josephbloggs

Why DMK? Because it isn't a great sterile shopping mall. Because when you arrive it smells like Thailand should smell rather than smelling like all the other 'international' airports.

Ah, yes, Don Muang smelt like Thailand and not like an airport. Of course. Food stalls, grilled chicken, traffic fumes, sewage....all of those things noticeably absent from the airport that had some trolleys and duty free shops to smell.

I stick with the nostalgia explanation - your post just backs that up for me.

Cheers.

Yes! Love Don Muang.

There are numerous posts like this. I just don't understand why people harp on about the good old days with DM being a far better airport. How quickly people forget. It was a horrible, dreadful airport. Too far away, horrible parking facilities, no mass transit option (I'm not counting Don Muang railway station), dark and dingy, terrible food and beverage outlets. It was awful.

In every respect SVB is a far superior airport. Seriously, why the love for DMK? (I'm willing to bet that at least half the people on here who slate SVB and wish for the good old days of DMK used to slag the hell out of DMK when it was our sole airport).

Perhaps it's because the Thailand we were flying into was simpler & more-exotic, less overcrowded & overpolluted, than it now is. And we'd love to go back to those days. Simple nostaligia in fact.

I certainly feel that way myself, without for-a-moment begrudging the Thai people the material-benefits, of modern 'civilised' life.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Of course it is entirely subjective but for me it is nostalgia plain and simple. Any logical arguments (not that I've seen any yet) just don't stack up.

I've lived here over 18 years and I used to hate DM - I couldn't wait for SVB to open. For me DMK was one of the worst airports of any major capital I'd been to.

But, each to their own.

Yes! Love Don Muang.

There are numerous posts like this. I just don't understand why people harp on about the good old days with DM being a far better airport. How quickly people forget. It was a horrible, dreadful airport. Too far away, horrible parking facilities, no mass transit option (I'm not counting Don Muang railway station), dark and dingy, terrible food and beverage outlets. It was awful.

In every respect SVB is a far superior airport. Seriously, why the love for DMK? (I'm willing to bet that at least half the people on here who slate SVB and wish for the good old days of DMK used to slag the hell out of DMK when it was our sole airport).

I have many fond memories of DMK, that great bar on the 1st floor,they brewed their own beer, Swampy always feels threatening, with it's frighteningly designed stainless steal ceilings. I never slagged DMK off and used to travel too and from there for more than 15 years. I LOVE DMK!

I will definitely agree with you on the microbrewery. At the end of Terminal 2, it was a great place to have a few pre (or post) flight beers. The Billy Bentley between the two terminals was also a pretty decent place to have a drink. SVB definitely lacks a good pub.

Having said that, once you went through immigration there were pretty slim pickings.

Yes! Love Don Muang.

There are numerous posts like this. I just don't understand why people harp on about the good old days with DM being a far better airport. How quickly people forget. It was a horrible, dreadful airport. Too far away, horrible parking facilities, no mass transit option (I'm not counting Don Muang railway station), dark and dingy, terrible food and beverage outlets. It was awful.

At least you didn't have to walk 2 miles through a shopping mall to get to your gate. WiFi actually worked in the gate area. Air conditioning actually worked in the gate area.

Sorry but the "shopping mall" thing does not stack up as an argument. DMK had plenty of duty free shops back in the day - run by King Power no less - and pretty much every major airport in the world is littered with them. SVB is no different in this respect.

You didn't have to worry about a fake arrest/extortion scam if you were window shopping while waiting for your flight.

Ah, yes, that old chestnut. Before I go on, has anybody here ever fallen victim to this "scam"? Does anybody know anybody who has? I read the same story you did about the old couple who were "arrested" and seemingly extorted. I'm not saying they weren't extorted - they almost certainly were. But didn't King Power release CCTV footage which actually showed them shoplifting?

Again, I'm not saying the scam didn't happen - I can easily believe it did - but making it sound as though it's something that happens regularly to people is simply ridiculous. It doesn't. Oh, and King Power - the people who extort people for window shopping in your mind - also run (and ran) the duty free outlets at DMK, so please explain how that makes DMK a better airport.

Let's not forget the taxi mafia was far far worse at DMK - you were practically swamped with people hassling you when you exited. It was awful.

Thanks for the update and the pics LG.

The minor issues of the concern regarding escalators, minor compared to the track issue (btw, I have some more info on that to post in a day or so)

Really looking forward to that post!

Cheers.

So what is going on? I have asked a thai rail person to query the exact issue.

And I received a most prompt reply......

The max operating speed has been reduced to 80kph due to the fact that the track is degrading quicker than it should due to over usage and a lack of appropriate maintenance leading to roughness and in some cases some cracked rail. This has a greater impact upon the turnouts and is reporting leading to some cracking primarily at turnouts - which ultimately could cause a derailment at a turnout.

