Congestion at U Tapao

[Eff1n2ret]

This morning just before 6am we dropped off my wife's elderly mother to catch the 7.05 flight to Udon Thani. There was a massive queue outside for the single security scanner at the front door, about 7 or 8 persons deep and stretching back 25 meters. Of course we had no compunction about jumping the queue for an 84-year-old lady who can barely walk. We've taken that flight several times and not experienced any scrum like that before, but it now appears that you  have to factor in an extra half hour just to get into the building for those early flights.

The adjacent new departures terminal appear to be nearing completion, so maybe there will be less of a problem when that's open.

[Pilotman]

U Tapao can be a nightmare if your internal flight clashes with a Chinese or Russia aircraft leaving at about the same time.  The place is just not geared for it.  The new terminal is taking an age and they dont' seem to be rushing themselves.  We use the place a lot, but when you add the inadequate car park to the problems of the terminal, using the airport is not a good experience. I doubt that it will change any time soon. 

[champers]

I think it will improve soon enough. Mostly Japanese and Chinese investors are funding the EEC (Eastern Economic Corridor) and they need a gateway in the heart of the area. U Tapao will be that gateway. Expect direct flights to Japan sooner rather than later.

[thaikahuna]

I see it eventually bleeding off all the Pattaya traffic from BKK but that will be years away at this point.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, thaikahuna said:

I see it eventually bleeding off all the Pattaya traffic from BKK but that will be years away at this point.

Probably about the same time as they build the mythical Pattaya tram.

[Pilotman]

4 hours ago, champers said:

I think it will improve soon enough. Mostly Japanese and Chinese investors are funding the EEC (Eastern Economic Corridor) and they need a gateway in the heart of the area. U Tapao will be that gateway. Expect direct flights to Japan sooner rather than later.

If that is the case then the new terminal itself is way too small.  It's no bigger than the average UK regional airport, that handles less than  1.5 million pax per yeas.  So, don't look at the new build as the answer, it won't be. 

[Eff1n2ret]

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

If that is the case then the new terminal itself is way too small.  It's no bigger than the average UK regional airport, that handles less than  1.5 million pax per yeas.  So, don't look at the new build as the answer, it won't be. 

Well, they've plenty of room to build another one.

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Well, they've plenty of room to build another one.

They will need it. There is an old saying in the airport industry, that you always build 'just too late'.  They seem to be taking that quite seriously. 

[HLover]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Probably about the same time as they build the mythical Pattaya tram.

Flying cars may arrive as well.

[JoePai]

Have had this on 3 occasions – for the Udon flight you can ‘jump’ the queue and go straight to the X Ray machine just inside the entrance (in fact on 2 occasions had Thai staff asking then directing Udon passengers to the front.

 

Once inside I have experienced a separate entrance/gate to show Boarding Card for Udon flight (and check-in baggage X Ray) away from the great unwashed.

[SidJames]

I also just went straight to the front the last time that I flew for there & there were 8 of us flying.

We would never have made the flight if I stood in the queue with the hordes of Russians looking sad & red after their hols.

 

[digbeth]

Went to Chiang Mai last week on a 6AM flight, lucky I turned up around 4.30, the queue was quite disorganized and new comers would cut in all the time, if they'd only deploy the barrier and makes newcomers join the back of the queue.

 

At least the hoards of Chinese and Russians were using some other part of the terminal to check in, 

 

Coming back, the new terminal looks barely enough to contain the current number of passengers, the immigration counter is again too small. If they're going to seriously promote UTP as Bangkok's 3rd airport they'd need another terminal

[Nice Boyd]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Probably about the same time as they build the mythical Pattaya tram.

Or Casino

[IAMHERE]

Just now, Pilotman said:

They will need it. There is an old saying in the airport industry, that you always build 'just too late'.  They seem to be taking that quite seriously. 

It would seem the Thai's have found an area in which they can exceed expectations.  

[Pilotman]

Doe anyone have an experience of Immigration at U T?   Is it worth a visa run through there, say to KL and back ? 

[Mcarr]

3 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Doe anyone have an experience of Immigration at U T?   Is it worth a visa run through there, say to KL and back ? 

Did one last year - 5 days KL and back

 

had 2 month tourist visa (from UK) with 28 day extension already so was a bit worried - but no problem

 

[Sydebolle]

It's like everything else in this country. The new terminal is being used for more than a year for arrivals; departures take place in that old, tiny, smelly shack to the left of the glorious new, yet unused/unuseable building. 
The parking is a joke as is the entire access. Dropping my wife there we took a taxi and it was not sufficient, that the taxi driver had ID, my wife being Thai was not satisfactory enough either. Me, the Alien, was seeking (temporary) access to the airport to - as mentioned - drop off my wife. I had no ID and it was only by gratitude by the colonel or general on duty overriding the security staff's intention to not let me in. 

Remember the days then Thailand decided to close Bangkok airports for an undefined period of time? That showed perfectly well the present short comings and nothing really has changed since. 

So yes, there is hope that the Chinese and Japanese will cough up the cash to rebuild this airport from a defunct Thai market structure (only missing smelly somtam and steaming noodle shops) to what is better known an airport. 

[Eff1n2ret]

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

The parking is a joke as is the entire access. Dropping my wife there we took a taxi and it was not sufficient, that the taxi driver had ID, my wife being Thai was not satisfactory enough either. Me, the Alien, was seeking (temporary) access to the airport to - as mentioned - drop off my wife. I had no ID and it was only by gratitude by the colonel or general on duty overriding the security staff's intention to not let me in. 

Do you mean access at the entrance off the main road? They seem to have abandoned the checks they used to make, which included taking my driving licence and returning it on exit. Now there's just a camera and a soldier saluting you as you drive slowly past - didn't even wind the window down.

But I agree that the parking is very messy now, and inadequate for the increased amount of traffic.

[tinca tinca]

On 2/21/2018 at 7:22 PM, Nice Boyd said:

Or Casino

or the satahiup/koh chang ferry.....suppose to start last november after tests should have been carried out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bkk6060]

Was there this morning and it was a ghost town.