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Major expansion planned for Southeast Asia’s second-largest airport to boost tourism

Sandy Verma | June 17, 2026 4:24 PM CST

Tourists arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, Thailand, Jan. 4, 2023. Photo by Reuters

A major expansion of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Southeast Asia’s second largest airport by land area, is at the center of Thailand’s push to transform itself into a regional aviation hub, with authorities ramping up investments to accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic through 2029.

According to Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the country is embarking on a wave of aviation infrastructure projects to capitalize on its strategic location between the world’s two most populous markets China and India, thereby cementing Thailand’s role as a key transit and logistics hub in ASEAN and Asia.

China and India were among Thailand’s biggest tourism markets.

He said his ministry is preparing to submit the East Expansion project at Suvarnabhumi Airport, for cabinet approval, Phiphat said.

The plan carries a price tag of about 12 billion THB (US$367 million). Construction is scheduled to start in 2027 and conclude by 2029, lifting annual passenger capacity to 70 million from 60 million.

Combined with the planned expansion of Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok’s two main gateways would handle roughly 120 million passengers a year, laying a foundation for Thailand’s ambition to emerge as a leading aviation hub.

Ministry data showed that Suvarnabhumi’s cargo volume for all of 2026 is forecast to top 2.3 million tonnes.

Covering approximately 35.2 square kilometers, Suvarnabhumi Airport is the second biggest airport in Southeast Asia by land area after Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (100 sq.km).