Thai Airways Moving Back To Don Muang

[grahamhc]

It seems that London and Paris manage with 2 airports in operation.!

More than that! London has Heathrow and the little known London City in the Docklands. Then there are the 3 other "Local" airports, Gatwick (LGW), Luton, and built in the marshes, like Surwanathingy, Stanstead Airport. All deal with both Domestic and International.

[Nemo.]

this has to be the most stupid idea ever!

The operating costs at the old airport will be higher if reopened as it wont have the previous volume. It's too far away from the new airport for connections.

Dumb, dumber and Thai dumb!

[chiang mai]

Why cant people read the innitial post before posting their replies and making derogatory comments about the Thai government and their supposed inabilities - Don Muang is reopening " at the request of low cost airlines

The government are taking the responsible act of ensuring that there is a low cost alternative in the airline industry.

And for those who are whinging about having to transfer between airports to save money I suggest they take a closer look at their home countries.

Several of the low cost airlines do not fly into the main airports but to hub airports anything up to 50 km away -

Easy Jet into London Luton (!!!)

Easy jet into Glasgow - actualy into an airport 35km away but great for the golf course

Palermo - 3hr 30 bus journey into the city

And there are many other places similar to this. Before the Americans get too excited and on their high horses one of their airports is not even in the same state as the name on the tickets.

The government have taken a logical decision on a request from Thai businesses - which affects mainly Thais or those who choose to life in Thailand.

If you dont like the decision shut up or get out and leave those who are comfortable living with the decisions being made (we may not like them but accept it's not our country). Some of us are getting fed up of being tarred with the same brush by Thais who are fed up of constantly whining ferangs

Phuket Diver

Whilst I agree with the sentiment (not the wording) you expressed at the end of your note you did get a few things off centre here. First of all, AOT is a government organization and the low cost airlines or budget carriers have only asked for Don Muang to be reopened in order to suggest a resolution to the current overcrowding problem. People would not have a right to complain had a new major airport not been built but as it is there is a reasonable expectations on the part of the public to expect that some amount of capacity planning had gone into its design. As it turns out that was not the case and now the traveling public will be in a slightly worse situation than before. I think that readers have a right to complain about the somewhat dysfunctional solution to the problem. It would be sensible to split domestic and international traffic between the two airports but to split only the domestic traffic of the national flag carrier is a nonsense and does nothing to consider the needs of the traveling public. Finally, I am uncertain what you meant by the government ensuring there is a low cost alternative in the industry. If you were referring to Thai Airways launch of a budget carrier, Thai is a private company.

[sriracha john]

The bottomline is of course that Don Muang is a milityary airport right now

and the cronies of the dictator must be rewarded, I suppose the 859,000 THB a month salary is not sufficient for the gentlemen

Is it possible to provide a source for these statements? Thank you.

[Rhys]

And the grand master will reopen the place too... DAT SOON...555555

[Valehree]

So what name will be used for DM?

Bangkok National Airport

Bangkok Occasional Airport

BKK Classic

I can't believe it's still an Airport

New Bangkok International Old Domestic ...er... I give up.

Re: Airport names:

Well, I've conferred with my wife and ... killing ourselves laughing ... we have agreed that the airports should be renamed to:

"go-diss-way"

"go-datd-way"

Don't ask which one is which ... that would spoil all the fun.

Virgil, Out!

a good laugh

[ramidin]

Great. Now if you fly from Udon ( or anywhere esle) with an o/s connection, you have to get your bags and drag it half way over Bangkok.

So much for short connections and a regional hub.

Absolute bloody nonsense!

[sjaak327]

So what name will be used for DM?

Bangkok National Airport

Bangkok Occasional Airport

BKK Classic

I can't believe it's still an Airport

New Bangkok International Old Domestic ...er... I give up.

What will they dream of next.One has to live here to beleive all of this BS.No one else would beleive it.

