As if there weren’t enough happening here in Thailand at the moment…
Here’s an announcement that will be welcome news to travelers:
The AOT says it’s expanding Suvarnabhumi international airport by one third.
Reuters reports:
Airports of Thailand Pcl is to spend about $1.9 billion over the next five years to expand capacity at Bangkok’s overcrowded Suvarnabhumi airport by a third, its president said on Wednesday.
AOT AOT.BK, which runs the country’s six main airports, aims to boost capacity at Suvarnabhumi by 15 million to serve up to 60 million passengers in 2017, Anirut Thanomkulbutra told reporters.
The $4 billion airport, which opened in September 2006 on what was once flooded marshland known as “cobra swamp”, is expected to serve about 51 million passengers in AOT’s fiscal year ending in September 2012, up from 48 million a year earlier and above annual capacity put at 45 million now, Anirut said.
Construction is due to begin in 2015.
The Nation has more details.
For what it’s worth: I understand that Suvarnabhumi’s immigration system has been streamlined recently, and that lines are much shorter now.
(Image: Wikipedia.)