Suvarnabhumi Airport opened on September 28, 2006, ending one of the longest gestations in aviation history: Thailand had purchased the marshy site east of Bangkok, known as Nong Ngu Hao or "Cobra Swamp," back in 1973. Decades of political turmoil and financing problems delayed the project until construction finally accelerated in the early 2000s. King Bhumibol Adulyadej bestowed the name Suvarnabhumi, meaning "Golden Land," an ancient name for the Southeast Asian region.
The terminal, designed by architect Helmut Jahn, was at opening one of the largest single airport terminal buildings in the world. Its 132.2-meter control tower ranked among the tallest anywhere. Suvarnabhumi took over nearly all international traffic from the older Don Mueang airport, which was later revived as Bangkok's low-cost base.
Growth quickly outpaced the original design capacity of 45 million passengers, producing years of congestion. Relief finally arrived when the SAT-1 midfield satellite terminal, connected by an automated people mover, opened in September 2023. A third runway entered service in 2024, giving Thai Airways' home hub room to grow toward Thailand's goal of ranking among the world's top airports.