Don Mueang International Airport (Don Mueang International Airport)
Don Mueang International Airport (ท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง,or colloquially as สนามบินดอนเมือง, ) is one of two international airports serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the other one being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). Before Suvarnabhumi opened in 2006, Don Mueang was previously known as Bangkok International Airport (ท่าอากาศยานกรุงเทพ, ).
The airport is considered to be one of the world's oldest international airports and Asia's oldest operating airport. It was officially opened as a Royal Thai Air Force base on 27 March 1914, although it had been in use earlier. Commercial flights began in 1924, making it one of the world's oldest commercial airports. The airport consists of Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic flights which are connected by a unique glass exterior elevated walkway. The airport also featured an exterior walkway connected to the Amari hotel. The first commercial flight was an arrival by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
In September 2006, Don Mueang Airport was closed and replaced by the newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport, before reopening on 24 March 2007 after renovations. Since the opening of the new airport, it has become a regional commuter flight hub and the de facto low-cost airline hub. In 2015, it became the world's largest low cost carrier airport.
Don Mueang previously carried the IATA code BKK, which was subsequently reassigned to Suvarnabhumi, and was an important hub of Asia and the hub of Thai Airways International prior to its closure. At its peak, it served most air traffic for the entire country, with 80 airlines operating 160,000 flights and handling over 38 million passengers and 700,000 tons of cargo in 2004. It was then the 14th busiest airport in the world and 2nd in Asia by passenger volume. Currently, Don Mueang is the main operating base for Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air.
"Don Mueang" airfield was the second established in Thailand, after Sa Pathum airfield, which is now Sa Pathum horse racing course, known as the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The first flights to Don Mueang were made on 8 March 1914 and involved the transfer of aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force. Three years earlier, Thailand had sent three army officers to France to train as pilots. On completion of their training in 1911, the pilots were authorized to purchase eight aircraft, four Breguets and four Nieuports, which formed the basis of the Royal Thai Air Force. Sa Pathum airfield was established in February 1911 with an arrival by Orville Wright, seven years after the invention of the first airplane by the Wright brothers on 17 December 1903.
In 1933, the airfield was the scene of heavy fighting between royalists and government forces during the Boworadet Rebellion. The airfield was used by the occupying Japanese during World War II, and was bombed and strafed by Allied aircraft on several occasions.
After the war had finished in September 1945, the airfield was occupied by the RAF during the brief British occupation of Thailand until March 1946 when 211 Squadron, which moved there in October 1945, was disbanded.
During the Vietnam War, Don Mueang was a major command and logistics hub of the United States Air Force.
In May 2005, Thai Airways International introduced nonstop services between Bangkok and New York City (JFK Airport) using Airbus A340-500s; it operated from Suvarnabhumi Airport from September 2006, and continued to do so until Thai ended its New York service in 2008.
On 7 September 2022 at 21:50, an Airbus A380-800 of Emirates (registered A6-EUJ) made an emergency landing on runway 21R at Don Mueang. The aircraft operated as flight EK 363, originated at Guangzhou, China, had been banking over Suvarnabhumi Airport for more than 50 minutes, was unable to land due to heavy rain, even though the latter has been Thailand's port-of-entry since its inauguration 16 years earlier (and the only airport in Thailand that is A380-compatible, even on a scheduled basis during peak times). During its diversion, all passengers and crew remained on board (to wait for the rain to stop); the plane refueled and then took off from Don Mueang at 01:08 the next morning, on 8 September, and landed at Suvarnabhumi where passengers disembarked (the arrival at Suvarnabhumi was delayed). Furthermore, Emirates became the first full-service intercontinental carrier to touch down at Don Mueang for the first time since 2006; the Airbus A380 made its first visit into Don Mueang for the first time in history.