This whole nonsense is going to cause havoc for poor visitors from overseas, never mind us ! The airport code is BKK which as we all know was moved from Don Mueang to Suvarnaswamp. They will have to create a new three letter code and implement this in worldwide reservations systems and online, and make sure everyone knows what they are doijg, and if anyone thinks they can do this by 15th March they have to be joking. There can be no doubt that chaos will prevail very soon!! I wish them luck.

That airport code already exist: DMK.

[gudy]

If they move all the lowcost airlines back to DM Thai will then realistically have a monopoly on farangs flying to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen as nobody's going to be bothered to hack across town to save 1000(ish)bt.

Yehey... I think to start my own low cost airline service... from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Muang..... let's calculate 10.000.000 * 500bht.... 5bln bht yearly.... just ordered a cessna A300

[veteran]

TIT :

[dominique355]

I live near the "Outer Ring" Motor Way, which now connects to Suvarnaphum Airport. Before it opened, this was a quiet little motor way with little to no traffic and certainly never any traffic jam. Now, since Suvarnaphum has opened, this motor way is totally over capacity, the traffic is crawling and more often standing still. To connect Suvarnaphum to Don Muang, you need to take this motor way, then exit on Ramintra and go to Viphavadee. Since you cannot turn right there, run south on Viphawadee until the next U-turn bridge and then north to the old airport. I don't think it can be done in less than 90 minutes, any time of the day. Add 90 minutes to disembark from your international flight arriving in Suvarnaphum and another 90 minutes to check-in at Don Muang, that makes 4,5 hours connecting time from an international flight to a domestic flight. Got to be a new world record.

They say a people has the government the deserve, but did Thai people really deserve this level of incompetence?

Edited January 15, 2007 by dominique355

[mitrapaap]

Had they kept it open for some flights it would have been one thing, but to shut it down and then re-open just makes a laughing stock out of the whole AOT. A brand new airport is already not able to handle its own domestic traffic? What kind of fools are in charge of AOT?

"Not able to handle" and "too expensive" is not the same thing.

[mitrapaap]

this has to be the most stupid idea ever!

The operating costs at the old airport will be higher if reopened as it wont have the previous volume. It's too far away from the new airport for connections.

Dumb, dumber and Thai dumb!

While I as an individual would certainly appreciate if there was only one airport, because then I never have to worry about where exactly to go when I take a plane, I am sure that those who make these decisions on whether to re-open Don Muang or not did go to school and have their degrees enabling them to make that decision, while most of the posters here obviously do not have the insight and detail information necessary to somehow intelligently comment the decision.

Just believing to know everything better than everybody else is not a proof of intelligence. Your last line should be enough to get you deported and banned from re-entering Thailand.

[mitrapaap]

I live near the "Outer Ring" Motor Way, which now connects to Suvarnaphum Airport. Before it opened, this was a quiet little motor way with little to no traffic and certainly never any traffic jam. Now, since Suvarnaphum has opened, this motor way is totally over capacity, the traffic is crawling and more often standing still. To connect Suvarnaphum to Don Muang, you need to take this motor way, then exit on Ramintra and go to Viphavadee. Since you cannot turn right there, run south on Viphawadee until the next U-turn bridge and then north to the old airport. I don't think it can be done in less than 90 minutes, any time of the day. Add 90 minutes to disembark from your international flight arriving in Suvarnaphum and another 90 minutes to check-in at Don Muang, that makes 4,5 hours connecting time from an international flight to a domestic flight. Got to be a new world record.

They say a people has the government the deserve, but did Thai people really deserve this level of incompetence?

Just go over Din Daeng, no problem. And the outer-ring road is not crowded anymore since they are collecting the tollway fee again.

[BlackArtemis]

So which domestic flights are staying.

If I am not wrong my mother visiting me in March will fly in from JFK to BKK and not have to transfer because BKK to CNX is not moving?

[chiang mai]

this has to be the most stupid idea ever!

