Suvarnabhumi Plans Capacity for 120 Million Passengers With New Terminal and Fourth Runway

Bangkok gateway targets twice its current capacity

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport could handle 120 million passengers a year within six to seven years under Airports of Thailand's fifth development plan, which combines a new southern terminal, a fourth runway and an expansion of existing passenger facilities. The target would double the airport's stated annual capacity of 60 million in fiscal 2026.

AOT president Paweena Jariyathitipong said the current capacity consists of 45 million passengers at the main terminal and 15 million at the SAT-1 satellite terminal. Suvarnabhumi handled approximately 64 million passengers in fiscal 2026, putting traffic about 4 million, or 6.7%, above that stated capacity.

The first major addition would be the East Expansion, a project budgeted at 13.52 billion baht. It would add check-in counters, baggage handling facilities and passenger service areas for at least 10 million more passengers annually, bringing capacity to approximately 70 million.

AOT is preparing the wider development framework for cabinet consideration while the Ministry of Transport reviews it. Individual construction projects will still need feasibility studies and their own approvals. Procurement for the East Expansion is expected in 2027, followed by approximately four years of construction.

Passengers could see other changes before the largest buildings open. AOT is considering smaller duty-free retail areas, more collection counters for purchases, additional automated immigration gates and paid services such as valet parking and electric buggy transfers.

The proposals connect three practical tasks: creating room for more travellers, moving them through the airport more efficiently and finding enough revenue to fund construction without placing a large additional burden on borrowing or public funds.

What the fifth development plan would authorise

Suvarnabhumi's fifth master plan sets the direction for the airport's development. AOT reviews this framework every five years, allowing it to reconsider where terminals, runways and other facilities should go as demand and operating needs change.

The updated framework has been presented to relevant agencies, including the Cabinet Secretariat and the prime minister's team. The Ministry of Transport is considering it before submission to the cabinet for acknowledgement.

Cabinet acknowledgement would give government agencies a shared development framework. Spending decisions would follow through separate procedures, including studies of whether each project is practical and financially justified, followed by the required investment approvals.

The distinction matters for the construction timetable. AOT's six to seven year target describes its intended delivery period, while the southern terminal and fourth runway still have approval and implementation stages ahead. The East Expansion has progressed further in preparation, with its tender requirements already drawn up.

East Expansion would tackle check-in and baggage pressure

The East Expansion is designed to enlarge the parts of the airport that passengers use before departure and when collecting luggage. More counters and baggage equipment would give the existing terminal additional processing capacity rather than simply creating more space for aircraft.

AOT's broader investment update describes an additional 81,000 square metres of usable space and an expected opening in 2031. That schedule aligns with procurement in 2027 and approximately four years of construction.

Earlier planning under then AOT president Kerati Kijmanawat envisaged bidding in 2025, completion in 2028 and capacity for 15 million additional passengers. The plan now being advanced under Paweena provides for at least 10 million additional passengers, with procurement expected in 2027.

For travellers, the intended benefit is more room at familiar pressure points: checking in, handing over bags and moving through passenger service areas. Annual capacity measures how many passenger movements facilities are designed to accommodate over a year; the experience on a particular day also depends on how closely flights are scheduled together.

Southern terminal and runway form the larger step

The southern terminal and fourth runway would provide the larger increase needed to reach 120 million passengers annually. Terminal facilities process people and baggage, while runway capacity determines how many aircraft can arrive and depart. Both sides need sufficient room for the airport to grow.

AOT's wider investment programme describes development across more than 750,000 square metres on the southern side, with construction divided into phases. That programme envisages construction starting in 2029 and the first terminal phase opening in 2033.

An earlier master plan proposal targeted 150 million passengers annually by 2033, compared with the current 120 million target. It described a southern terminal of 1.5 million square metres accommodating 70 million additional passengers, with a budget of 130 billion baht and a wider master plan budget of 142 billion baht. The current fifth plan presents a different capacity framework, and its latest investment total has not been specified.

Kerati had explained that a southern terminal would replace the previously proposed SAT-2 satellite terminal, offering more capacity while avoiding potential complications with baggage handling and passenger transfers. That choice concerns how passengers and luggage move between buildings, as well as how much floor space the airport gains.

The earlier runway proposal projected aircraft handling capacity of 120 flights per hour after a fourth runway opened. The current announcement retains the fourth runway as a central project alongside the southern terminal.

How the proposed timetable fits together

AOT's plans stretch across several years, with smaller service changes expected before the main construction programme is complete. The principal dates announced for Suvarnabhumi and the wider airport network are:

• November 2026: Further details expected on premium services for arriving and departing passengers.
• 2027: Procurement expected to begin for Suvarnabhumi's East Expansion.
• 2029: Construction envisaged to start on the southern development under AOT's broader investment programme.
• 2031: Expected opening of the East Expansion and completion of the planned Phuket expansion.
• 2033: Target opening of the first phase of Suvarnabhumi's southern terminal in the broader programme.
• 2034: Expected completion of planned development at Don Mueang and Chiang Mai.

