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World leaders to be invited to airport opening Thailand will extend an invitation to world leaders to attend next June's inauguration of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, in a ceremony the government hopes will be reminiscent of the 2003 Apec meeting. A source said the event would also mark the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's coronation. The government plans to dispatch more than 1,000 invitations all over the world by the end of the year. The government is dividing the guest list into different categories, with leaders from European countries and the United States included among countries politically important to Thailand. Leaders from China and Japan will be grouped with those countries having strong economic relations with the Kingdom. The government will also welcome honoured Royal Family members as guests of HM the King. A source at the Transport Ministry close to a working group for the event said the government had informed all relevant agencies to prepare for the celebrations. Thai Airways International (THAI), Airports of Thailand (AOT), the Transport Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and various security agencies will be the main organisers of the event. The source said: "It will be even bigger than Apec." Bangkok hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in October 2003. Participants included US President George W Bush. The source said the government wanted to show off the new international airport to world leaders. The airport will help Bangkok realise its goal of becoming a regional aviation hub that will serve the increasing numbers of air travellers and promote economic growth. The country will also be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the coronation of HM the King, who will preside over the inauguration ceremony. "Next year, the country will hold its biggest event ever. All of the presidents and other country leaders will be guests of the government, while members of the Royal Family will be special guests of His Majesty," said the source. An AOT source said security measures were being prepared, but he declined to disclose any details. AOT reported that its second Bangkok airport was ready for technical testing, including aircraft landings and take-offs. The company will hold its first demonstration on September 29. Thaksin will preside over the initial trial flight. He and his entourage will be passengers aboard a THAI Airbus A340-600 departing from Don Muang Airport that morning. The aircraft will fly over the Central Plains and land on Suvarnabhumi Airport's eastern runway. The group will be processed through Immigration and Customs and out into the arrival area. They will then return to the aircraft, undergoing standard boarding procedures, and then fly back to Don Muang. Meanwhile - despite the government having recently stated that the baggage-handling system's installation would be delayed until February because of the CTX explosives-scanners row - the AOT board yesterday expressed confidence that the airport would be completed on schedule. Acting president Bancha Patanaporn said that to celebrate completion on September 29, a marathon and a motorcycle race would both be held at the site. He said overall construction was now 90-per-cent complete and that installation of the explosives-scanning machines would be finished tomorrow. The board will present a progress report to Thaksin today.
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