Thailand lines up six new airports worth ฿26bn
The Department of Airports plans six new airports, with Bueng Kan first in line for Cabinet approval after its EIA passed
Thailand’s Department of Airports has updated its plan to build six new airports worth a combined ฿26 billion, with Bueng Kan Airport expected to be the first project submitted to Cabinet after its environmental impact assessment was approved.
Danai Ruangsorn, director-general of the Department of Airports, said on May 7 that the department’s new airport development plan covers six locations.
Bueng Kan Airport, valued at ฿8.1 billion, has already received approval for its environmental impact assessment, or EIA, from the National Environment Board. The project is expected to be submitted to Cabinet for consideration within 2026.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2029, with the airport expected to open in 2032. It would become the 29th airport under the Department of Airports.
Phatthalung Airport, valued at ฿3 billion, is now in the process of selecting a consultant to design the project and prepare its EIA report under a ฿42-million contract. The department expects to sign the contract with the selected contractor within May 2026.
The design and EIA process is expected to take 600 days until the report is completed and approved.
The project is expected to be submitted to the Transport Ministry and Cabinet in 2028. If approved, land acquisition and compensation payments would begin in 2029, followed by bidding and construction in 2030. The airport is expected to open in 2033.
Mukdahan Airport, worth ฿5 billion, is currently in the process of revising its EIA report in line with recommendations from the expert review committee.
Phayao Airport, worth ฿4 billion, is undergoing detailed design and EIA preparation.
Satun Airport, valued at ฿4.1 billion, is also at the detailed design and EIA preparation stage, with a consultant being selected to handle the project design and EIA report.
Kalasin Airport, worth ฿2 billion, is undergoing a review of its feasibility study.
Danai said the Nakhon Pathom Airport project had been terminated. A post-Covid review in 2019 found that the project was not worth the investment, while it also carried relatively high environmental impacts and faced opposition from local residents.
The Department of Airports is also expanding existing airports to handle larger aircraft and more international tourists.
The runway at Chumphon Airport is being extended under a ฿1.5-billion budget to support the Landbridge project. At Phrae Airport, land expropriation surveys have begun in preparation for budget allocation in 2026.
The department also plans to upgrade eight airports into hub airports: Krabi, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phitsanulok and Udon Thani.
Biometric systems and advance passenger screening will be introduced to bring the airports in line with international safety standards. The systems are expected to begin operating at Krabi and Udon Thani airports by 2027.
