Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport: Project to boost passenger capacity and promote tourism
The soft opening of the terminal was attended by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who declared that his administration was pushing tourism as a means of boosting the country's struggling economy
The satellite terminal, built at a cost of approximately 35 billion baht (US$1 billion) was inaugurated for use on September 29 by Airports of Thailand Pcl, which manages Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport. (Image: AFP)
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The new SAT-1 at Airports of Thailand Pcl will be a four-level concourse building with a 216,000m2 floor size. Twenty-eight aircraft contact gates will be available, eight of which will serve Code F aircraft like the A380 and 20 of which will serve Code E aircraft like the Boeing 747. Up to 15 million people can use the terminal each year. The SAT-1 will be connected to the main terminal building by a 700m-long tunnel that runs beneath the current cross taxiways. A baggage handling system (BHS), an automated people mover (APM) and a service road connection between the two processing facilities will all be housed in the tunnel. (Image: AFP)
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The opening of the new terminal coincides with Thailand's preparations for an influx of travellers during the region's so-called peak season, which runs from now through the end of February. The airport's third runway, which will be finished in the third quarter of next year and increase aircraft handling capacity from 68 to 94 flights per hour, is also being built by Airports of Thailand. (Image: Bloomberg)
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The soft opening of the terminal was attended by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who declared that his administration was pushing tourism as a means of boosting the country's struggling economy. “Tourism can create jobs and income for the Thai people quickly,” Srettha said. “I am confident the new facility will make a good impression on international travellers.” (Image: Bloomberg)
The Srettha administration, which assumed office earlier this month, has relaxed visa requirements for Chinese and Kazakh tourists for a five-month period in an effort to entice more tourists to Thailand, where the economy is being negatively impacted by rising oil costs and slowing exports. (Image: AFP)
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Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists made up the majority of the country's visitors in Southeast Asia, making up around 28 percent of the record 40 million foreign arrivals in 2019. According to the government, Thailand, which is well-known for its tourism attractions from temples to beaches, is anticipated to receive between 25 million and 30 million visitors in 2023, which may bring in 1.5 trillion baht in revenue. (Image: Bloomberg)
