Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok

Suvarnabhumi Airport, is the main international gateway to Thailand, located some 35km to the South East of Bangkok. It is purportedly the largest single airport terminal in the world. HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) named the airport Suvarnabhumi a name that refers to a mystical golden kingdom located in SE Asia.

Plans to build the airport date back to 1973 when 8000 sq acres of swamp land, known locally as Nong Ngu Hao (Cobra Swamp) were purchased, however because of political uncertainty and the Asian Financial Crisis civil engineering work did not start until 2002.

There were lots of problems involving the construction, budget and Thai superstition. In fact back in September 2005 a total of 99 Buddhist monks were dispatched to the airport to help rid it of evil spirits following the "sighting" of ghosts by the construction workers.

Despite all the problems the airport eventually started limited operations in in September 2006 and was fully operational by the 28th of that month. The old international airport, Don Mueang, was closed and all domestic and international traffic flowed through the new hub. Well it didn't actually flow that well as there were problems with baggage handling and the check in system.

A little later problems with the runway and taxiways were discovered which eventually led to major reconstruction work. This combined with the airports inability to handle increasing traffic flow also led to the re-opening of Don Mueang for some domestic flights.

The troubled construction and operating history of the airport are also quite closely linked with Thai politics. When the land was originally purchased in 1973 initial construction was delayed because of the overthrow of the then Thai military Government and the infamous student uprising in October of that year.
When construction eventually started in 2002 it was under the stewardship of PM Thaksin Shinawatra who was subsequently removed from office by a Military Government in 2006. The coup took place after the Prime Minister had flown from Bangkok to the UN in New York.
One of the reasons the military junta gave for seizing control was the poor construction of the airport.

The airport continues its troubled history today, only last week the current acting Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat flew from Bangkok to the APEC conference in Peru. In his absence members of the PAD who already had a presence at Don Mueang, have occupied Suvarnabhumiand and forced its complete closure. Some might speculate that this was an attempt to get history to repeat itself, by invoking another military coup, but at the time of writing the Thai PM has returned home and the military have remained neutral in the developing situation.

With the airport closed the life blood of Thailand is starting to drain away. Tourists are stranded, others cannot travel to the country and foreign governments are starting to issue warnings about travel to the Land of Smiles.

Sadly at this moment in time the gateway to the Golden Land remains firmly closed.