PM Srettha’s billion-baht plan to transform Suvarnabhumi Airport

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced plans to boost the annual capacity of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan.

 

“We’re gearing up to more than double our capacity to a staggering 150 million passengers annually.”

 

Currently handling a substantial 60 million passengers, Suvarnabhumi Airport is set for a dramatic makeover, including the addition of a third runway. This makeover will catapult its flight-handling capabilities to 90 flights per hour, up from the current 60 flights per hour, by October this year.

PM Srettha, who is also the Thai Finance Minister, proclaimed that Suvarnabhumi Airport will break into the top 50 airports worldwide by next year. Currently ranked at a respectable 68th position in the Skytrax World Airport Awards, the government has set its sights on cracking the elite league of the top 20 within the next five years.

Addressing concerns voiced by passengers and tourists on social media about long immigration and check-in queues, the 62 year old prime minister assured swift action to enhance the overall airport experience.

 

Moreover, Don Mueang International Airport is also scheduled for a massive upgrade, with its capacity set to surge from 30 million to 50 million passengers annually. This makeover includes the construction of a new terminal for international passengers and an expansion of existing facilities.

 

Not content with just the major hubs, the government plans to uplift regional airports as well. Tourist hotspots like the Andaman region will witness the birth of new airports while existing ones like Phuket and Chiang Mai undergo substantial expansions, added the Bangkok-born prime minister.

 

“Thailand is poised to become the aviation hub of the region.”

 

Echoing these sentiments, Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister, underscored the importance of leveraging Thai expertise and resources to drive these airport transformations, reported Bangkok Post.

 

With state-controlled Airports of Thailand (AOT) committing to an investment of around 100 billion baht between 2024 and 2029, Thailand is planning for a significant upgrade of its travel experience. The funds are set to be financed primarily from internal cash flow.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-03-02

 

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[flyingtlger]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

“We’re gearing up to more than double our capacity to a staggering 150 million passengers annually.”

That's sounds unrealistic considering Thailand only had 28M tourist in 2023....

 

https://www.thailand.go.th/issue-focus-detail/thailand-welcomed-over-28-million-foreign-tourists-in-2023

[BayArea]

 

“We’re gearing up to more than double our capacity to a staggering 150 million passengers annually.”

 

Do you remember when you had to closed Maya Bay on several occasions due to mass tourism and the  environmental damages that followed?? The beauty of Thailand will no longer be attractive because these daft people do not see the long term effects.

The greed of this government knows no bounds.  At the end of the day,  quantity and money is all they cared about.  

[daveAustin]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“Thailand is poised to become the aviation hub of the region.”

Again! 🙄

 

Put some more gates with walkways in while you’re at and ditch the ground level ones so people don’t have to be bussed to their plane. Buses-to-planes is so 1980!

[jaywalker2]

As usual, quanity over quality and new major opportunities for graft. What, they're expecting tourists numbers that are double the local population? During covid the government bemoaned the fact that they had relied so much on tourism and had failed to diversify the economy sufficiently. I guess when you don't have any new ideas the old ones will have to do.

[mfd101]

150 million! What happens when they refuse to leave?

[ikke1959]

They can't handle the tourists that come in now according to the latest numbers 6 million in 8 weeks. How will they ever be able to manage 150 million in a year?.. Thailand hub of dreams, unrealistic ideas and hub of talking with no actions

[spidermike007]

Quantity over quality only works if you are selling one or two dollar items at a swap meet. 

[zzaa09]

....and they still think that this tourism thing will solve all the economic woes. 

The endless cycle of tomfoolery.

[jippytum]

PM Srettha’s billion-baht plan

 

Really .......  Anyone really believe this stand in Prime Minister could formulate a billion baht plan of his own volition

[topt]

8 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

That's sounds unrealistic considering Thailand only had 28M tourist in 2023....

 

https://www.thailand.go.th/issue-focus-detail/thailand-welcomed-over-28-million-foreign-tourists-in-2023

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Currently handling a substantial 60 million passengers,

Based on that number it is not just tourists - they were referring to capacity overall.

[alant]

More runways, OK but not all airlines have resumed flights to Thailand and if they have they are often fewer of them, fewer seats, higher prices. Not easy to get all the proposed capacity being used if the flights don't happen

[Bangkok Barry]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Don Mueang International Airport is also scheduled for a massive upgrade, with its capacity set to surge from 30 million to 50 million passengers annually.

 

This is the airport that was closed not very long ago as it was considered by the visionary politicians to be surplus to requirements once Suvarnabhumi was opened.

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Again! 🙄

 

Put some more gates with walkways in while you’re at and ditch the ground level ones so people don’t have to be bussed to their plane. Buses-to-planes is so 1980!

 

It does though have the advantage on arrival of you being dropped off close to baggage collection, saving a long walk. Given the choice, I'd go for 1980. The other direction, not so sure. Depends where the gate is so there might be a long walk anyway, but usually the bus gates are right by the main terminal concourse.

