Airports of Thailand plans to shrink duty-free retail at Suvarnabhumi to make room for automated immigration gates and counters where passengers collect online orders.
AOT president Paweena Jariyathitipong said the old duty-free model fell short of expectations and that space must match changing passenger habits. AOT is negotiating a new operating model with its main concessionaire, King Power; both sides cite high infrastructure, inventory and logistics costs.
Passengers would buy premium services one at a time rather than in bundles. The fifth-edition master plan is under Transport Ministry review before it goes to Cabinet, and Cabinet acknowledgement would not approve every capital project, which still needs its own feasibility study.
AOT has not said how much retail space will go or when the changes start.
