The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has announced a huge investment plan to improve and grow airport facilities all over the country. The goal is to make Thailand a more important hub for international air travel.
The big project, which is worth about 700 billion baht, will take 5 to 10 years to finish and will include building new airports, expanding current ones, and improving important infrastructure.
Some important parts of the plan are:
AOT wants to build a new South Terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which will cost 120 billion baht. This airport will be bigger than the current Main airport, which means it will be able to hold 70 million more people each year. A fourth runway is being built as part of the project, which is expected to be finished by 2031.
With an investment of 36 billion baht, the Don Mueang Airport will be able to handle 40 million people per year instead of 30 million. As part of the project, a new international port will be built and old facilities will be fixed up.
Both U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City allow: With this huge 320 billion baht project, U-Tapao will become a major airport hub. Building will start in early 2025, and by 2028, the first part will be able to handle 12 million people.
Regional Airport Development: The Phuket and Chiang Mai airports will be enlarged, and two new airports, Andaman Airport (Phuket Airport No. 2) and Lanna Airport (Chiang Mai Airport No. 2), will be built.
Building a New Airport: AOT wants to connect the whole country better by building six new regional airports.
A lot of money is also being put into cargo facilities, automatic systems, and business projects in airport towns as part of the overall plan. Many jobs will be made possible by these projects, and the economies of many parts of Thailand will grow.
As these big plans come together, Thailand will be able to greatly improve its flight facilities, which could change the way people move by air in Southeast Asia. The spending of many billions of pounds shows that the country is determined to keep being a major tourist spot and a major player in the global airline business.
