Thai airports expecting a surge in arrivals during Songkran

During the Songkran festival, around 2.61 million passengers are expected to be welcomed across six Thai airports, as reported by the Transport Ministry. This forecast was made by Transport Minister Suriya Juengrungreangkit following a recent meeting.

Suriya highlighted that the ministry had issued directives to the Airports of Thailand (AoT), as well as all other transport-related agencies, to prioritise passenger safety.

The AoT anticipates that between April 11 and 17, the total number of arrivals at these six airports will hit 2.61 million, marking a 28.50% increase compared to the corresponding period last year. Of these, approximately 1.65 million are predicted to be international passengers, showing a 46% increase from last year, while domestic passengers are expected to total around 962,362 – a 6.59% increase.

Some 15,113 flights are scheduled during this period, marking a 16.71% increase from the previous year. These comprise 8,682 international flights and 6,431 domestic flights.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport is set to welcome 1.34 million passengers from 7,022 flights, while Don Mueang International Airport is expected to see 625,530 passengers from 4,117 flights.

Chiang Mai Airport is preparing for 199,563 passengers from 1,152 flights, and Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai Airport is expecting 41,318 passengers from 281 flights. Phuket Airport is predicted to see 355,501 passengers from 2,161 flights, while Hat Yai will have 53,894 passengers from 380 flights.

In addition to these forecasts, the Transport Ministry and AoT have arranged for Suvarnabhumi Airport’s parking zone D to offer free parking from April 12-16. At Don Mueang airport, free parking will be available at warehouse building 2 and a five-storey parking zone from April 11-17.

Furthermore, the AoT has been instructed by the minister to work closely with immigration police and ground service staff to ensure seamless airport services.

AoT’s director, Kirati Kijmanawat, stated that the AoT has set up a facilitation and coordinating centre and a transport safety centre to monitor airport services round-the-clock. He also advised passengers to utilise common-use self-service (CUSS) kiosks and common-use bag drops (CUBD) for quicker check-in and luggage drop-off services.

Meanwhile, Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote has directed the State Railway of Thailand to ensure optimal service for travellers during the Songkran festival. The SRT had previously extended the booking period for express train tickets from 30 days to 90 days.

According to Piyachote, the majority of tickets for travel to upcountry regions from April 10-11 and return to Bangkok from April 16-17 have been booked during the Songkran period.