Airport
- Thailand News
Thai airports get safety and check-in boost as travellers rise by 14%
The Transport Ministry has instructed the Department of Airports (DoA) to enhance measures in support of travellers following more than 14% rise in passenger numbers over the new year period. Deputy Minister Manaporn Charoensri announced yesterday, January 7, that from December 27 to January 2, the DoA recorded 319,275 passengers, reflecting a 14.12% increase compared to the previous year. The…
- Thailand News
SRT ready to take over delayed 120-billion-baht airport rail project
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is poised to take over the high-speed rail (HSR) project connecting Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and U-Tapao airports if the current contractor falls short. This project, delayed for five years, is currently managed by Asia Era One, a joint venture involving CP Group. SRT’s governor, Veeris Ammarapala, expressed readiness to assume control should the Eastern…
- Hua Hin News
Hua Hin Airport to gain international status by next year
The Transport Ministry announced plans to elevate Hua Hin Airport to international status by next year, marking a significant step in enhancing regional connectivity. Transport Deputy Minister Manaporn Charoensri revealed this initiative yesterday, directing the Department of Airports, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, and other relevant agencies to develop Hua Hin’s operations and secure the necessary international airport certification. Heightened passenger…
- Thailand News
Trang Airport project abandoned, contractor loses millions
The Airports Department has terminated its contract with Port and Marine Corporation (PAM) and confiscated a 53 million baht security deposit after the company failed to complete the construction of a new passenger terminal at Trang Airport in southern Thailand. Director General Danai Ruangsorn announced that Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri instructed the department to end the agreement and expedite…
- Thailand News
AOT confirms facial recognition for international flights
Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) yesterday announced that the state-owned enterprise will implement facial recognition services at six major airports for international flights starting December 1. The biometrics-based system will be deployed at Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Don Mueang, Hat Yai, Phuket, and Suvarnabhumi airports. AOT anticipates the new technology will significantly streamline the passenger experience, reducing checkpoint processing time…
- Thailand News
ASEAN airlines soars with regional stopover rights in 2025
Southeast Asian airlines will soon have the freedom to make multiple stops within ASEAN member states, marking a significant shift from current regulations that only permit direct return flights between destinations. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that this change will be implemented once all ASEAN member states sign Protocol 5 on Own Stopover Rights. Loke explained in a press…
- Thailand News
Trang Airport terminal to open by late 2025 amid project delays
The Transport Ministry directed an expedited effort to complete the new passenger terminal at Trang Airport, aiming for its operation by the close of next year. This directive comes from Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, following a petition from a civic group in the southern province urging the government to resume the 1.6-billion-baht project, halted by the contractor about six…
- Thailand News
Phatthalung plans airport to become Thailand’s logistics hub
Officials in Phatthalung are gearing up to transform the province into a bustling logistics hub in southern Thailand with plans to construct a new airport. This ambitious initiative, aimed at elevating the province’s economic profile, is anticipated to be presented to the Cabinet soon. A major step forward was taken when the Phatthalung governor submitted a formal request to the…
- South Thailand News
Trang Airport terminal’s delay spikes airfares, tourism at risk
Rath Pooklang, head of the Trang People’s Voice Network, met with Deputy Minister of Transport, Manop Charoensri, urging immediate action on the stalled construction of the new passenger terminal at Trang International Airport, alongside addressing exorbitant airfares affecting tourism. Rath and his civic team travelled to Bangkok to present a letter to the deputy minister, highlighting the need for an…
- Transport News
Thailand ambitions take off: 6 projects to boost transport hub status
The Transport Ministry of Thailand is advancing six airport development and construction projects to position the country as a regional transportation hub. Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri announced that representatives from the ministry’s Airport Department, Airports of Thailand, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, and other relevant agencies recently attended the 59th Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Conference in the Philippines.…
