Bangkok Airport to Reopen

Published: 05/02/07

Thai Airways domestic flights are likely to return to Bangkok Don Muang Airport in order to reduce congestion at the brand new Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened last year at a cost of more than USD 4 Billion.

Teething troubles at the new airport include problems with cracks in the runways, which have led to delays and rescheduling for many domestic flights.

The new airport is designed to handle more than 40 million passengers a year, but has been plagued with delays and allegations of corruption since its inception. Indeed it is considered likely that one of the main motivations for the military coup last year was related to the airport.

Because of its popularity, flights to Phuket are likely to be unaffected, but passengers travelling on to smaller destinations such as flights to Chiang Mai may find themselves facing the prospect of changing airports in Bangkok, although, as many holidaymakers to the region choose to stop over in the city for a few days, this may not have a huge impact.

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