The new airport, with a total area of 20,000 rai, is located near Km 15 on the eastbound Bang Na-Trat Highway in Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan province and is about 25 kilometres from downtown Bangkok. Five access routes to the new airport with a total of 26 traffic lanes will include:

1. North access: an eight-lane elevated road linking the Bangkok-Chon Buri highway leading to the passenger terminal.

2. Northwest access: a six-lane elevated road linking an elevated route from Rom Klao and King Kaew Road.

3. South access: a four-lane road linking the Bang Na-Trat highway and the Buraphavithee (East Route) Expressway.

4. Northeast access: a four-lane road linking Onnuj Road.

5. West access: a four-lane road linking King Kaew Road.

There will be also a city rail link between the Phaya Thai-Makkasan area and Suvarnabhumi Airport with a rapid rail system featuring trains that will travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometres an hour. A city rail link will be provided by the State Railway of Thailand with a budget of 30 billion baht and will be available for service in 2007. Check-in counter service where luggage can be left and claimed will be also provided at Makkasan Station.

Transport network system development will consist of five projects with combined investment of about 60 billion baht. They are as follows.

1. Suvarnabhumi Elevated Expressway with six traffic lanes linking central Bangkok on Rama IV Road and the Rarm Intra-At Narong Expressway with the new airport.

2. Aerolane on the north and east approaches to the airport, linking industrial areas and the airport for more convenient and faster logistics management.

3. Main road with six traffic lanes with north-south routes, east-west routes and the expansion of existing roads.

4. Minor roads with four traffic lanes linking main roads in the area.

5. Mass transit systems with the MRT 1 _ 35 km from Bang Sue-Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi being constructed between 2006 and 2010 and MRT 2 _ 30 km from Hua Lamphong-Rangsit also being constructed from 2006-10.

Before the first flight takes off, development plans to utilise land for maximum benefit and with minimum negative impact on the environment and quality of life must be done thoroughly.

The Office of the Suvarnabhumi Development Committee (OSDC) pioneered Suvarnabhumi Aerotropolis Development Plan under the same concept as the ones used at Korea's Incheon International Airport, Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport.

The Aerotropolis master plan will be used for 30 years from 2005-35, covering a study area in a 10-km radius around the airport, representing around 58,900 rai of land and currently home to 350,000 inhabitants. The Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning will create a special zone for the airport and its neighbouring districts, scheduled to be completed by February 2005.

The study area will be divided into an 11,000-rai industrial area (18.7%), 12,200-rai residential area (20.7%), 2,200-rai commercial area (3.7%), 3,700-rai public park (6.3%), 11,700-rai road (19.9%) space and 18,100 rai (30.7%) for green, water-support and reserve areas.

The plan will cover the 37,000 rai to the east of the airport which currently has a population of 210,000, the western area of Lat Krabang with 6,900 rai for 60,000 people, and the eastern area of Lat Krabang with 15,000 rai for 80,000 people.

The area to the east of the airport will be the pilot project for the Aerotropolis Development Plan as it has the highest potential to develop as a new city. Its centre will be a central business district and one-stop services centre including international financial businesses.

Meanwhile, international trade and exhibition facilities will be located west of the new central business district and commercial and entertainment zones will be located in the eastern area.

Workers tend to the complex network of trusses on the roof of the new airport terminal at the Nong Ngu Hao construction site.

The Aerotropolis plan will consist of phase 1 from 2006-15, phase 2 from 2016-25 and phase 3 from 2026-35.

As the new airport, with an area of 20,000 rai (about 8,000 acres), is currently governed by three Tambon or sub-district Administration Offices _ Or Bor Tor Samrong, Theparak and Bang Chalong _ it has been designated by the Interior Ministry as a special administrative region.

The OSDC is also setting up Suvarnabhumi City Development Corporation to manage land utilisation of the area surrounding the new airport, according to Suwat Wanisubut, the OSDC's deputy director.

Currently, the expansion of residential projects around the new airport is mostly being seen on Srinakarin Road, the Suan Luang Rama IX area, East Outer Ring Road and Bangkok-Chon Buri Motorway with single houses priced starting from four million baht for aviation-related employees. Commercial projects will include hotels, offices, superstores and shopping complexes.

Industrial projects will be limited by a special city plan, expected to be completed by February 2005. Building control laws are being used while the plan is being developed by the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning.

Meanwhile, some types of buildings in three areas covering parts of Lat Krabang and Prawet districts in Bangkok and Bang Phli district and Bang Sao Thong subdistrict in Samut Prakan cannot have construction, demolition or other adjustments done.