Ms. Mallika Jiraphanwanich, Deputy Minister of Transport, revealed after visiting the Bueng Kan Airport construction site in Bueng Kan Province that she was there to monitor progress and promote the project to facilitate air transport.
She stated that the project, if implemented, will support economic, social, and political development in the northeastern border region. It will also boost tourism and connect the South China Sea (Vietnam - Laos - Thailand - Myanmar) to the Indian Ocean, facilitating trade, investment, and tourism in Bueng Kan Province.
Mr. Danai Ruangsorn, Director-General of the Department of Airports (DOA), said the Bueng Kan Airport construction project in Bueng Kan Province
began with a feasibility study and site selection in 2021. In 2023, detailed designs for a new passenger terminal were developed along with revisions to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. Currently, the project is in the process of submitting the EIA report, having already sent the third set of clarifications. A meeting to consider the report was held on 19 December 2025 GMT+7. Once completed, the next step will be to submit the project for Cabinet approval to proceed.
Mr. Danai added that according to the feasibility study, the suitable project location is in Pong Puey subdistrict, So Phisai District, and Wisit subdistrict, Mueang Bueng Kan District, approximately 12 kilometers from Bueng Kan city center and the 5th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, and distant from the three surrounding airports in Bueng Kan Province:
Udon Thani Airport (194 km), Sakon Nakhon Airport (190 km), and Nakhon Phanom Airport (188 km). The airport area is divided into landside (non-aviation area) of 2,542 rai and airside (aviation area) of 1,858 rai.
The total project value amounts to 8.196 billion baht.
Passenger and flight projections for 2032 estimate 149,172 passengers per year and 1,244 flights annually, averaging four flights per day. Economically, the study found the project has an Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) of 12.66% and a Benefit-Cost Ratio (B/C) of 1.07, indicating the project is suitable for implementation. The Department of Airports expects that if approved, construction could begin in 2029 and the airport would open in 2032.
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