 

This reminds me of the time I arrived once at Miami airport four hours before my flight, and missed it. I'd flown in from the west coast overnight and had to wait for my commuter flight connection to West Palm Beach. Most small planes left from right by the terminal building, but my flight out of Miami was from a remote terminal. When I found out all I could do was watch it depart.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

“We’re gearing up to more than double our capacity to a staggering 150 million passengers annually.”

Can you just imagine the grid-lock around the airport if they achieve those number?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

As usual, quanity over quality and new major opportunities for graft. What, they're expecting tourists numbers that are double the local population? During covid the government bemoaned the fact that they had relied so much on tourism and had failed to diversify the economy sufficiently. I guess when you don't have any new ideas the old ones will have to do.

No lessons learnt.

[superal]

“Thailand is poised to become the aviation hub of the region.”

 

How about improving provincial air travel where at the moment , nearly all domestic flights must fly to Bangkok and then fly to their other Thai airport near their destination .

Also a new international airport mid country would make sense , instead of only Bangkok .  

[Mr Meeseeks]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

PM Srettha, who is also the Thai Finance Minister

 

Jack of all trades, master of none.

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Can you just imagine the grid-lock around the airport if they achieve those number?

 

It is already a complete mess at both the arrivals and departures areas outside. Traffic is out of control and bottlenecks immediately as you get round the bend to the terminal building as there is no proper traffic management. 

 

Organisation and proper management are not Thai strengths, unfortunately.

[Yorkshire Tea]

Hope they recruit a few more baggage handlers!

[Jack Cook]

Meh - Thailand, guess we will see. Like most Thai politicians this new Prime Minister doesn’t seem overly active in the common sense and brain cell departments.

[digger70]

They can'e even supply a proper schedule for domestic flights.

Hat Yai Phuket some fights are one Hr 5 min flights others are 6/8/9 Hr Flights .

I don't want to go to Bangkok and then to hat Yai or anywhere in Thailand .

Why would one fly 9 hrs if it takes only an Hr and 5 min and they charge accordingly Ripoff flight for 9 Hrs. hows stupid are they. cheaper to fly to Bangkok if one has to do his Passport.

We Aussies can't do Passport Renewals online /by mail.

[TheAppletons]

45 minutes ago, Jack Cook said:

Meh - Thailand, guess we will see. Like most Thai politicians this new Prime Minister doesn’t seem overly active in the common sense and brain cell departments.

The shortage of ritalin is beginning to manifest itself in Thailand.

 

PM has a new shiny coin that he chases twice weekly, each costing six billion THB or so.  Sad, really.

 

  

[Irish star]

12 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Again! 🙄

 

Put some more gates with walkways in while you’re at and ditch the ground level ones so people don’t have to be bussed to their plane. Buses-to-planes is so 1980!

LAX was bussing in 2007 

[kingstonkid]

7 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

....and they still think that this tourism thing will solve all the economic woes. 

The endless cycle of tomfoolery.

 

They need a more honest approach to employment.  Yes almost eveeryone is employed but is that little old lady standing near the escalator playing her husbands violin really employed.

 

There needs to be a true indepth study.  If it ups the English speaking and reading ability, Thailand has the ability to be a call center country and replace the Phils.

 

But the education system needs to be repaired.

[john donson]

150 Million? so do we expect to stand half a day in line to enter the country soon ?

[bamnutsak]

They should probably start building a new, bigger airport if they expect to service 75 million people.

 

On 3/2/2024 at 4:45 AM, webfact said:

This makeover will catapult its flight-handling capabilities to 90 flights per hour, up from the current 60 flights per hour, by October this year.

 

This is under absolutely perfect conditions. Maybe.

 

The third runway is too close to 1L/19R for simultaneous dual operations.

 

Rainy season? Meh.

[Peterphuket]

On 3/2/2024 at 7:23 AM, daveAustin said:

Again! 🙄

 

Put some more gates with walkways in while you’re at and ditch the ground level ones so people don’t have to be bussed to their plane. Buses-to-planes is so 1980!

While that is true, using buses is cheaper, and the airline is the one to choose.
That's why budget airlines use buses more.

[Mike Lister]

On 3/2/2024 at 4:51 AM, flyingtlger said:

That's sounds unrealistic considering Thailand only had 28M tourist in 2023....

 

https://www.thailand.go.th/issue-focus-detail/thailand-welcomed-over-28-million-foreign-tourists-in-2023

The number of tourists per year is very different from the number of passenger flights per year. In 2023 there were 53 million passengers.

 

https://bangkokairport.net/statistics/#:~:text=Bangkok Airport Passenger Volume&text=How many passengers use Bangkok,compared to 2022 (28%2C753%2C215).

 

https://investor.airportthai.co.th/transport.html

[retarius]

A couple of points. Suvarnabhumi being 68th in the list of international airports is not 'respectable' nor good enough to for Thailand to ever become a hub or a top international tourist destination. My math isn;'t too good these days but isn't 100 billion about $3 billion? If so it will do for a cosmetic upgrade to Suvarnabhumi but not much else, it wall certainly not ease the chaos in arrivals; and nor will it build car parks for the thousands of more cars wanting short and long term parking; nor will it put in new runways; nor will it widen all the roadways on M7, M9 and local roads to ease traffic chaos. 

This insult a plan it is a wishing thought masquerading as a plan.