Airports of Thailand Plc will start collecting parking fees at Don Mueang airport in August to increase revenue and improve service quality.
Parking is currently free at Bangkok’s old airport but AoT is installing an automatic parking system that will feature electronic ticketing and fee collection.
Don Mueang airport director Jaturongkhapol Sodmanee said on Friday that AoT originally planned to start charging motorists who park on the airport grounds early next month, but it needs more time to test the system.
"We can confirm that the service charges will not be too high. [AoT] will collect the cheapest fees possible so that people who come here are not affected," Mr Jaturongkhapol said.
Initially, AoT will rent the computerised parking and collection fee system from a private company because it will take about a year to acquire and install the full system.
The agency intends to supervise the car park business itself to avoid a repeat of the legal conflicts that arose over car par management with a private operator at Suvarnabhumi Airport, he said.
The Don Mueang airport director said the system worth an estimated 67 million baht would prevent corruption as no human attendants were needed.
A motorist can pick up an electronic parking card from a machine on arrival and pay the charge at a machine that can give change at the exits.
AoT is also considering building a facility with pedestrian walkways that would link with new stations from the Airport Rail Link and the Red Line from Bang Sue to Rangsit in the future, he added.