Bangkok to open sophisticated new airport

Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is to open its long-awaited new international airport today (September 28th), in a blaze of pomp and ceremony.

Dubbed Suvarnabhumi, meaning "golden land", by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the airport is designed to make Thailand the aviation focus point of the region.

The cutting-edge new facility will initially be able to handle 45 million passengers per year, which will rise to 100 million per year in the final phase of the project.

Suvarnabhumi Airport will be able to process 76 flights per hour and three million tons of cargo handling per year.

The passenger terminal measures 563,000 square metres and is currently the largest in the world, ready to receive the droves of tourists which flock to Thailand every year.

In addition, the airport features the world's longest runway, at 75.3 metres by 4,000 metres long and the world's tallest control tower, at 132.2 metres high.

Costing £2.1 billion, the new airport finished being exorcised last Saturday, by 99 monks who prayed at the culmination of nine weeks of exorcism and rites.

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