The airport is considered to be one of the world's oldest international airports and Asia's oldest operating airport. It was officially opened as a Royal Thai Air Force base on 27 March 1914, although it had been in use earlier. Commercial flights began in 1924, making it one of the world's oldest commercial airports. The airport consists of Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic flights which are connected by a unique glass exterior elevated walkway. The airport also featured an exterior walkway connected to the Amari hotel. The first commercial flight was an arrival by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
In September 2006, Don Mueang Airport was closed and replaced by the newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport, before reopening on 24 March 2007 after renovations. Since the opening of the new airport, it has become a regional commuter flight hub and the de facto low-cost airline hub. In 2015, it became the world's largest low cost carrier airport.
Don Mueang previously carried the IATA code BKK, which was subsequently reassigned to Suvarnabhumi, and was an important hub of Asia and the hub of Thai Airways International prior to its closure. At its peak, it served most air traffic for the entire country, with 80 airlines operating 160,000 flights and handling over 38 million passengers and 700,000 tons of cargo in 2004. It was then the 14th busiest airport in the world and 2nd in Asia by passenger volume. Currently, Don Mueang is the main operating base for Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air.
"Don Mueang" airfield was the second established in Thailand, after Sa Pathum airfield, which is now Sa Pathum horse racing course, known as the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The first flights to Don Mueang were made on 8 March 1914 and involved the transfer of aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force. Three years earlier, Thailand had sent three army officers to France to train as pilots. On completion of their training in 1911, the pilots were authorized to purchase eight aircraft, four Breguets and four Nieuports, which formed the basis of the Royal Thai Air Force. Sa Pathum airfield was established in February 1911 with an arrival by Orville Wright, seven years after the invention of the first airplane by the Wright brothers on 17 December 1903.
In 1933, the airfield was the scene of heavy fighting between royalists and government forces during the Boworadet Rebellion. The airfield was used by the occupying Japanese during World War II, and was bombed and strafed by Allied aircraft on several occasions.
After the war had finished in September 1945, the airfield was occupied by the RAF during the brief British occupation of Thailand until March 1946 when 211 Squadron, which moved there in October 1945, was disbanded.
During the Vietnam War, Don Mueang was a major command and logistics hub of the United States Air Force.
In May 2005, Thai Airways International introduced nonstop services between Bangkok and New York City (JFK Airport) using Airbus A340-500s; it operated from Suvarnabhumi Airport from September 2006, and continued to do so until Thai ended its New York service in 2008.
On 7 September 2022 at 21:50, an Airbus A380-800 of Emirates (registered A6-EUJ) made an emergency landing on runway 21R at Don Mueang. The aircraft operated as flight EK 363, originated at Guangzhou, China, had been banking over Suvarnabhumi Airport for more than 50 minutes, was unable to land due to heavy rain, even though the latter has been Thailand's port-of-entry since its inauguration 16 years earlier (and the only airport in Thailand that is A380-compatible, even on a scheduled basis during peak times). During its diversion, all passengers and crew remained on board (to wait for the rain to stop); the plane refueled and then took off from Don Mueang at 01:08 the next morning, on 8 September, and landed at Suvarnabhumi where passengers disembarked (the arrival at Suvarnabhumi was delayed). Furthermore, Emirates became the first full-service intercontinental carrier to touch down at Don Mueang for the first time since 2006; the Airbus A380 made its first visit into Don Mueang for the first time in history.
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Map - Don Mueang International Airport (Don Mueang International Airport)
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Tai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 11th century. Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer Empire and Malay states ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang, Sukhothai, Lan Na and Ayutthaya, which also rivalled each other. European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during the 18th century, until it was destroyed in the Burmese–Siamese War. Taksin quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom. He was succeeded in 1782 by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, the first monarch of the current Chakri dynasty. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only nation in the region to avoid colonization by foreign powers, although it was often forced to make territorial, trade and legal concessions in unequal treaties. The Siamese system of government was centralised and transformed into a modern unitary absolute monarchy in the reign of Chulalongkorn. In World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, a political decision made in order to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, becoming an ally of Japan in World War II. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat revived the monarchy's historically influential role in politics. Thailand became a major ally of the United States, and played an anti-communist role in the region as a member of the failed SEATO, but from 1975 sought to improve relations with Communist China and Thailand's neighbours.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
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| THB | Thai baht | ฿ | 2 |
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| EN | English language |
| TH | Thai language |