Thailand has backtracked on a plan to turn Bangkok's shuttered Don Muang airport into a second international hub after an outcry and a threat to cut services from international airlines.

Army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Don Muang would still reopen as a domestic airport but backed down on a plan to move international flights there.

Instead, the government will spend six months studying the feasibility of running two international hubs in Bangkok, he said. The about-turn came one day after some 94 international airlines threatened to halt flights to Thailand if they were forced to move.

Surayud said that some domestic flights would still be moved from the sparkling new Suvarnabhumi Airport to allow repairs to its tarmac, but only on a voluntary basis.

"The damage at Suvarnabhumi Airport can be repaired while the airport is running, but it will be necessary to reduce some flights and switch them to Don Muang," he said. "Initially, only domestic flights which have no connections will land at Don Muang."

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said 71 flights, or 17 percent of the traffic at Suvarnabhumi, would move to Don Muang while the new airport is repaired.

Just 10 days ago, Surayud had announced that Don Muang would be reopened within two months as a second international airport, catching the aviation industry by surprise and generating a torrent of criticism. Airlines are worried about abandoning their investments at the US$3 billion Suvarnabhumi, which opened in September, creating confusion for millions of tourists.

The new airport has been mired by problems since its opening, including more than 100 cracks on taxiways and runways, corruption claims, inadequate toilets and facilities, and complaints about hygiene standards.