Suvarnabhumi airport is actually in the nearby Samut Prakan province about 25km to the east of Bangkok. Suvarnabhumi was named by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and means "the golden land" in Thai specifically referring to the continental Indochina. "Golden Peninsula"or "Golden Land" is a traditional name for the Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Burma region, although it's English spelling is certain to lead to mispronunciations by visitors as it's actually pronounced like "su-wan-na-poom". Though Don Muang airport had three terminals, Suvarnabhumi has only one (very large) one that handles all international and domestic flights. At a size of 563,000sq.m, Suvarnabhumi's terminal building is the second largest in the world.
Nearby attractions are Ancient City, the world's biggest open-air museum, and Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo. Neighbouring the area is Bangna, a thriving commercial and industrial area and home to the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), as well as the massive Season Square shopping mall. The infamous Pattaya beach resort is also less than 40 minutes away. This area is tipped to undergo some major development over years to come. A brand new road infrastructure connects it to various parts of Bangkok.
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