THAILAND – Thailand’s aviation authority announced higher passenger service fees for several airports from November, a move that will push up travel costs for millions of holidaymakers and business travellers while funding promised facility upgrades.
Fee increases announced
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said it would raise the international departure passenger fee at seven airports, with the change expected to take effect in November pending formal board approval. Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, head of the CAAT, said the rise was intended to finance improvements. “The additional revenue will be used to improve airport facilities and service quality,” he said.
Which airports are affected
The modest increase targeted the six major international airports run by Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT). The fee for departing international passengers was set to rise from 730 baht to 735 baht (about EUR 18.40). The airports named by the authority included Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Mae Fah Luang–Chiang Rai.
Trang sees steep rises
Trang Airport, which is managed by the Department of Airports rather than AOT, faced larger hikes. International passengers at Trang were charged 425 baht instead of 400 baht, while domestic passengers saw the fee jump from 50 baht to 75 baht — a 50% increase for domestic departures. The CAAT justified the change by saying higher charges would be reinvested to raise service standards at the regional facility.
Regional airports already updated
The CAAT said six other regional airports had already begun charging higher fees from October 1 after installing automated self-service kiosks. Krabi, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phitsanulok airports introduced modern check-in, ticket-scanning and bag-drop stations intended to speed up processing, but which have also contributed to the higher charges.
Airplane age limits to be relaxed
In a separate announcement, the CAAT said it would move to loosen existing age restrictions on aircraft registered in Thailand, citing a global shortage of planes as manufacturers struggled to meet demand. Current rules set maximum ages at 16 years for passenger aircraft, 22 years for freighters and five years for helicopters. The authority said removing or revising those limits would help maintain the competitiveness of Thai carriers, a decision the CAAT described as necessary amid supply constraints.
Impact on travellers and reaction
For individual international travellers the change to 735 baht represented an additional five baht — a small sum on a single ticket, but one that will generate substantial aggregate revenue for airport operators. Critics and consumer advocates questioned whether passengers would actually see meaningful improvements in services or whether the increases amounted to a hidden fare rise.
The CAAT maintained that collected funds would be earmarked for upgrades, but the increases still required the CAAT board’s formal sign-off in November. The authority’s dual approach — raising passenger fees while relaxing aircraft age rules — marks a notable shift in policy as Thailand seeks to balance immediate revenue needs with long-term capacity pressures in the aviation sector.
Passengers and industry observers were left waiting to see whether the promised benefits would materialise and how the changes would affect travel budgets in the coming high season.