Airports of Thailand
- Thailand News
New automatic passport control tested at Suvarnabhumi Airport
The new Automatic Channel for passport control at Suvarnabhumi Airport was personally tested by Wisanu Prasarttong-Osoth, chairman of Airports of Thailand (AOT), before its official launch yesterday. This system aims to ease congestion at immigration checkpoints. Wisanu participated in a real-world test of the new automatic passport control system before heading to Malaysia on flight TG415. The new system is…
- Business News
AoT to create subsidiary for managing small state airports
Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) is considering the establishment of a subsidiary to manage small airports that are currently under the financially troubled Department of Airports. This initiative aligns with the government’s strategy to stabilise state finances. AoT President Kirati Kijmanawat announced today, June 4, that the proposed subsidiary would operate directly under AoT, with the parent company and Vayupak…
- Thailand News
Red line review: SRT on track to prevent airport link hiccup
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board mandated a review of the Red Line electric train extension project due to concerns that design modifications might interfere with the high-speed rail link connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports. Anan Phonimdang, SRT Deputy Governor, highlighted the board’s apprehensions regarding the relocation of a station on the 25.9-kilometre extension, which could potentially…
- Thailand News
AoT fast-track Suvarnabhumi expansion amid soaring passenger traffic
The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is altering the Suvarnabhumi International Airport master plan to hasten the development of terminal expansion projects, in response to the rapidly increasing demand from passenger traffic. The revised master plan, which outlines the course of action for the next decade, aims to accelerate the progression of main terminal expansion and the construction of new ones…
- Tourism News
AOT and immigration unite to tackle Suvarnabhumi Airport queues
Airports of Thailand (AOT) and Immigration Division 2 are joining hands to tackle a pressing issue at Suvarnabhumi Airport: inordinately long passenger queues. The urgency to address this problem was triggered by the concerns raised by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin about the prolonged processing times at the airport. AOT President Kerati Kijmanawat and Immigration Division 2’s Police Major General Choengron…
- Thailand News
Thailand anticipates foreign arrivals surge during Chinese New Year
A considerable surge in foreign arrivals is anticipated in Thailand during the Chinese New Year holiday, as reported by the Airports of Thailand (AOT). Kirati Kijmanawat, the AOT director, announced yesterday, February 6, that passenger numbers flying into Thailand are predicted to experience a 206% leap, compared to the same time last year. This comes in the wake of the…
- Thailand News
Police general takes flight: Aims to soar Suvarnabhumi Airport into global top 50 in 2 years
The new chairman of Airports of Thailand (AoT), Police General Visanu Prasattongosoth, announced an ambitious plan to elevate Suvarnabhumi International Airport into the top 50 global airports within two years. The strategy, revealed yesterday, January 18, is part of AoT’s broader initiative to upgrade and increase the capacities of six airports under its jurisdiction, in response to the anticipated global…
- Thailand News
AirAsia: Bangkok to rival Dubai as aviation hub
In a meeting with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, AirAsia unveiled ambitious plans to transform Bangkok into the aviation hub of Southeast Asia, aiming to mirror the success of Dubai. The low-cost carrier is urging the Thai government to slash the excise tax on jet fuel, a move it believes will further propel the country’s tourism industry. AirAsia’s top brass, led…
- Thailand News
Staggering investment of 150 billion baht in AOT airports
In a move set to revolutionise Thailand‘s air travel scene, Airports of Thailand (AOT) has unveiled ambitious plans for the construction of two new airports and a staggering investment of 150 billion baht. Speaking exclusively at the Section II: Next Step seminar on December 20, AOT’s dynamic CEO, Kirati Kitmanawat revealed plans for the Lanna and Andaman airports. These megastructures,…
- Thailand News
AOT to increase passenger service charges by 30 baht from April next year
Airport of Thailand (AOT) will increase passenger service charges (PSC) by 30 baht from April 1 of next year onwards due to increased costs following the installation of smarter technology at airports. The PSC for international departure passengers will increase from 700 to 730 baht per person, and the PSC for domestic departure passengers will increase from 100 to 130…