- Phuket News
Phuket expects Kazakhstani tourist surge from new direct flights
Phuket anticipates a surge in Kazakhstani tourists with the inauguration of direct flights from the Central Asian country’s remote capital, Astana. Air Astana is operating the service, and the maiden direct flight, KC163, departed from Kazakhstan and arrived in the southern island province yesterday, October 27. Suladda Sarutilavan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Europe region, stated that the…
- Thailand News
Andaman International Airport ready for takeoff by 2030
The House Committee for Transportation is actively monitoring the progress of Andaman International Airport‘s construction in Phang Nga, which is set to open by 2030. Committee chairman Kroomanit Sangpoom, a Pheu Thai MP for Surin, announced that panel members inspected the project site in Khok Kloi and Lo Yung sub-districts of Takua Thung district. This visit aimed to assess the…
- Business News
Thai Airways’ growth strategy takes off
Thai Airways International (THAI) is set to transform some of its business units into subsidiaries as part of its growth strategy. Chai Eamsiri, THAI President, announced the plan, emphasising the potential for various business units to operate independently. Chai highlighted the initial focus on the aircraft maintenance and catering divisions, which boast an estimated average profit margin of nearly 20%…
- Thailand News
Chiang Mai Airport operational despite severe Ping River flooding
Chiang Mai Airport remains fully operational despite severe flooding from the Ping River. The airport, unaffected by the rising water levels, confirmed its status by issuing an update at 11am yesterday, October 4. The Ping River’s water level at Nawarat Bridge reached 4.88 metres, significantly exceeding the 3.70-metre crisis threshold, as reported by the Irrigation Department’s warning system. Despite this,…
- Thailand News
Heavy rain causes severe flooding in Don Mueang
Heavy rainfall has caused significant flooding in Don Mueang, affecting residential areas and main roads. Some homes have already been inundated. Don Mueang International Airport has advised travellers to allow an additional three to four hours for their journey. Recent reports indicate that heavy rain has hit multiple areas across Bangkok, leading to widespread flooding. Don Mueang district has been…
- Thailand News
Phatthalung unveils 71 billion baht airport plan to boost tourism
A plot of land spanning 1,496 rai near Songkhla Lake in Phatthalung has been earmarked for constructing a new airport, aimed at boosting tourism and transport in the southern province and its neighbours. Anticipated to become a central hub for Phatthalung, Songkhla, and Nakhon Si Thammarat, the land in Khuan Maphrao subdistrict, Mueang district is owned by the Department of…
- Thailand News
£5m UK cannabis bust leaves Thai holidaymakers feeling high and dry
In a dramatic bust at Birmingham Airport in the UK, a staggering 5 million pounds (around 225 million baht) worth of cannabis was uncovered in just one day, as Thai holidaymakers flooded the terminal. A whopping 510 kilogrammes of the drug were found stashed in 28 suitcases on August 9, leading to the arrest of 11 British travellers who had…
- Chiang Mai News
Ceiling collapse at Chiang Mai Airport injures two foreign children
A ceiling collapse at Chiang Mai Airport‘s security checkpoint injured two foreign children yesterday at 7.55am. Medical staff at the airport quickly administered first aid to the injured children. The first child, from the Netherlands, sustained minor injuries to the back of his hand, while the second, from China, suffered a head injury. The Dutch child and his family decided…
- Thailand News
Thailand enhances air navigation services, surge in China flights
Transport Deputy Minister Surapong Piyachote announced Thailand’s pledge to streamline the efficiency of its air navigation services and related aviation solutions in routing, and emergency scenarios. This commitment aligns with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s national development policies, which prioritise improving aviation as a key agenda for progress. This announcement comes in response to a report showing a significant surge in…
- Business News
Thailand targets top 20 ranking for Suvarnabhumi Airport by 2029
The Ministry of Transport is aiming to elevate Suvarnabhumi International Airport into the world’s top 20 airports by 2029, aligning with the government’s ambition to make Thailand a global aviation hub, according to government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit set the target following Suvarnabhumi Airport’s ranking of 58th on the 2024 World’s Best…
