Thailand expands airports to meet tourism boom, aviation hub dreams
Billions are being poured into expanding existing airports and building new ones to solidify the kingdom’s position as a regional hub
Fuelled by a surge in tourist arrivals, Thailand’s aviation sector is experiencing a take-off of its own.
Passenger traffic across the kingdom’s 39 airports is on a steady climb, prompting the government to invest heavily in expanding airport capacity. This move, in line with the government's IGNITE THAILAND strategy, aims to solidify Thailand’s position as a top aviation hub in Southeast Asia, attracting not just tourists but also business and investment.
AOT leads the charge
At the forefront of this ambitious airport expansion plan is the Airports of Thailand (AOT), which currently holds an 86.7% market share of airports in Thailand.
AOT has earmarked 339 billion baht to expand the capacity of six airports under its jurisdiction to 210 million passengers by 2032.
It will spend another 204 billion baht on a U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City development project. The Department of Airports (DOA), meanwhile, is planning to spend 21.6 billion baht to build six new airports, while Bangkok Airways plans to invest 2.3 billion baht on expanding two of its airports.
Outlining AOT’s goals, CEO Keerati Kitmanawat said: “AOT will increase the capacity of its six airports to accommodate 170 million passengers by 2029 and 210 million by 2032. Additionally, two new airports will be built to align with the government’s policy of making Thailand a regional aviation hub. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will be upgraded to be among the top 20 airports globally within five years, up from its current rank of 58.”
AOT plans to boost Suvarnabhumi’s capacity to 94 flights per hour from 68 currently and will spend 12.5 billion baht to add another 81,000 square metres to its east wing to accommodate an additional 15 million passengers. This project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
There are also plans to expand the airport’s west wing, SAT-2, the south terminal and a fourth runway, with an investment of 120 billion baht between 2025 and 2030.
Bangkok’s second airport, Don Mueang, will undergo Phase 3 development with an investment of 36 billion baht, boosting its capacity to 40 million passengers per year from the current 30 million. A new international terminal (Terminal 3) will be built to handle 18 million passengers annually by 2028, while Terminals 1 and 2 will be upgraded for domestic flights, accommodating 22 million passengers annually.
Expansion across the kingdom
AOT’s development plans go far beyond just Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Phuket Airport will undergo Phase 2 development with an investment of 6.21 billion baht, increasing its capacity from 12.5 million to 18 million passengers per year, with a new international terminal expansion adding 177,000 square meters. Completion is expected by 2029. Developments for seaplane parking are also planned.
Chiang Mai Airport, meanwhile, will undergo Phase 1 development with a budget of 15 billion baht, constructing a new 95,000sqm international terminal and expanding the domestic terminal by 66,000sqm. This will boost its capacity to 20 million passengers annually from 2026 from the current 8 million.
AOT also plans to build two new airports: Andaman Airport (Phuket 2) in Phang Nga worth 80 billion baht and Lanna Airport (Chiang Mai 2) in Chiang Mai and Lamphun worth 70 billion baht. Each is expected to take seven years to complete.
If AOT is given the duty of operating three regional airports under DOA, it would spend 3.5 billion baht to increase the capacity of Udon Thani Airport to 6.5 million passengers per year; spend 460 million baht on expanding Buri Ram Airport to handle 2.8 million passengers; and spend 6.5 billion baht on Krabi Airport so it can handle 12 million passengers per year.
Collaboration key to success
The DOA, meanwhile, plans to spend 21.6 billion baht on building a new airport each in the provinces of Mukdahan, Bueng Kan, Phatthalung, Kalasin, Satun, and Phayao. Due to environmental impact assessment issues, it has dropped plans to build one in Nakhon Pathom.
Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, CEO of Bangkok Airways and a key partner in the U-Tapao project, said that the airline is spending 1.5 billion baht to expand the number of terminals in Samui Airport by four to 11.
Trat Airport will also have an additional terminal and the runway will be expanded to accommodate larger aircraft. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by mid-2026 with an investment of 700 million to 800 million baht.
Meanwhile, the U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd is negotiating with the Eastern Economic Corridor to adjust its first phase construction plans for U-Tapao Airport due to changes in the government’s plans for Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports as well as project delays. They aim to receive permission to start construction by the end of this year or early next year, as the construction will take three years.
