Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insists that construction of Terminal 2 at Suvarnabhumi airport must go ahead despite an ongoing dispute over its location.
Gen Prayut said it was necessary to increase capacity to handle passengers at the country's main gateway airport to keep up with the rapid surge in traffic. However, the debate over where the new terminal will be located has raged on. The airport master plan dictates that the facility should be built on the south side of the airport, but Airports of Thailand has consistently supported the new terminal being built as an extension from the northeastern wing of the existing terminal.
Last week, the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage (ASA) voiced its opposition to the 42-billion-baht plan to build a second terminal, saying it will not benefit passengers or ease overcrowding.
However, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob decided to press ahead with the project on the northeastern wing anyway.