The airport will be officially reopened today.

After it was closed to commercial flights for six months, nine aircraft touched down at the old Bangkok International Airport to prepare for departures this morning.

Despite its new name of Don Muang International, Airports of Thailand (AOT) will only use it for domestic flights for the time being.

Orient Thai, Nok Air and some Thai Airways International domestic flights will use Don Muang from today.

On September 27 last year passengers, airport staff and others tearfully waved goodbye to the old airport and headed for the then shiny and new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Sad and discouraged, Don Muang director Pinit Saraithong said at the time: "Never ever return to Don Muang. I will keep every entrance sealed."

Now that Don Muang has been revived and prepared to take about 20 per cent of flights into and out of Bangkok as a result of tarmac and other problems at Suvarnabhumi, Pinit, who retires this October, reportedly told Don Muang staff: "Don't ask how I feel. I just do what my bosses say."

Although engineers discovered groundwater under Suvarnabhumi runways was responsible for cracking, forcing the closing of some areas, AOT remains unsure how to drain it and repair damage.

Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The Nation