Several airports in Thailand are undergoing extensive refurbishments, in anticipation of an expected resurgence in international arrivals, starting from 2021.
Work is underway at Trang, Surat Thani, Khon Kaen, Buriram airport, new Yala airport, and Suvarnabhumi airport. An investment of five billion baht has been allocated for the upgrade, most of which is for increasing runway lengths.
In the south, Trang airport will have its runway extended from 2,200 to 2,990 metres at a cost of 1.8 billion baht. Surat Thani International airport will have its runway reinforced and an apron expanded to handle five aircraft from the current three. A budget of 800 million baht has been allocated for this.
The new Betong airport in Thailand’s southernmost province of Yala, bordering Malaysia, is scheduled to open for operations in the next few months. The airport is expected to serve up to 300,000 passengers annually.
In the northeast, Buriram airport’s runway will be lengthened to 2,900 metres from 2,100 at the cost of 950 million baht. An apron will also be expanded. Khon Kaen airport is planning on runway improvement and apron extension from five to 12 aircraft.
At Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, the new Satellite Terminal 1 (SAT-1) extension work, managed by the Airports of Thailand, is over 95 per cent complete. The new building is part of a 62 billion baht expansion plan that was approved in 2011, which will boost its annual capacity by 15 million passengers. The final test on the SAT-1 and its systems is scheduled for completion in April 2022.