The SRTET needs to purchase a new rail grinding maintenance vehicle to smooth the track & turnouts AND/OR in the long term replace the whole track.

I am a bit surprised by this as the track is rated at 60 and I would have thought it would be very durable for this line.

No prices for guessing in which country the track and turnouts were manufactured.....

Wow, I was expecting some kind of maintenance issue but that has genuinely shocked me. "Over usage" from four/five trains an hour for the last two years?? Shocking.

Coupled with the rapidly deteriorating condition of Makkasan station, the walkway going up with no escalators and the future for the line looks bleak. I have staunchly defended it in the past and always maintained that Makkasan was not a white elephant and all would come good in the end. But now I'm not so sure.

And the SRT might get their mits on a couple of other mass transit routes too? Heaven forbid.

My days of using the ARL are certainly over for the foreseeable future.

It honestly doesn't look like those stairs are currently designed to accommodate escalators. But maybe we're not seeing the whole picture, so to speak?

I timed the City Line trains earlier in the week and would say that actual elapsed times are about 40 - 45 % longer than the schedule reflects. My sample size was "two trips", so hardly definitive.

Not definitive, but is backed up by all my recent experiences. It's been like that for a couple of months I'd say so maybe it is a deeper problem than a lack of spare parts?

Will be very interested to find out what they're really doing with the stairs/escalators issue on the Makkasan walkway.

I was by Makkasan today, and it looked like there will be at least two entrances to the elevated walkway

--one at the corner where the ARL Makkasan Station is located.

--the other across the other side of Asoke Road where the MRT is located.

Here's what the ARL corner stairs/walkup looked like today:

2013-03-21 12.23.45.jpg 2013-03-21 12.24.01.jpg

Here's what the MRT stairs/walkup looked like today:

2013-03-21 12.30.01.jpg 2013-03-21 12.30.06.jpg

I walk the portion between Makassan and Petchaburi MRT on most days. This new walkway will eliminate approximately 200 meters of walking between the two stations - that's a step in the right direct. However, the way the new overhead walkway is configured, it makes a turn to the left when walking toward MRT and then down to the street. My question is why doesn't turn to the right, toward MRT? True, it would need to extend over the railroad tracks and four-lane road, but shouldn't sort of be the point, eliminate the need for pedestrians to cross roadtracks and a busy road?

Right now, everyone coming and going must cross railroad tracks and a very busy street. Turning the overhead walkway toward MRT over these would make the walked infinitely better. However, it isn't, and the current configuration turns pedestrians away from the station putting them on a narrow, poorly-maintained sidewalk and now will need to cross the service road for Makkassan, along with tracks and other roadway.

Eh? It does turn towards the MRT and will drop you where the small car park used to be next to the MRT entrance. So it does cross Ratchada road and the railway tracks. All in all a massive step (actually many steps) in the right direction. But please please please let there be escalators. That will be a horrendous mistake if there won't be any.

Well it's a couple of years since I last travelled with a baby's bottle but there was no problem. We had a pre made bottle and a couple of other bottles of just boiled water. They made us take a sip of each one at security and then that was it. The same at Heathrow coming back.

It's very common.

I can't agree with the 50% longer journey guesstimate. Might be adding on 3-5 mins extra but no where near 12 mins extra. Though, do feel free to time it......

I've noticed that for the past few weeks the trains have all been running at a much reduced speed - it feels like almost half their old speed. Does anyone know the reason for this? It's pretty frustrating.

I'm guess it's due to some sort of (lack of) maintenance issue??

Yes I have noticed the same the last couple of times and given that the SRTET has reduced schedules due to insufficient rolling stock availability arising from some reoccurring maintenance problems this reason would seem to make sense?

Is this the Express or City Line, or both?

I assume this makes the end-end trips what 50% longer in minutes? More?

Obviously stairs only on the passenger link would be a huge safety concern what with people hoisting 25 kg luggage up/down stairs. It probably looks like stairs now but I think they'll have two escalators? Given how they've had to thread this walkway it already looks like some sort of Disney ride.

Hi,

I haven't been on the express for a long time so can't say for sure but I live near the line and they "look" to be going slowly too. I don't use the line "end to end" but I would say the journey time must be 50% longer. I don't think I'm going to bother with it again until I notice they're back at full speed - it's just too frustrating otherwise and no longer offers the benefit it used to.

Regarding the disney ride MRT link, I want to point out that it only looked like stairs only last night (but it was dark and I was on the opposite side of the road), I'm not 100% sure, so don't take that as gospel.

Also, I've been a staunch defender of the ARL all along and think it has been much maligned (unfairly) but today I really noticed that Makkasan station is becoming delapidated. Toilets out of order, plaster and paint peeling off, escalators taped off and not working. Coupled with the terribly slow running speed of the trains I fear for the service now.