The operating costs at the old airport will be higher if reopened as it wont have the previous volume. It's too far away from the new airport for connections.

Dumb, dumber and Thai dumb!

I was on board with what you had to say until I got to the last line and realized then that you were simply being offensive.

[mitrapaap]

If they move all the lowcost airlines back to DM Thai will then realistically have a monopoly on farangs flying to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen as nobody's going to be bothered to hack across town to save 1000(ish)bt.

Most travelers aren't connecting to low cost airlines anyway, as extra domestic legs come for nearly (if not) free on Thai. So it wouldn't be bad to have Thai operated connecting flights from Suwanabhumi and low cost carriers from Don Muang.

And what's wrong with Don Muang Airport? They don't need to call it Bangkok International Airport or any other nonsense...

My goodness, how much nonsense did I have to read until finally find a post of somebody with a brain. Thank you tomazbodner!

[Krit]

Well... Abandoning a mostly decent airport to build a brand new one to replace it always sounded a bit strange to me.

I mean, if you need more rooms in your house, you build a new wing or something, huh? It's not like you're going to build a new house next to the previous one and just leave the old one to the spirits, right?

[mitrapaap]

Yet another chance for Taxi drivers to rip us(well not us,but tourists/1st time TIT'ers) off rotten,

"Where you go?",

"Eh,Phuket mate,first time in thailand,I dono which airport,Don,eh,Don johnson or something",

"OK no problem 500 baht"

"OK thanks"

*Drives to Suvarnabhumi*,

"Oh!,so sorry,wrong airport,you late for flight,no problem,I take you quick quick,cheap cheap...1000baht"...

I'm sure there are some tourists not smart enough to handle two different airports in the same city. However, that is not the Thai's mistake. Those tourists would have the same problem in any larger city having more than one airport. Imagine they would arrive at John FW Bush and need to go to Gateshit or something like that.

[cutter007]

This sucks, let me say it again this totally sucks.

I saw nothing wrong with Don Muang, but I understood the need to expand, but now this.

It's going to be like the subway, build only one line and of course it will lose money.

The first line loses money because it isn't used to capacity,

because customers don't find it convenient enough because it doesn't go to enough places.

So then they use the excuse of it lossing money, to delay building more lines.

Now they are going to make a complete mess of the entire aviation system in Thailand.

Nothing good will come of this, Suvarnaphum will now loss revenue, making any expansion plans

to gather dust,

I wish they had never built that new airport, Thai politicians don't have a clue about infrastucture systems,

or how to use them efficiently.

They treat them like new toys that mommy and daddy bought them, there cool to show off to their friends, and who cares if they are being used in a productive manner or not.

Aviation hub of SE Asia, yeah right!!!., They can't even make an aviation hub for Bangkok,

forget about the rest of the country or region.

[beammeup]

lets just screw the farang some more have you seen the price of Oishi at suwannaphoooooooom ? 70 baht when you can buy it locally for 19 baht!!

I nearly had a heart attack last time when I tried to buy a bottle of water with a 20 Baht note and was asked thirty. I gave 10 baht more but noooo ! She wanted 30 Baht more !! 50 Baht for a botle of water that can be bought for 10-15 Baht in town!?

This is definitiveley the most expensive ever Airport in the world, if nothing else...

[sandy]

#

I swear the Thais can't do anything in there own country without the falang critics disecting and scrutinizing every detail and assuming the negative. No wonder they are tiring of our presence.

Edited January 15, 2007 by beammeup

[kenk3z]

I would like to stand up and whine about the price of Oishi.

Oishi is 19 baht now? I just can't handle it. Last time I bought a bottle, less than two years ago, it was 13 baht.

Is this due to the coup?

kenk3z

[AlexLah]

Now I was thinking of the following.

As some old furniture and equipment was relocated to Suvanieboom will they move

the old stuff back again to DM.

Look at the following pictures where you can see some room with old and some with new stuff.