The dates place the East Expansion ahead of the southern terminal's first phase. Suvarnabhumi would therefore gain capacity in stages, with the existing terminal handling more passengers before the southern facilities deliver the larger increase.

Duty-free space could shift towards passenger processing

AOT is reassessing Suvarnabhumi's duty-free layout after Paweena cited disappointing retail performance. Preliminary proposals would reduce some conventional shop space and use it for automated immigration gates and counters where passengers collect goods ordered online.

Collection counters concentrate the handover of purchases in designated areas. AOT sees this as a way to continue duty-free business while freeing some space for airport operations. Traditional shops also carry costs for fitting out premises, holding stock and moving products around the terminal.

King Power, the airport's major duty-free business partner, is discussing a revised operating model with AOT. King Power has said that no agreement is in place. The amount of retail space to be reassigned, and the final commercial arrangement, remain under negotiation.

The possible return of arrivals duty-free services also requires decisions from the Finance Ministry and cabinet. AOT's proposed approach would focus on collection points rather than extensive retail space, with investment arrangements to be negotiated with King Power.

For passengers, the practical change could be a terminal with fewer shop displays in some areas and more space for border processing or collecting purchases. The final layout will depend on both government decisions and the commercial talks.

Premium services would be sold separately

Suvarnabhumi's proposed premium service would cover both arrivals and departures. Although initially described as a service for very important persons, AOT intends it to be available to ordinary passengers and investors seeking extra convenience or privacy, as well as public figures.

Options under consideration include valet parking, golf carts or electric buggy transfers within the airport, and dedicated assistance through fast-track facilities. Customers would be able to select individual services instead of buying a complete package.

AOT is considering whether to operate the service itself or work with partners experienced in international passenger services. Existing fast-track facilities would become part of a more connected service covering different stages of a journey.

Further details are expected in November 2026. Prices, a confirmed opening date and the final operating arrangements have not been announced. Paweena has presented the service as an additional source of income, while acknowledging that it would be smaller than AOT's main revenue streams.

Don Mueang's proposed budget nearly doubles

Bangkok's other major airport, Don Mueang, is also awaiting the next stage of development. AOT is preparing to seek cabinet approval for its third phase, with the proposed investment framework rising from approximately 36 billion baht set in fiscal 2022 to 69 billion baht.

The increase is 33 billion baht, or about 92% of the earlier figure. The development is intended to bring annual passenger capacity to 40 million.

AOT's broader programme includes construction of Terminal 3 and modernisation of Terminals 1 and 2. It also calls for changes to internal traffic circulation and connections with rail transport, with completion expected in 2034.

Those works address access as well as terminal space. An airport handling more people also needs routes that allow them to reach the buildings, transfer between transport services and leave without creating another point of congestion.

A wider investment programme depends on operating cash

AOT's ambitions extend across its six airports. Its broader programme envisages investment exceeding 300 billion baht over the next five to 20 years and annual passenger capacity of more than 160 million across the network by 2034. That network capacity target sits alongside the separate 120 million target for Suvarnabhumi.

Phuket's proposed works include an extension of its international terminal and aircraft concourse, with completion expected in 2031. Chiang Mai would gain a new international terminal on the southern side, convert its existing terminal to domestic use, improve aircraft parking areas and add parking for 1,100 cars by 2034. Hat Yai's master plan is expected to be completed in 2026.

AOT expects investment of 80 billion to 90 billion baht during 2026 to 2030. It plans to use operating cash and passenger service charge revenue, which it expects to increase by around 10 billion baht annually, without borrowing during that initial period. Passenger service charges are fees associated with departing passengers that help fund airport operations and facilities.

Paweena has separately said AOT does not expect to need loans for the East Expansion over the next two to three years, citing cash reserves and operating plans. Investment would be matched to actual passenger demand.

Across AOT's six airports, passenger traffic reached 90.98 million in the first eight months of fiscal 2026, from October 2025 through May 2026, up 2.76% from a year earlier. Flights totalled 552,119, an increase of 1.38%. Passenger numbers therefore grew faster than flight movements during that period.

AOT is also pursuing operational improvements alongside construction. Working with immigration authorities, it plans more than 200 automated passport control units for international arrivals and departures at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and Phuket, plus eight special assistance units during 2026. These changes address passenger processing while the larger terminal projects move through planning and construction.

Key Points

• Suvarnabhumi's fifth development plan targets annual capacity of 120 million passengers, twice its stated fiscal 2026 capacity.
• The 13.52 billion baht East Expansion would add capacity for at least 10 million passengers, with procurement expected in 2027.
• A southern terminal and fourth runway would provide the larger capacity increase, with completion envisaged within six to seven years.
• Individual projects still require studies and investment approvals after cabinet acknowledgement of the master plan.
• AOT and King Power are discussing smaller retail areas and more collection counters; no agreement has been reached.
• Don Mueang's proposed third phase budget has risen from approximately 36 billion to 69 billion baht, targeting capacity of 40 million passengers annually.
• AOT plans to fund its initial investment programme through operating cash and passenger service charge revenue while limiting additional borrowing.