The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is accelerating upgrades to regional airports and the aviation network to accommodate rising air travel, with a focus on safety, readiness and tailored development under its “Small Airports, Not Small Standards” concept.
Thailand handled 85.16 million air passengers from January to July, up 1.48% year on year. Domestic passenger numbers rose 1.64% to 39.26 million, while international passenger numbers increased 1.34% to 45.91 million.
ACM Manat Chavanaprayoon, director of CAAT, said regional airports are critical to decentralising travel and economic activity, connecting secondary cities with major centres and creating opportunities for tourism, trade and investment.
“Regional airports are not merely places for aircraft to take off and land. They are infrastructure that connects people, tourists and businesses with cities,” he said.
Domestic flights totalled 281,896 during the first seven months, up 1.77%. Department of Airports (DOA) data showed its airports handled 14.23 million passengers in 2025, with Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Udon Thani and Krabi handling an average of 2,500-5,000 passengers a day.
CAAT said development would not follow a one-size-fits-all model, but would reflect each airport’s capacity, traffic levels and local economic potential. Its programme covers airport readiness, airspace and air traffic management, Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS), and safety oversight of airlines and new routes.
Meanwhile, direct Thailand-Europe services expanded, with 16,998 flights recorded from January to July, up 9.02% year-on-year, despite a 1.63% decline in overall international flights. The DOA has also introduced a 50% reduction in aircraft landing and parking charges for new domestic and international routes.