"AOT will have to consult the Finance Ministry. It will have to seek a loan to shoulder this huge expense," Theera said.

He added that the noise pollution from Suvarnabhumi Airport clearly affected more than 77 households, as initially suggested by the airport's environmental-impact assessment.

Theera said relevant authorities would expedite the process of providing assistance and compensation to those affected. He also expressed confidence in Saprang Kalayanamitr, who has been named the new president of AOT.

"He is strongly determined to solve the problems," Theera said of Saprang.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Kasem Sanidwong na Ayudhaya said the Pollution Control Department had measured the noise level in the airport's neighbourhoods through this past Sunday and found that the noise pollution affected at least 250 more households.

However, he said the noise-level measurement had been conducted at the rate of 46 flights per hour. Suvarnabhumi Airport is expected to accommodate 76 flights per hour.

"If the frequency of flights increase, the number of affected areas will also increase," explained Kasem.

He said the Transport Ministry was now planning to survey Suvarnabhumi Airport's neighbouring areas in a bid to determine the impact from 76 flights an hour.

"We should receive the information soon. By then, we'll be able to figure out the budget for compensation," he said.

Kasem added that use of the airport's neighbouring areas should be strictly controlled from now on; otherwise, people might move in and then complain about noise pollution in the future.

"More than 40 years ago, the government paid compensation to people in the airport's neighbourhoods. They moved out. However, when people heard the new airport project was to be scrapped, people moved in. Now the government has to pay compensation again," he said.

Kasem blamed the previous administration for several problems connected with Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"The previous administration rushed AOT into opening Suvarnabhumi Airport despite the fact that AOT was not fully ready," Kasem said.