Called Suvarnabhumi, or "Golden Land" in Thai, the airport will replace Don Muang, which has been Thailand's main aviation hub for decades, servicing tens of millions of visitors each year.
Thailand's turbulent politics and repeated corruption scandals have delayed the opening of Suvarnabhumi since it was first mooted four decades ago. But the new military rulers who seized power late Tuesday were quick to promise their takeover would not cause another postponement.
The $3 billion project had become a personal crusade for deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who once camped out on the building site to show his support.
For many of Thaksin's opponents, Suvarnabhumi had become a symbol of the billionaire politician's lavish excesses and the dirty dealings they say marked his five-year rule and precipitated his downfall.
The television coverage of tanks and soldiers on the streets of Bangkok had an immediate effect on Thailand's image. Some tour operators estimated arrivals could drop by 30 percent during the next three months, but Thai officials say they hope the effect will be short-lived.
"When people outside look at the pictures, maybe they are scared and think something violent will happen," said Chaiwat Charoensuk, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Pattaya, the beach resort nearest to the new airport.
"We need time to let the people recover and see that everything is normal," he said. "We hope the confidence will come back as soon as possible - in one month I hope we will recover and tourists will come back."
Thailand is banking on Suvarnabhumi to give it a leg up over its neighbors.
With tourism accounting for six percent of Thailand's GDP, Suvarnabhumi will play a vital role in keeping the sector growing, officials say.
"The new airport will attract tourists ... it will draw more people here before they visit other countries," said Pongsak Raktapongpaisal, who was the transport minister in Thaksin's now-deposed government.
Designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn, the building is the world's single largest airport terminal, according to Thailand's airport authority, and is clearly meant to be as visually striking as it is functional.
Suvarnabhumi will have an initial capacity to serve 45 million passengers annually, but the government says that could more than double as Thailand gains ground on rivals Malaysia and Singapore to become the region's most important aviation hub.
Urbanites in Bangkok moan about the two-hour drive to Suvarnabhumi, located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from downtown, and the lack of public transport services on the route, said Apichart Sankary, the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.
But, with improvements to other regional airports drawing both visitors and carriers, Suvarnabhumi's opening is vital for Thailand's competitiveness, said Michael Issenberg, managing director of Accor Asia-Pacific.
Thailand estimates international tourist arrivals at 13.8 million for 2006, creating $13 billion in revenue, and expects to double that to $27 billion over the next five years.
"It is essential to have an airport that can help achieve these objectives," he said.
But the airport continues to be plagued by doubts over its readiness, and cannot shake the scandals that marred its construction.
Travel industry experts fear that Thaksin rushed to open the airport for political reasons, and say the September 28 opening risks causing a host of operational problems that would hit airlines' confidence.
Further clouding Suvarnabhumi has been a graft scandal over the purchase of bomb-detecting baggage scanners that raised concerns about whether the airport would be up to international security standards.
Still, commercial flights have already begun ahead of Thursday's official opening, with several airlines, including flag carrier Thai Airways, hoping to beat the opening day rush.
Andrew Strauss, chief pilot for Australian budget carrier Jetstar Asia which began flights September 15, predicted a bright future.
Once all four runways are completed, "Thailand will be well ahead of Singapore to become the regional hub", he said at Suvarnabhumi's soft opening earlier this month.
© 2006 Agence France-Presse
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