Airports of Thailand (AOT) has unveiled plans to upgrade the facilities of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan province, with an investment of more than 159 billion baht.
As per AOT president Kirati Kitmanawat on Wednesday, the facilities of the major Thailand Airport will be developed to accommodate 80 million passengers a year by 2031.
AOT president also said that the agency is reviewing its master plan for expanding the airport's capacity over a 10-year period to meet the government's goal of having the airport rank among the top 20 in the world within five years.
Under the long term master plan (2025-2035), a new passenger terminal called South Terminal will be constructed on the southern side of the airport at an estimated cost of 120 billion baht.
The airport's fourth runway will be built for 20 billion baht. The South Expansion project will address this issue by extending the shuttle parking area and incorporating a shopping mall and commercial space.
"The West Expansion Project, the South Expansion Project, and Runway 4 will seek Cabinet approval for their budgets as soon as possible, which is expected to take at least three months. The tender for construction contractors should be opened simultaneously in early 2027," he noted.
According to the new airport development master plan, when the study is complete, the detailed design phase will begin. The southern passenger terminal will take approximately 14 months to design, while runway 4 will take approximately 10 months to design.
Then, the budget approval process will begin from the Cabinet. It is expected that the process will take at least 3 months, and the bidding for contractors to start construction should be opened around the same time, in early 2027.
The southern passenger terminal will take approximately 4 and a half years to build and will be open for service by the end of 2031. Runway 4 will take approximately 4 years to build and will be open for service in 2030.
He said the master plan review will be finished by February, adding AOT will forward the plan to the Transport Ministry to submit it to the cabinet for budget approval, which is estimated to require at least another three months.
Mr Kerati said Suvarnabhumi's development plan is required because its existing main terminal is overcrowded.
"The reason for the urgent improvement of the master plan is that Suvarnabhumi Airport currently has a problem with the main terminal building because there is not enough space for parking and picking up and dropping off passengers in front of the building because the area is only 400 meters long."
When the southern terminal is built, to ease the traffic rush, more dropping off and picking up space, about 2 kilometres long, will be added.
As per the AOT President, the temporary parking space would be designed in a U-shape to improve passenger drop-offs and pick-ups.
Shops will also be added to the U-shaped space for those who arrive at the terminal early and want to spend some time there before their flights, he added.
"At the same time, in the middle of the U-shape, there will be a shopping mall and commercial area, providing convenience for those who arrive at the airport early without having to wait at the terminal building immediately."
" They can walk and rest while waiting. When the southern terminal building is completed, it will be able to accommodate approximately 80 million passengers per year."