- Phuket News
Phuket flight fiasco: Downpour delays leave one still in the clouds
Phuket International Airport confirmed that only one of the 17 flights delayed by yesterday’s downpours has yet to complete its journey. To mitigate any dangers posed by landing in intense weather conditions, inbound flights were diverted to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi International Airports, as well as airports in Krabi, Langkawi, Penang, and Surat Thani as pilots had no vision of…
- Thailand News
Thai authorities seize one million meth pills near Chiang Rai Airport
Authorities intercepted a major drug bust involving one million methamphetamine pills in the parking lot of a well-known shopping mall near Chiang Rai Airport. The suspects, a man and a woman, were caught preparing to transport the drugs into the interior of the country. Colonel Kidakorn Chantra, Deputy Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, examined the seized drugs and…
- Thailand News
Thailand plans Formula One circuit near U-Tapao airport by 2028
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced plans to construct a Formula One racing circuit near U-Tapao Airport in Rayong province within the next three to four years. The prime minister shared this vision after meeting with Formula One Group executives in Milan yesterday. The 62 year old prime minister emphasised the importance of international sporting events for boosting tourism, expressing the…
- Thailand News
PM Srettha’s plan to rename Hua Hin Airport
During a visit to Hua Hin yesterday, Prime Minister Srettha revealed his support for renaming the airport to Phetch-Hua Hin. This strategic move aims to highlight the adjoining province of Phetchaburi and tap into its potential as a tourist hotspot. Currently situated in the Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Hua Hin Airport is positioned right on the…
- Thailand News
Purrilous pickle: AOT warns pet owners after airport cat caper
Airports of Thailand (AOT) issued a stern warning to pet owners not to let their cats roam free in airport areas to prevent potential damage and ensure the safety of travellers. This announcement follows an incident at Suvarnabhumi International Airport where a cat was filmed wandering the premises without supervision. The feline in question, an orange cat named Nuarang became…
- Thailand News
AoT tee up 3 billion baht compensation swing for RTAF
Thailand’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, Jirayu Houngsub, revealed yesterday that the Airports of Thailand (AoT) could be liable for a compensation payment of at least 3 billion baht to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). This potential payment is in relation to the Kantarat Golf Course, a property currently owned by the RTAF, which the AoT is considering repurposing. Previously, the…
- Thailand News
AoT plans to boost Suvarnabhumi Airport into world’s top 50
Airports of Thailand (AoT) disclosed plans to elevate Suvarnabhumi International Airport into the league of the world’s top 50 airports within a year and subsequently to the top 20 by 2028. This announcement was made by AoT Director Kirati Kijmanawat. The director shared that Suvarnabhumi International Airport currently ranks 58th in Skytrax’s World’s Best Airport Rankings for 2024, a significant…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s major airports plan US$4.8 billion capacity doubling
Two of Thailand’s main airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, are set to undergo significant expansions. The Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company Limited intends to invest approximately US$4.8 billion to more than double the airports’ capacity by the end of the decade. The expansion aims to accommodate a predicted surge in tourism as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.…
- Thailand News
Thai PM announces feasibility study for Samui Airport expansion
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced yesterday that a feasibility study for the expansion of Samui Airport is currently being conducted. The proposed expansion aims to accommodate larger aircraft and an increasing number of visitors. PM Srettha, accompanied by Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol and Deputy Agriculture Minister Chaiya Promma, conducted an official visit to the airport as part of…
- Business News
Thai PM considers turning air force base into commercial airport
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been approached by provincial authorities in Nakhon Ratchasima to convert the local air force base into a commercial airport. The appeal was made during a meeting yesterday, March 24, to foster business growth and encourage tourism in the province, according to deputy spokesperson Kenika Ounjit. The authorities are requesting the private sector be allowed…
