---
title: "BKK is which airport? Bangkok"
description: "BKK is Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Why the code is BKK and not something you could guess, what VTBS means, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/bkk/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is BKK?

**BKK is: Suvarnabhumi Airport**

Bangkok, Thailand

## Why the code is BKK

BangKoK. The code moved from Don Mueang when Suvarnabhumi opened.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** BKK
- **ICAO code:** VTBS
- **Airport:** Suvarnabhumi Airport
- **City:** Bangkok, Thailand
- **Opened:** 2006
- **Code origin:** Documented

Suvarnabhumi is built on land known as Cobra Swamp, which is what the site was called for decades before someone chose a Sanskrit name meaning "golden land". Don Mueang, which it replaced, reopened for low-cost carriers in 2012 and is one of the oldest continuously operating airports anywhere.

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| DMK | Don Mueang, Bangkok's older airport, now the low-cost base. An hour across the city from BKK. |

## The other code, VTBS

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, BKK, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, VTBS, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why VTBS looks nothing like BKK.

## Common questions

### What airport is BKK?

Suvarnabhumi Airport, in Bangkok, Thailand.

### Why is Bangkok's airport called BKK?

BangKoK. The code moved from Don Mueang when Suvarnabhumi opened.

### What is the difference between BKK and VTBS?

BKK is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. VTBS is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

### Is BKK the same as DMK?

No. DMK is don Mueang, Bangkok's older airport, now the low-cost base. An hour across the city from BKK.

## Related pages

- [Thailand](https://atoneplace.net/country/thailand/)
- [The flag of Thailand](https://atoneplace.net/flag/thailand/)
- [Airport codes in Thailand](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/thailand/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]