards, environmental impact assessments, and coordination with local marine operators.

Ekachai described Tubkaek’s sheltered bay as the right first point. The water is calm enough for reliable landings, the shoreline is accessible from the coast road near Krabi Town, and the view — limestone karsts rising from turquoise water — needs no further introduction.

Village head Somsak Tebbuth of the local community received the approval with measured enthusiasm. He supported the tourism potential fully, but was frank about what has not yet followed earlier conversations: “Discussions on the issue had taken place multiple times in the past, but solutions have yet to materialize,” he said, pointing to narrow roads and persistent parking congestion that continue to frustrate visitors long before they reach the beach. The seaplane may bring new arrivals. The road will have to be ready for them.

What It Means for the Communities Between

Between Krabi and Phuket, the Andaman coast is not empty. The islands of Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai sit almost exactly between the two provinces — a world of rubber trees, fishing boats, and morning markets that have kept their footing largely because reaching them asks something of the traveller. A seaplane network, if it expands toward these islands as planned, would alter that equation.

For Thai Seaplane, confirmed as the pilot operator, the opportunity is to open what the industry calls hotel-to-hotel connections — passengers boarding from a resort pier in Krabi and alighting at one in Phuket, bypassing the main terminal entirely. It is a model built for ease. But the deeper story is what sea-based aviation might mean for coastal Thais who do not own resort piers: the squid fisherman who needs a fast route to Phuket’s hospital; the shell artisan from Phang Nga Bay who might finally reach a Krabi market in time to set up a stall; the teacher on Koh Yao Noi who could attend a provincial meeting and be home before dinner.

Connectivity, when it reaches the right places, changes daily life as much as it changes tourism.

A Government With a Timeline

A second seaplane operator is currently awaiting environmental approval to join the Krabi–Phuket route. A newly formed Strategic Integration Committee for Water-Based Aircraft Operations is working through safety compliance, environmental frameworks, and coordination with existing marine transport operators.

Deputy Transport Minister Phattrapong’s target is clear: pilot services before the end of 2026. Whether that date holds depends on how quickly the regulatory process moves, how the Tubkaek safety assessments conclude, and whether the coastal infrastructure — the jetties, the road through the village, the fuel supply — can keep pace with the ambition [ref:1].

Along this coast, the sea has always connected people. The new question is whether a route drawn across the sky can do the same — gently, on terms that the communities here help to set.