Suvarnabhumi airport plans to welcome 15 million more tourists by 2019

Prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha went to Suvarnabhumi yesterday to inaugurate the start of the phase two building program at Bangkok's main airport.

Some 55 billion baht is being spent over the next three years to expand the passenger terminal and plane parking area to the east of the existing building, reported tnamcot.

The aim is to increase the capacity of the airport from 45 million passengers and tourists a year to 60 million. This would mean an average of 180,000 passengers passing through the airport daily.

Prayut said that the expansion was very important for the country and asked for everyone to work hard and pull together. His government was leading the way, he said, for other governments after to follow and see the project completed.

The completion date is slated for November 2019.

Prayut also mentioned the government's intention to expand U-Tapao airport on the eastern seaboard and sort out issues relating to "influential persons" that is holding back the further development at Don Muang, Bangkok's second airport.

Attracting even more tourists and their dollars was very important for the future of everyone in the country, he reiterated.