How it started
History
Thai aviation began in 1911 when Belgian pilot, Charles Van Den Born, brought the Orville Wright aircraft to show between February 2–8, 1911 at Sra Pathum Airfield, now known as the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. After that, Thailand took an interest in having airplanes for defense and transportation. They sent three military officers to study aviation in France on February 28, 1911. Those officers were Major Luang Sakdi Sanlayawut (Sunee Suwanprateep), Captain Luang Arwut Sikikorn (Long Sinsuk), and First Lieutenant Tip Ketuthat.
After having completed their training, they returned with eight airplanes in 1913, which the Thai government had ordered. They also tested the airplane's flight performance in front of the Thai people on December 29, 1913, at Sa Pathum Airport. The army planned to build a specific military airfield and hangars. However, because Sa Pathum Airport was constructed in an unsuitable location, The Royal Thai Army Aviation and Aviation School chose a new location based on the conditions of having a spacious area, high ground, no flooding, and away from the Phra Nakhon area. In the end, Don Mueang was chosen for all those requirements instead of Sa Pathum.
The area chosen became Don Mueang Airport. On the morning of March 8, 1914, the airplanes took off from Sa Pathum Airport for the last time and flew into Don Mueang Airport for the first time. The airport was officially opened on March 27, 1914. In 1940, the Air Force established the Civil Aviation Division to carry out operations on international aviation. Eight years later, it was upgraded from a division to a department. They renovated the Don Mueang Airport to be an international airport and changed the official name to "Bangkok Airport" on June 21, 1955. Subsequently, the National Assembly enacted the Act on Airports of Thailand, B.E. 2522, requiring the establishment of an airport authority. The Airport Authority of Thailand, abbreviated as AAT, was formed from the act and began operation on July 1, 1979. As the successor to AAT, Airports of Thailand considers that date its own founding day.
The Sa Pathum airfield, previously used as the main field, was replaced by the Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28, 2006. During the same time, AOT came to administrate Suvarnabhumi. In the following years, Bangkok Airport's name was changed back to Don Mueang Airport on March 13, 2007. The Suvarnabhumi Airport's buildings and facilities were renovated to increase efficiency and responsiveness to travelers' needs. Suvarnabhumi Airport became one of the main airports in Thailand which has more than 40 million global travelers each year. It serves around eight airlines.
The AOT has expanded to four more international regions, namely Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, and Chiang Rai.
From Wikipedia’s article on Airports of Thailand, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2