Airport crackdown gets boost

       Airports of Thailand Plc plans to spend 15 million baht to extend its crackdown on unlicensed taxi drivers and tour guides at Suvarnabhumi airport.
       The spending was approved yesterday to boost efforts to end illegal taxis and tour guides at the airport during the new fiscal year starting on Oct 1.
       The campaign involves police responsible for the airport and tourism,Land Transport Department staff and airport authorities working around the clock, AoT chairman Piyapan Champasut said.
       The drive was launched on July 31.As of Aug 9,437 taxi drivers and 221 tour guides operating illegally at Suvarnabhumi had been arrested.
       Licensed taxis were now making more trips from the airport, up from 7,000 to 8,000 trips a day, Mr Piyapan said.
       The number of official airport limousines leaving the airport had also increased, from 800 to 900-1,000 trips a day. Registered tour guides who have counters at the airport say their income has increased 14%.
       The board also agreed to sell its shares in five companies which were granted concessions by the AoT. They are Airport Associate, in which AoT has a 10% stake,Airport Duty Free (10%), Thai Airport Ground Services (28.5%), King Power Duty Free (5%) and Fuel Pipeline Trans-portation (4.49%). Airport Associate runs a car rental and limousine service.
       The book value of the shares was almost 400 million baht.
       Mr Piyapan said the board could sell the shares without having to seek approval from shareholders. The decision to sell off its holdings was based on the companies' unimpressive returns. Some firms were also in dispute with the airport agency over concessions, he said.
       After the shares from the firms were sold, AoT would still have shares in six other firms: Phuket Kitchen, Don Mueang International Amari Hotel, Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services, Trade Siam, Thai Aviation Refuelling and Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel.