One of the comfortable departure lounges at Samui Airport

When it first opened more than 20 years ago, the Samui Airport received a lot of attention for it’s “un-airport” style architecture. The open-air terminal buildings were totally unlike anything ever seen in this part of the world. Twenty years is a long time for any commercial building, especially an airport, so it should come as no surprise that the airport has recently undergone an extensive renovation. I got to the airport early this morning to check out all the changes.

Actually, they pretty much built a whole new airport terminal complex south of the original terminal buildings. The new complex is a bit more sophisticated than the original grass-roofed huts, but many of the original design concepts are still there. The departure gates are still open-air pavilions, connected by covered walkways. You’re still whisked to and from the plane in open-sided trams. And, if you’re flying on Bangkok Airways, there’s still a complementary snack bar.

There are a few new ideas at Samui as well. They were just putting the finishing touches on the biggest change while I was there today. The old airport had almost nothing in the way of shopping or restaurants, but now they’re preparing to rectify that in a big way. “Samui Park Avenue”, as it’s being called, is a full scale shopping arcade, with several restaurants as well as name brand shops like Jim Thompson and Harnn & Thann. The arcade is sited between the check-in hall and the entrance to the departure lounges, so anyone departing Samui will get a chance to stroll through it. Even if you’re not flying out of the airport, a visit to the new shopping arcade might be interesting.

Get all the details at the updated Samui Airport Guide at Asia-Airports.com.