Plus I saw the link to Petchaburi MRT is coming along really well but it looks like there will only be stairs at the MRT end! Nooooooo!! I didn't get to have a good look so I hope I'm wrong.

Is it just reverting true to SRT form after a promising start? Can it not be taken off that incompetent agency and privatised?

I used it again tonight and it seemed worse - even slower than the Skytrain. I would estimate no more than 60kph.

I use it a lot but I'm not going to bother any more, it's quicker for me to get a taxi now, especially if I time it wrong and just miss one.

I've noticed that for the past few weeks the trains have all been running at a much reduced speed - it feels like almost half their old speed. Does anyone know the reason for this? It's pretty frustrating.

I'm guess it's due to some sort of (lack of) maintenance issue??

When my company pays invoices to Australia, we pay the invoice amount less the 15%, and the Australian company claims it back on their tax. This is allowed because of the tax treaty between Australia and Thailand.

You should ask the German company how they deal with it.

It turns out that Germany and Thailand have signed a "double tax" treaty and so the transaction is exempt from 15% withholding tax. We do have to pay 7% VAT however, but this can be claimed back.

Woop!

Thanks for the links, some useful info there. Seems my accountant was right, unfortunately.

Will do some digging around to see about how the double tax agreement may make a difference.

Cheers.

Hi people,

My company is currently negotiating with a highly specialised guy from Europe to give some training to some of our staff on some highly specialised equipment. He will be in Bangkok for seven days and we will be paying him 5000 Euros. This sum will be invoiced to us from his German company and we will be paying by TT transfer. My accounts department tell me this will be subject to 15% withholding tax. So, now it's going to cost us significantly more (as we've already agreed they get 5000 Euros. Is this really the case or are they mistaken? It seems strange to me.

A German company will be invoicing us from Germany for some training from a German. We pay Germany accordingly. Why would this attract 15% withholding tax? I'll be the first to admit I don't know the law on this and that's why I'm asking here - it just seems illogical to me.

If this is so, what if we sent staff to be trained in Germany instead? The invoice from Germany would be identical, so how would that work?

Please be aware I'm not trying to circumvent the law, I'm trying to understand it to make sure we do things correctly. If we have to pay the extra 15% we will. But obviously I'd rather not if it isn't necessary.

Our company has full BOI privileges if that makes any difference.

Thank you for any input.

I ordered some "camcorder sunglasses" as I had a load of miles expiring. They turned up very quickly and with no tax to pay or any other problems.

12th of Nov: walked straight to the officer at around 23.15 hrs (who then tried to cheat me and stamped in only 30 days instead of 90 - but as I always have a look at my passport after leaving the immigration desk, I quickly discovered this and went back - the lady just had closed her desk and wanted to flee, but I was faster )

Really. Tried to cheat you. Hmmmm. And what would be in it for her to "cheat" you like that? Don't you think it's possible that she merely made a mistake?

'Best Money Changer At Swampy'

I think the moderators should pay serious attention at how the posters call the name of the airport.

the airport has its name and most importantly it was His Majesty the King who gave the name of this nation's airport.

'Swampy' is a derogatory remark, my opinion.

Commonly called this and quite appropriate.

I don't think it's offensive, but I do think it is ridiculous and cliquey. I see new people posting questions on here about forthcoming trips to Thailand and they get replies about "Swampy". How are they supposed to know what it means? I think it's quite sad actually.

Good post... great info....

Seconded. Excellent stuff LG, thanks.

It's not an RS2000, it's just a replica.

The price will depend on the spec... 150k to 500k or more...

It's a bloody nice replica though!

It should be allowed. They have a lot of spare channels but the Panda was not attracting advertising revenues so it was a financial decision not a philanthropic one (for want of a better word). But they lost viewer ratings so that will affect their advertisers. But money is the only thing motivating Thai's. This country really needs a Free To Air (FTA) Community Channel.

Sheesh, what a ridiculous leap of logic! So a cable broadcaster drops one of the most boring, pointless and unwatched channels after a boring, pointless and unwatched three years and you conclude that money is the only thing that motivates Thai people. Honestly, that's quite pathetic.

The ARL is two lines, the Express and an all stop suburban line called City Line. In the future this suburban line will have 10 carriages and run at a metro style frequency in peak hours but that was planned for 2026 though pax numbers have been higher so expect a few years earlier. It will also be extended as will the Express line which will go to DMK.

Hi LG,

If there is a plan to have a metro style frequency in the future, how would this work in conjunction with the Express trains? Currently I believe Hua Mark station is the only place where the Express trains can pass the City Line trains. Isn't there a limit to how frequent the City Line trains can be before it impacts on the Express trains (as they would be stacked up behind them)? Just curious.