Don Mueang International Airport

Don Mueang International Airport (IATA: DMK, ICAO: VTBD) — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).

The airport is regarded as one of the world's oldest international airports and among the oldest operating airports in Asia. It officially opened as a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base on 27 March 1914, though it had been used earlier as a landing field. The first commercial flight to Don Mueang occurred in 1924, marking it as one of the world's earliest commercial aviation facilities. The inaugural commercial service was operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on a flight between Amsterdam and Bangkok.

Throughout the 20th century, Don Mueang served as Thailand’s primary aviation hub and one of the key gateways for international air traffic in Southeast Asia. During World War II, the airport was occupied and utilized by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, later returning to Thai control after the war’s end. In the postwar era, Don Mueang rapidly expanded its civil aviation facilities, accommodating the rise of jet aircraft and the growing international demand for travel to Bangkok.

By the 1970s and 1980s, the airport underwent significant modernization, including the construction of new passenger terminals and cargo facilities. For several decades, it was the main hub of Thai Airways International and the country’s flag carrier, handling the majority of Thailand’s international and domestic flights. Don Mueang’s IATA airport code was originally BKK, which was later reassigned to Suvarnabhumi Airport following its opening in 2006.

At its peak in 2004, Don Mueang handled over 38 million passengers, 160,000 flights, and nearly 700,000 tons of cargo, ranking as the 14th-busiest airport in the world and the second busiest in Asia by passenger volume. The airport hosted more than 80 airlines and was the primary hub for Thai Airways before the airline relocated operations to Suvarnabhumi.

In September 2006, Don Mueang ceased operations following the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which was intended to fully replace it as Bangkok’s main international gateway. However, after capacity constraints and operational issues arose at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang was reopened on 24 March 2007 following extensive renovations. It subsequently transitioned into a regional and low-cost airline hub, becoming a cornerstone of Thailand’s budget air travel sector.

Since the reopening, Don Mueang has developed into the de facto low-cost carrier hub of Thailand and Southeast Asia. In 2015, it was recognized as the world’s largest low-cost carrier airport, surpassing KLIA, Barcelona–El Prat, and Las Vegas.

The airport currently comprises two terminals: Terminal 1, serving international flights, and Terminal 2, serving domestic flights. Both terminals are connected by a glass-enclosed elevated walkway, which also links to the adjacent Amari Don Muang Airport Bangkok hotel. Plans for a Terminal 3 expansion are under development to increase capacity and improve passenger flow, as annual traffic continues to rise.

Today, Don Mueang International Airport remains the second-busiest airport in Thailand after Suvarnabhumi and among the busiest in the region. It serves as the main operating base for Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, and Thai Lion Air, functioning as a central hub for regional and domestic routes.