04/03/2026
Thailand's second-busiest airport installs 31 cutting-edge passport scanners to streamline international travel by March 2026 .
Don Mueang International Airport is modernising its immigration facilities with the installation of 31 Automated Border Control (ABC) systems, marking a significant upgrade in passenger processing capabilities at one of Bangkok's key aviation hubs.
As Thailand’s second international airport, Don Mueang operates with a capacity to handle approximately 700 flights daily, serving around 40 million passengers annually.
The airport features two runways and two terminals: Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic services.
During peak periods in 2026, the airport is expected to process between 600 and 650 flights per day, with particularly busy periods between 5–7 a.m., 9–11 a.m., and 3–6 p.m.
The new system is expected to significantly reduce peak-hour congestion and improve processing speed compared to conventional manual counters.
As part of Thailand’s long-term development plan, the airport is being transformed into a point-to-point hub with capacity expansion projects that will enable it to accommodate 50 million passengers per year by 2029.
The ambitious project, which commenced on 7 January 2026, focuses initially on the departure area of the International Terminal (Building 1, 3rd Floor).
Airport authorities have begun pilot testing of the new automated passport scanning technology, with full 24-hour operations scheduled to commence on 5 March 2026.
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