As well as increasing the size of the terminal, there will also be 12 aircraft parking stands for aircraft and 11 jet bridges, the Bangkok Post reports, quoting a statement from AOT.

It said the aim of the scheme, which was trailed last year, was to boost tourism income by increasing the airport’s capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers a year.

The company, which runs Thailand’s six international airports, said work would begin this year and would be completed in 2029.

It added that it would use operating cash flow for the investment.

Thailand has embarked on a large-scale expansion of its entire airports sector as part of its plan to boost growth on a coastal strip between Bangkok and the city of Pattaya, known as the Eastern Economic Corridor.

As well as the Don Mueang project, work will begin this year on an $8.8bn “aviation city” based on U-Tapao airport in eastern Rayong province and an expansion of the country’s largest airport at Suvarnabhumi.

All of these projects are to be linked with a $7.2bn high-speed railway.