Suvarnabhumi readies Songkran flights, says queues still flow

Kittipong Kittikachorn, director of Suvarnabhumi Airport at Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), said on April 13, 2026, that the airport had put in place a preparedness plan to accommodate passenger travel during the 2026 Songkran festival from April 11 to 20, 10 days, with total passenger numbers projected at about 1.8 million.

Kittipong said the projected 1.8 million passengers would comprise 1.5 million international passengers and 300,000 domestic passengers.

Compared with the same period last year, passenger numbers are expected to decline only slightly by about 1.9%, which is not considered significant despite unrest in some parts of the world.

Average flight volume is expected to stand at 1,100 flights per day, with one notable trend being growth in charter flights, particularly among tourists from China.

In terms of operations, Suvarnabhumi Airport has set up an Operation Command Centre (OCC) to serve as the central hub integrating personnel from all relevant agencies, including AOT, immigration, customs and security authorities, to monitor the situation in real time 24 hours a day.

Responding to questions about congestion and long queues, Kittipong said: “It has to be accepted that during festival periods, when large numbers of passengers use the service, queuing or waiting in line is normal in every country, especially when a large aircraft such as an A380 lands and 600 to 700 passengers arrive within the same hour. However, coordination has been made for immigration officers to man every counter in full, while the Auto Gate system is being used for Thai nationals so that queues move as smoothly as possible. If you take a snapshot, you may see a lot of people and assume the wait is long, but in reality, it is crowded yet flowing, and officials are working at full capacity.”

To improve convenience and reduce costs, Suvarnabhumi has announced parking and transport measures, including free parking at Zone C throughout the festival holiday period, along with a shuttle bus service to and from the passenger terminal every 15 minutes.

As part of parking management, airlines and tenants have been asked to move their vehicles to temporary parking areas to return parking spaces in the buildings to general passengers.

As for the long-term plan, the airport is preparing to build a fourth parking building because it currently has only three, which is no longer in balance with current user demand.

Passengers are also being urged to use the SAWASDEE by AOT application to book taxis in advance to reduce waiting times for public transport.

To create a travel atmosphere, cultural activities have been arranged for both departing and arriving passengers.

On the departure side, a Buddha image has been placed on the fourth floor for water-pouring rituals, while a “Thai massage” exhibition from Wat Pho is being offered free of charge to foreign travellers before they leave.

On the arrival side, souvenir water guns are being handed out on a flight-by-flight basis to create a memorable first impression.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport chief concluded by asking travellers to allow extra time for their journeys because of the physical limitations of the Main Terminal, which remains a bottleneck for check-in even though SAT-1 is already helping to handle flights.

Passenger density is expected to reach its peak from the night of April 11 onwards.