Yep all pics from the new airport.

New room but old TV.

Same as DM.

Now I could also post this in the 'Why' thread but as we cannot get answers there I thought it might be better to post here.

Amazing Thailand, yes indeed!!!!

Reopen DM, yep knock yourself out man....

[percy2]

lets just screw the farang some more have you seen the price of Oishi at suwannaphoooooooom ? 70 baht when you can buy it locally for 19 baht!!

I nearly had a heart attack last time when I tried to buy a bottle of water with a 20 Baht note and was asked thirty. I gave 10 baht more but noooo ! She wanted 30 Baht more !! 50 Baht for a botle of water that can be bought for 10-15 Baht in town!?

This is definitiveley the most expensive ever Airport in the world, if nothing else...

[sandy]

#

I swear the Thais can't do anything in there own country without the falang critics disecting and scrutinizing every detail and assuming the negative. No wonder they are tiring of our presence.

one of the few post ( and there are a few ) in this thread I agree with.

[amarka]

It seems that London and Paris manage with 2 airports in operation.!

hi...

ah yes - but the sickos here would have nothing to do if they were not kicking Thailand in the teeth at every opportunity.... really makes me sick!

some people dont like cheap flights or even cheap coffee..... or even long queues ...

so if they reopen the old airport, there will be more options, less queues - whats the problem? a lot of other cities have 2 or more airports?

amarka

[Johpa]

Errr.... If you were the President of Thai Airways or even the supervisor of the Thai Airways office (or any responsible business rank in between) at the airport and a customer wanted to buy a ticket from you for an overseas destination, how would you feel if your staff said, Oh, our tickets are way too expensive, why don't you go and see the nice lady at the travel agent next door and you'll save loads of money! Commercially questionable, Lady from Thai Airways just doing her job, .....

It is not unusal for an airline or a hotel to have a policy of charging a full rate, a rack rate, at the front desk. And it is not unusal for the staff to suggest going to a nearby travel agent to obtain the more normal discounted rate as opposed to the customer finding an alternative. So yes, she was probably doing her job.

[endure]

Perhaps Thai could call the new domestic airline it's going to set up Nokair?

Nok Air is already a subsidiary of Thai.

Perhaps I am missing something (an attempt at some form of humour perhaps)

A smidgin of irony

[endure]

If they move all the lowcost airlines back to DM Thai will then realistically have a monopoly on farangs flying to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen as nobody's going to be bothered to hack across town to save 1000(ish)bt.

Thats only for tourists arriving on inter flights.

The domestic market for domestic flights won't see much of a difference.

Cheers

Yes, sorry. I should have made that clear.

[endure]

If they move all the lowcost airlines back to DM Thai will then realistically have a monopoly on farangs flying to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen as nobody's going to be bothered to hack across town to save 1000(ish)bt.

Most travelers aren't connecting to low cost airlines anyway, as extra domestic legs come for nearly (if not) free on Thai. So it wouldn't be bad to have Thai operated connecting flights from Suwanabhumi and low cost carriers from Don Muang.

And what's wrong with Don Muang Airport? They don't need to call it Bangkok International Airport or any other nonsense...

That's assuming you're flying in on Thai. Lots of passengers arrive on other airlines.

[JPINBKK]

INCREDIBLE, "......from Suvarnabhumi to old airport to save on operating costs"!!?? AOT just put the first nail in Suvarnabhumi's coffin,,, total lack of vision!!! Moving flights to Don Muang to "save airlines operating cost" means Suvarnabhumi Airport will lose those revenues,,, SO, why not accomodate them at Suvarnabhumi instead of re-opening a second airport!!??!! A second airport within the same city means - MAJOR PROBLEMS - this is known worldwide and is PROVEN THAT WHEN DOMESTIC TRAFFIC IS SPLITTED FROM IT'S INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION - IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!! Operating two airports is much more expensive then operating ONE FUNCTIONAL AIRPORT!!!