Airports of Thailand plans $2.4bn expansion

Airports of Thailand Pcl plans to invest about 72.5 billion baht ($2.4 billion) over the next seven years to almost double passenger capacity at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.

The state-controlled company will spend 62.5bn baht by 2017 to expand the airport’s capacity to handle international travelers, and about 10bn baht on infrastructure for domestic passengers, the company’s acting President Nirandra Theeranartsin told investors in Bangkok today.

The expansion will increase annual capacity at the country’s biggest international airport to about 80 million passengers, from 45 million, Nirandra said.

Bangkok-based Airports of Thailand will fund the plan by selling bonds in Thailand and borrowing from local banks, said Supaporn Burapakusolsri, senior executive vice president for planning and finance.