The Thai Ministry of Transport will conduct a study for the possible building of six more airports linking Thailand with their neighbouring countries in preparation for the integration of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) next year, according to Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisit.

Passengers at the Suvarnabhumi airport

The proposed airports are Betong in Yala province which links with Malaysia and Indonesia, Mae Sot in Tak province with Myanmar, Mukdahan with Laos and Vietnam, Uttradit and Kanchanaburi with the Dawei project in Myanmar, and Aranyaprathet with Sa Kaeo province in Cambodia.

The study may take a time within two months and construction is expected to commence next year if any of the projects gets the nod from the government, Arkhom said, adding that construction of each airport will take about five years.

The Thai government also goes ahead with the second phase of the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport with an estimated cost of 62 billion THB, Thai PBS television bulletin quoted Transport Minister Prajin Juntong as saying.

The project includes the expansion of the passenger’s terminal, a monorail train to link the old and new terminals, a new runway, 28 parking bays for planes and a car park, the media reported.

(Source: VNA)