A proposal for Greater Bangkok’s fourth airport

PHOTO: Thailand Construction

A new airport in Bangkok’s Nakhon Pathom province, just to the west of the capital, will be greater-Bangkok’s fourth air travel hub. The announcement was made on Saturday.

Jarun Meesomboon, deputy director-general of the Airport Department, says the new 3,500 rai airport was a priority for the new Transport Ministry. He optimistically claimed it would cost only 20 billion baht and take four years until it was ready to accept passenger planes. Suvarnabhumi International Airport ended up costing 155 billion baht over a decade ago.

The department says they will hold public hearings on the proposal during August to draft terms of reference before submitting to the Cabinet.

Jarun predicts that more than 1 million passengers would use the new airport in its first year and that it could become a new regional gateway for the west side of Bangkok and popular tourist provinces like Kanchanaburi.

A high speed rail link between all the three existing Bangkok region airports is now under construction, linking Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao (near Pattaya).