SUVARNABHUMI Airport in Bangkok, Thailand will resume operations on Friday following a month-long suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Airport general manager Suthirawar Suwanawat said since the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand banned international flights from landing in Thailand, the number of foreign travellers dropped considerably.
The ban was implemented at the start of this month.
According to the Bangkok Post, the drop in travellers gave Airports of Thailand (AoT), the supervisory body for major airports in the country, the chance to renovate, repair and add new facilities to the airport.
Repairs have also been made to its concourse, elevators, lighting, air-conditioning and baggage handling systems, while broken floor tiles have been replaced.
Technical tests were also done to check the strength and integrity of the runway and taxiway to shoulder the load of carriers.
The AoT installed new elevators, and lighting systems at the airport's parking building and office building, he said.
"Though there were few passengers, the airport still kept up hygiene and cleaning measures in the complex to keep passengers' confidence once the flights are allowed to resume," Suthirawat said.
He added that workers had been instructed to wear face masks and gloves to protect themselves against disease during the renovations.
Meanwhile, PM's Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop said a total of 171 Thais who returned from India on Friday are not showing any symptoms of Covid-19.
Of them, 104 are monks, and the rest nuns and Thai pilgrims.
Upon their arrival at Don Mueang airport, all were screened and taken to quarantine facilities prepared by the government, Tewan said.
The minister added that the National Office of Buddhism is looking for ways to help monks nationwide who have been affected by Covid-19.
Temple activities involving large gatherings have been banned during the coronavirus crisis, which has left some temples hard up for money.
Many temples lack donations to pay utility bills as the crisis has taken its toll on the economy and kept the faithful away, he said.
Meanwhile, Tewan said that 21 Thais who were stranded in Iran, including five children, landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 7.30am on Saturday.
They underwent health screening and no one was found to have a fever. They were then placed under quarantine, he added.