The Department of Airports (DOA) ( th, กรมท่าอากาศยาน) is a Thai government department under the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ...

. It operates 28 civil airports throughout the country. The department was split off from the Department of Civil Aviation in 2015, part of a restructuring response to

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

's downgrading of Thailand's aviation safety rating. The other agency that previously formed part of the old department is the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.

Operations

Only 17 DOA airports turned a profit between 2009 and 2016 while the total number of passengers jumped 25 percent. In 2018, DOA's revenues from its 28 airports was 853 million

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-m ...

. Krabi airport alone contributed 469 million baht. Udon Thani is also in the black, with profits reaching 100 million baht a year. Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT) had planned to assume management of Udon Thani International Airport,

Sakon Nakhon Airport Sakon Nakhon Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานสกลนคร) is an airport in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. It is used for civil and military purposes (Royal Thai Air Force). Airlines and destinations Accidents *On 23 September ...

, Tak Airport, and

Chumphon Airport Chumphon Airport , ( th, ท่าอากาศยานชุมพร), is an airport in Tambon Chum Kho, Pathio District, Chumphon, Thailand. The airport is 35 kilometres north of Chumphon. Airlines and destinations Overview In 2008 ...

in 2019. The DOA would relinquish control, reducing the airports under its control to 24. In a change of plans in August 2019, AOT proposed instead to take control of the Udon Thani, Tak, Buriram, and Krabi airports, leaving Sakon Nakhon and Chumphon airports to the DOA. DOA insists that the earlier plan be followed as it would retain its money-making airports.

List of airports

Northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thail ...

* Lampang Airport *

Mae Hong Son Airport Mae Hong Son Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานแม่ฮ่องสอน) is an airport in the town of Mae Hong Son in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the ...

Mae Sot Airport Mae Sot Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานแม่สอด) is an international airport serving Mae Sot, a town in Tak Province in Thailand. Currently, it is connected to two domestic destinations. Nok Air started the first inter ...

Nan Nakhon Airport Nan Nakhon Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานน่านนคร) or formerly Nan Airport () serves Nan, the capital city of Nan Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdo ...

Pai Airport Pai Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานปาย) is an airport serving Pai, a town in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Originally constructed during World War II by the Japanese Imperial Army, the airport was deserted after the en ...

* Phetchabun Airport * Phitsanulok Airport * Phrae Airport * Tak Airport

Northeastern Thailand

Buriram Airport Buriram Airport (also known as Buri Ram Airport, th, ท่าอากาศยานบุรีรัมย์) , is an airport serving Buriram (also known as Buri Ram) and Surin, the capitals of Buriram and Surin Provinces in Thailand. Fa ...

Khon Kaen Airport Khon Kaen International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานขอนแก่น is near the city of Khon Kaen in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Th ...

Loei Airport Loei Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานเลย) is in Loei, the capital city of Loei Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast A ...

* Nakhon Phanom Airport * Nakhon Ratchasima Airport *

Roi Et Airport Roi Et Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานร้อยเอ็ด) is an airport serving Roi Et, the capital city of Roi Et Province, Thailand. The Airport is located at 135 Moo 2, Roi Et, Phon Thong Road. (Highway 2044), Nong Pho ...

Ubon Ratchathani Airport Ubon Ratchathani Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอุบลราชธานี) is an airport in the capital district of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Northeastern Thailand. It currently serves as both a c ...

* Udon Thani International Airport

Southern Thailand Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounde ...

* Betong Airport *

* Hua Hin Airport *

Krabi International Airport Krabi International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนานาชาติกระบี่ , is an international airport serving Krabi, Thailand. It is about east of the city center. The airport opened in 1999. In 2017, the a ...

Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport Nakhon Si Thammarat International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนครศรีธรรมราช is an airport serving Nakhon Si Thammarat, a town in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. History The airport's first ...

Narathiwat Airport Narathiwat Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนราธิวาส) is an airport in Narathiwat Province, Thailand. Serving the Narathiwat Province Narathiwat ( th, นราธิวาส, Malay: Menara) is one of the so ...

* Pattani Airport *

Ranong Airport Ranong Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานระนอง) is an airport serving Ranong, a town in Ranong Province, Thailand. Location Ranong airport serves the province of Ranong in the southern part of the country, it is locat ...

Surat Thani International Airport Surat Thani International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานสุราษฎร์ธานี) is an international airport located in Phunphin District, Surat Thani Province, in Southern Thailand. The airport, 21 kilometres w ...

* Trang Airport

Third Bangkok airport

In mid-2019, the DOA proposed the construction of a new airport in Nakhon Pathom Province to relieve pressure on Bangkok's Don Mueang and

Suvarnabhumi ( sa, सुवर्णभूमि; Pali: '); my, သုဝဏ္ဏဘူမိ, ; km, សុវណ្ណភូមិ, ''Sovannaphoum''; and th, สุวรรณภูมิ, . is a toponym, that appears in many ancient Indian literary s ...

airports (both controlled by Airports of Thailand PCL). The 20 billion

airport, to occupy 3,500

rai RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

straddling the Bang Len and Nakhon Chai Si districts, 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. Its capacity would be 25 million passengers per year. If approved, construction would start in 2023 and the airport would be operational by 2025 or 2026.

References

Airports An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfac ...

Civil aviation in Thailand Airport operators Ministry of Transport (Thailand) {{Thailand-stub