- Thailand News
Residents soar in opposition to Chiang Mai Airport’s extended hours plan
Chiang Mai International Airport‘s proposed plan to extend its operating hours is facing mounting opposition from the locals of the Mae Hia subdistrict. The contention stems from the lack of compensation for the damages inflicted by the airport’s activities over the past five years. Meena Chankaew, president of the Nimman Noradee Neighbourhood, voiced the concerns of the residents whose properties…
- Thailand News
Chiang Mai Airport to extend operation hours
The Chiang Mai International Airport is set to operate on a 24-hour basis starting from next Wednesday November 1, a move prompted by the government‘s Quick-Win economic stimulus policies, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit revealed. The decision, influenced by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s orders, is deemed critical to accommodate the anticipated influx of tourists during the year-end peak season and beyond,…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s PM plans secondary city airport revitalisation to boost tourism
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s recent plan to revitalise airports in secondary cities has been warmly received by tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima. The airport revitalisation proposal, aimed at driving up tourist arrivals and stimulating the economy, was announced yesterday. Local tourism promotion association’s leader, Pongthep Malachasing, sees this as a golden opportunity to invigorate Nakhon Ratchasima Airport. The airport, despite…
- Phuket News
Runway cracks resolved: Phuket Airport gets back on smooth flight path
Airports of Thailand’s Phuket branch, responsible for managing Phuket International Airport, confirmed yesterday, that the runway cracks which led to multiple flight delays and one diversion to Krabi have been addressed and rectified. The announcement was initially made via state-run Radio Thailand Phuket last night. It was also announced by the National News Bureau of Thailand’s national platform but it…
- Business News
Tourism revival in Thailand risks airport slot overcrowding, suggests alternative options
In anticipation of the upcoming high season, Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) expressed concerns over the slot capacity at international airports. As more flights are set to resume, it is predicted that the country will receive around 8 million tourists this year, primarily derived from long-haul markets anticipating a significant tourism revival. The deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East,…
- Thailand News
Suvarnabhumi Airport’s SAT-1 terminal set for soft takeoff in September
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is set to soft launch its Satellite Airport Terminal 1 (SAT-1) in September, with a full opening planned for early next year. Airports of Thailand (AoT) president, Kerati Kijmanawat, stated that the new 216,000-square-metre facility, with a capacity for 28 aircraft parking bays, aims to address existing issues at the airport. With the ability to accommodate…
- Thailand News
Airports of Thailand to invest 37 billion baht in Don Mueang Airport
Airports of Thailand (AOT) is ready to invest US$1 billion (36.8 billion baht) to improve and expand the capacity of the low-cost terminal of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, AOT announced yesterday. AOT plans to increase capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers per year by 2029, with construction beginning this year, according to a statement from AOT. The project…
- Crime News
Shameless Bangkok taxi driver swindles foreigner at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Another Bangkok taxi driver has brought shame to the capital by swindling a foreign customer at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The driver has been subsequently banned for life from picking up passengers at Bangkok’s premier airport and authorities say his license could be revoked. The unnamed taxi driver last week allegedly used a fake list of fares to cheat a Taiwanese…
- Bangkok News
Suvarnabhumi Airport passengers advised to arrive 3 hours before departure
Passengers flying internationally out of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok are advised to arrive three hours before departure due to potential delays caused by renovations. Getting through security might take a little longer for now as the departure terminal gains some snazzy new equipment to ramp up security efforts. Currently, an “automated return tray system” is being installed at security checkpoints…
- Transport News
AOT soar above last year’s levels
