The monsoon in Thailand can produce blinding rain, gusts and sudden changes of wind direction, something that many passengers report on arrival in Phuket at this time of year.

The airport’s single 3,000-metre runway is big enough to take 747s and runs east to west across the northern narrow tip of the island. Pilots approach from the sea and, if they overshoot, end in the sea at the other end.

Yesterday’s Flight 0G 269 was landing east to west from the direction of Phangna Bay and James Bond Island. It was heading into a nine-knot wind with visibility at 3,000ft and cloud cover down to 1,500ft — not unusual for this time of year. However, monsoon conditions are notorious for sudden changes of wind direction.

I have arrived at Phuket aboard a flight similar to yesterday’s, a One-Two-Go MD82 — the successor to the DC9, which went into production 30 years ago — when, with engines screaming, the pilot aborted to go around again.

The subsequent landing was one of the most uncomfortable I have had as the pilot appeared to bang the aircraft on the ground as if he was running out of time.

Passengers on a flight that arrived 20 minutes before OG 269 reported a very uncomfortable landing.

Phuket has been the scene of disasters but airlines do not regard the airport as dangerous. On April 15, 1985, an unscheduled Thai airline Boeing 737-200 collided with a hill next to the airport. Four passengers and seven crew were killed.

In August 1987 another Thai airlines 737-200 crashed into the sea on approach to the runway with the loss of 74 passengers and nine crew.

With the exception of Thai Airlines, most budget carriers fly with a Thai in the First Officer’s seat. Captains can come from Australia, Europe, America, the Philippines and Indonesia.

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