China News Service Bangkok, March 1 (Reporter Li Yingmin) March 1 is the first day of the implementation of the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand. On the same day, Thai Prime Minister Saita announced in Bangkok that he would upgrade the country's airports, hoping to build Thailand into an aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
One of the most notable plans announced by Saita is to upgrade Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand's central airport, to one of the top 20 airports in the world in five years.
Saita believes that Thailand has the strategic advantage of being in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region and has the ability to become a hub for air travel connecting the entire Asia-Pacific region.
Saita said that Thailand's airport management is already working on a project plan to increase the passenger throughput of Suvarnabhumi Airport to 1 per year by 2030500 million people.
Saita revealed that Suvarnabhumi Airport will open a third runway this year, further increasing the flight capacity from 30 to 90 per hour. In the next 5 years, Suvarnabhumi Airport will also see the construction of a new passenger terminal and a fourth runway, which will increase the airport's annual throughput to 1500 million people.
On the same day, Saita also announced upgrade plans for other airports:
Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport plans to increase its passenger throughput from the current 30 million to 50 million passengers by 2030. A new hub building will also be built within Don Mueang Airport to provide commercial and retail space, as well as a car park that can accommodate up to 7,600 cars, connecting to the city light rail.
In southern Thailand, a second Phuket airport will be built to serve visitors to Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and other southern provinces, with a capacity of 40 million passengers per year. The current Phuket Airport will expand its terminal to increase its passenger throughput to 18 million passengers per year by 2030.
In the north, Chiang Mai Airport will expand its domestic and international terminals, bringing its annual passenger throughput to 16.5 million. Thailand** is also building a second Chiang Mai airport, with a planned annual passenger throughput of 20 million. (ENDS).