As Thailand’s economy rebounds to close to pre-pandemic levels, the recovery can be traced directly to more flights. Airports of Thailand are set to soar above last year’s levels of both domestic and international arrivals, and the millions of tourists these flights bring. The first two months of this year have seen 150,000 flights, double the number in the same…
- Transport News
No one responsible for Service Hall collapse at Don Mueang Airport, confirms AOT
No one is responsible for the partial collapse of the newly-built Service Hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport in April last year, confirms Airports of Thailand (AOT). Excessive rainfall was blamed for the incident. Tomorrow, February 8, the repaired Service Hall will open for use, some ten months after its collapse. On April 17, 2022, parts of the roof and…
- Tourism News
Sawasdee by AoT app adding e-payment, calendar
The “Sawasdee by AoT” app is continuing to grow, with new features stretching outside the scope of airports. Sky ICT, an aviation technology firm, announced that it will be adding an e-payment feature to the app by April. Sawasdee by AoT now includes 64 active features and growing. Coming next? The payment feature and tourism calendars for different popular regions.…
- Thailand News
85% of restaurants at Suvarnabhumi Airport are ‘Clean Food, Good Taste’ certified
Thailand‘s Department of Health certified 85% of restaurants in the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport as having “Clean Food, Good Taste,” according to the department’s director-general Suwanchai Wattana. Suwanchai congratulated the operators of 58 restaurants (85.29% of restaurants in the terminal) who passed the health and safety standard with flying colours at an award ceremony yesterday. Any hungry passengers waiting…
- Transport News
AoT app expanding: flight info, taxis, shopping and more
Airports in Thailand are hard at work souping up their travel app in hopes of making it an essential super-app for the incoming flood of tourists. Their “Sawasdee by AoT” app currently provides flight and airport information for people landing at six AoT-run airports. But they plan to add a host of tourism services, to aid the predicted 90 million…
- Transport News
Airports of Thailand streamlining procedures, adding staff
With the first real High Season since the Covid-19 pandemic getting underway, Airports of Thailand is streamlining procedures and adding staff. Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob inspected Thailand’s main hub, Suvarnabhumi Airport, to evaluate how prepared the airport is for a sharp increase in tourists. One major focus for airport readiness for an influx of tourists is crowd bottlenecking at…
- Events
AoT bans lanterns near airports for upcoming festivals
Loy Krathong is upon us, and with it, Yi Peng, the lantern festival. Thousands of lighter-than-air lanterns drift up into the sky in a peaceful show for celebrating onlookers. But the Airports of Thailand (AoT) have issued a reminder warning that flying lanterns are strictly banned in the areas around the six main airports in Thailand. As beautiful and tranquil…
- Tourism News
Phuket International Airport predicts 30,000 passengers daily
High season is starting this month in Phuket, and the airport is predicting up to 30,000 travellers per day. The increase in air traffic to the popular tourist destination coincides with the airport’s 34th anniversary. And to celebrate, passengers and flights – both domestic and international – are ramping up. International carriers such as Aeroflot from Russia, Pegasus Airlines from…
- Thailand News
Airports of Thailand reports 200% increase in traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Thailand’s aviation industry is flying high, according to new data released by leading airport operator Airports of Thailand (AOT). Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen a 200% increase in traffic in the fiscal year 2022 when compared with the previous year. Between October 2021 – August 2022, Suvarnabhumi facilitated 168,421 flights, which is a 58.36% increase from the previous fiscal year. During…
- Tourism News
Airport expansion plans hastened across Thailand
With High Season approaching and the Thai government predicting big numbers, airport expansion plans are being fast-tracked. One of Thailand’s goals as international travel begins to return in greater numbers is to become a transport hub for Southeast Asia. To help realise the goal and make room for an influx of travellers, facilities are being expanded in both domestic and…
- Tourism News
Aviation industry eyes 33% recovery this year, 100% in 2024
Airports of Thailand (AoT) says the aviation industry is making steady progress in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and is forecasting a full recovery by the end of 2024. The AoT believe that in a year and a half, airplane and passenger traffic will finally recover to the levels they were at in 2019. The current prediction is that flight…
