Thailand’s airports get upgrades for 2021 return of foreign visitors

Work includes runway and apron extensions at Trang, Surat Thani, Khon Kaen and Buriram airports, new Yala airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion.

TAT Newsroom

 

Buriram Airport (Photo credit: Department of Airports

 

Bangkok, 14 December, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is welcoming the current upgrading projects at several of Thailand’s airports, which are underway now in anticipation of an expected resurgence in international arrivals starting in 2021.

 

The Department of Airports, Ministry of Transport, is accelerating the 2021 investment of five billion Baht allocated for the upgrading, 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.

 

Meanwhile, Surat Thani International Airport will have its runway reinforced and an apron expanded to handle five aircraft, from currently three, for a budget of 800 million Baht.

 

The new Betong Airport in Thailand’s southernmost province of Yala – bordering Malaysia – is scheduled to open for operations in the next few months. Approved for construction in 2015 to promote tourism and attract investment to the border town, the airport is expected to serve up to 300,000 passengers annually.

 

In the Northeast, Buriram Airport’s runway will be lengthened from 2,100 to 2,900 metres at the cost of 950 million Baht, while an apron will also be expanded. In addition, Khon Kaen Airport is planning on runway improvement and apron extension from five to 12 aircraft.

 

In Bangkok, the new Satellite Terminal 1 (SAT-1) extension to Suvarnabhumi Airport, 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. A final readiness test on the SAT-1 and its systems is scheduled for completion in April 2022.

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2020/12/thailands-airports-get-upgrades-for-2021-return-of-foreign-visitors/

 

What, donation boxes?

Sounds good...all you need now is

 

Fit to fly letter

Visa

Covid vaccination certificate

72 hour negative covid test certificate

A big change in the exchange rate.

 

What's stopping people?

Anything left in the budgets for upgrading/improving immigration facilities/procedures?

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

in anticipation of an expected resurgence in international arrivals starting in 2021.

Apart from Airlines resuming flights , the caveat in that is that Thailand gets fully vaccinated first - or most countries will put travel advice bans and quarantine orders on tourists.

I still want to know why Trang cost twice price of buriram for same length of extension ???? . Guess the ground there is twice as hard !! ????

I wonder what the reasoning is behind extending the runway length of some of these airports.

 

What aircraft are they expecting?

 

Almost all Thai airports are at sea level so its not that they are trying to compensate for the thinner air at higher altitudes.

 

Maybe I shouldn't think so much that the money could probably be better spent in ramp/terminal improvements

"If you build it, they won't come" 

Still no 3rd runway for Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Been funded since the Yingluck regime, critical for shutdown of either of 2 existing runways and handle air traffic overflow from existing 2 runways. 

2 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Still no 3rd runway for Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Been funded since the Yingluck regime, critical for shutdown of either of 2 existing runways and handle air traffic overflow from existing 2 runways. 

Although it has been funded since the Yingluck regime,  I suspect if you could get a peek into the funding box you may have to look hard to find some odd satangs that have been missed. After all it has been over 6 years since she left and unused money tends to go walkabout if it is left to long.

Betong international airport for 300'000 pax/yearly?  130kms away from Penang international airport or 190kms from Narathiwat? 

Ah, me fool, the TAT newsroom again! 

On 12/15/2020 at 5:16 AM, Sydebolle said:

Betong international airport for 300'000 pax/yearly?  130kms away from Penang international airport or 190kms from Narathiwat? 

Ah, me fool, the TAT newsroom again! 

Probably counting on an avalanche of Chinese tourists. Bad timing.

Narathiwat Airport is pretty far away by car though. At least 4 hours.

On 12/14/2020 at 5:18 AM, Srikcir said:

Still no 3rd runway for Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Been funded since the Yingluck regime, critical for shutdown of either of 2 existing runways and handle air traffic overflow from existing 2 runways. 

What, you want more than 40 million tourists?  Aren't the like rats there already pre-pandemic?