First of all, it is probably the world's longest-delayed airport project. Formerly known as Nong Ngu Hao (or Cobra Swamp), it was originally conceived in the 1960s, in the early days of the Vietnam War. However, it only got the government's final green light in the late 1990s, when Chuan Leekpai was prime minister. The actual construction work finally started around 2000-2001.

During the forty years that the project was on the drawing board, the government changed hands so frequently that the project was never finalised. Once the green light was given, the project, undertaken by New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA), has been at the centre of several scandalous corruption cases and bribery allegations, with the most controversial being the procurement of CTX 9000 explosive-detection machines for baggage screening.

The CTX scandal resulted in the removal in 2005 of Suriya Jungrungreangkit as transport minister.

During Suriya's watch, the US-based company GE Invision, which itself faced legal actions in the United States under the US's foreign corrupt practices law, was asked to supply 26 machines worth nearly Bt4 billion directly to NBIA. The deal replaced a previous contract for NBIA to buy the machines via an airport contractor named ITO Joint Venture and its subcontractor Patriot Business Consultant.

A Thai Senate committee found that the price tag was inflated by at least Bt1.2 billion and the direct deal between NBIA and the US firm was said to be just a bit of cosmetics to cover up bribery charges resulting from the original contract.

In addition, NBIA has also faced other corruption allegations during the past several years, including those involving multi-billion-baht contracts for site and soil preparation, airport car-parking concessions and airport power generation.

On a more positive note, the new Suvarnabhumi Airport will be recognised as having the world's largest passenger terminal, with a total space of 563,000 square metres - about 10,000sqm larger than Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok, which was opened about a decade ago.

A single-terminal airport, three of Suvarnabhumi's seven concourses have a total length of over a kilometre. Visitors will be amazed by the long stretches of shops and facilities that will open inside the airport.

Transit passengers, who sometimes need to spend five or six hours at the airport, will visit in-house movie theatres, karaoke bars, spas, beauty salons, bowling alleys and traditional Thai massage parlours.

Srisuk Chandrangsuk, chairman of Airports of Thailand, said that Suvarnabhumi will be Asia's second largest airport, with a capacity to handle 45 million passengers a year. Suvarnabhumi compares with London's Heathrow, which is building its fifth terminal, and Singapore's Changi, which already has three terminals and is building a new low-cost terminal.

On September 28, Suvarnabhumi will take over all scheduled commercial flights from Don Muang, which currently handles about 38 million passengers per year, compared to Changi's 32 million. In terms of cargo, Suvarnabhumi Airport has the capacity to handle three million tonnes of goods per year.

Suvarnabhumi Airport's air traffic control tower will also set another record as the world's tallest, checking in at 132 metres - 10 metres higher than that of Malaysia, which currently holds the record. This facility was built without the use of scaffolding - the first of its kind in Thailand. The site will also house the offices of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, which is responsible for managing all air traffic.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

 nop1122@yahoo.com