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AOT Plans to Spend 220B Baht on Airport Expansion by 2025
1st Jul 2017
In order to handle the increasing number of tourists coming into the country, Airports of Thailand (AOT) has announced a plan to spend around 220 billion baht or $6.5 million by 2025 on expanding six major Thai airports.
AOT operates six main Thailand’s airports – Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
Speaking in a new briefing this Wednesday, AOT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said that after the expansion, the airports would be able to handle a total of 185 million passengers per year, compared to 101 million passengers annually at the moment.
Interestingly, AOT also announced a similar plan to fund airport expansions last year, when it said it would spend 194 billion baht by year 2030. And a year before the plan was to spend nearly 40% less. So, as the country becomes more popular with tourists, the need for expansion is greater and as a result, AOT needs to allocate more money for it.
At the moment, Mr. Nitinai said, airports are operating at about 30% above their projected capacity. The worst situation is currently at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. In total, the six main airports handled about 87 million passengers in the period between October last year and May this year, 7% more than during the same period 12 months ago.
In 2016, 32.6 million foreign tourists visited Thailand and this year, the government expects that number to go above 35 million.
AOT Celebrates 38th Anniversary
Meanwhile, AOT celebrated its 38th anniversary in a ceremony held at the Phuket Airport. General Manager Phet Chan-charoen opened the ceremony and welcomed everyone in attendance, before opening a suitcase to reveal a pop-up of number 38, surrounded by images of six airports operated by AOT.
The opening ceremony was then followed by activities titled together as “38 years that AOT made you happy every flight”. This included a live music performance of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej Royal Musical Compositions and a quiz about AOT with various prizes for lucky contestants.
Also, if you go through the new International Terminal at Phuket Airport from yesterday until 5th July, you will get a gift package, as part of the celebrations.
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