The simple fact of the opening without drama was cause for celebration indeed for the thousands of stakeholders in the new project that replaces the creaking Don Muang.
No one doubts the new facility is needed and overdue. The Bangkok International Airport at Don Muang had been running two million passengers over capacity in recent years but, it seems airport capacity is set to remain on the agenda for some time to come.
Suvarnabhumi went on that first day to record more than 100,000 passengers. There were glitches and some frustrated passengers over baggage delays but hardly the meltdown some had predicted.
The airport has made steady progress in dealing with an array of problems – most importantly baggage handling.
With the goal that any flight should not be delayed for more than 15 minutes, the airport averaged about 50 percent on those targets in the first few days of opening, although flight punctuality improved dramatically during October.
Tourists themselves seem to like the airport's airy, futuristic design by German architect Helmut Jahn. There is no doubt that it is a great landmark for the industry and the country and presents to Thailand some significant opportunities.
By now the facts are well known – the world's largest terminal building under one continuous roof at more than 560,000 square metres, and the tallest control tower in the world at 132 metres.
For Thailand, the new airport will open up possibilities of developing the often neglected intra-regional tourist market and create a major hub as one of Asia's busiest airports. With a boost in tourist arrivals, and extra capacity to handle eight million more passengers than at Don Muang airport, this raises issues.
No sooner had the opening glitches been addressed than there were calls for the airport's expansion to accommodate an expected jump in traffic over the next five years.
Chaisak Angsuwan, Department of Civil Aviation Director-General, led the calls saying that with more tourists visiting Thailand and new airlines expected to want slots, arrivals could quickly reach 40 million.
While the airport was designed to initially handle 45 million passengers a year, it can be expanded to serve up to 120 million.
Some plans are already in train. The airport already plans to build a 600-million-baht terminal to cater to budget carriers within 16 months.
Suvarnabhumi operator Airports of Thailand says that the new facility will be able to handle the increasing arrivals for about five years. But with that deadline, decisions must be taken now if the mistakes of the past are to be avoided.
The fate of Don Muang is still to be determined. Although it remains open to charter flights and as a maintenance facility, pleas by budget carriers to be allowed to use the facility have so far been rejected.
Civil Aviation Department Director-General Chaisak Angsuwan has asked the Ministry of Transport and Airports of Thailand to speed up the feasibility study for the new low-cost passenger terminal, as domestic flights operated by low-cost carriers have grown 40 percent annually over recent years.
That may not be enough to satisfy them.
While tourists have an increasingly positive view of Thailand's new gateway, there are some voices of concern now being heard, particularly from low-cost carriers. They say their proposed move back to Bangkok's old airport is because of the increased costs at Suvarnabhumi, as much as the airport reaching capacity.
In a sign that the authorities may yet be prepared to discuss a move they have previously rejected, Chaisak said his department would listen to their reasons but so far have not started official discussions on this issue. He questions whether Suvarnabhumi costs will rise further from here.
In the end, any decision would come down to economic value to the country, he said, with a balance that needed to be struck between the need to service a growing tourism industry against the costs of operating two separate airports.
The issue of expanding Suvarnabhumi is yet another item on the agenda for the new government that took charge shortly after the airport opened. That has led to changes already, with the 14 directors of Airports of Thailand, including Khun Chaisak, resigning less than a month after the airport's opening.
Khun Chaisak said this was simply "good manners… to pave way for the new leaders to appoint a new set of people to work with." A new board is expected to be appointed before the end of the year and it is in the entire country's interests that this board be strong and act quickly on the new challenges ahead.
Suvarnabhumi has been a success so far. It provides fantastic opportunities for Thailand and the tourism industry going forward.
The new government has said that completion of facilities at the existing Savarnabhumi terminals is a priority and that must take precedence over any expansion. With many shops and offices at the new airport still building sites, that is fair enough.
In the future, the industry must work with the government. We must try to avoid those delays and problems that marred the ambitious project for so long before its opening.
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