Bangkok Will Have Two International Airports

[PeaceBlondie]

In this case, one step backward is a step in the right direction; one step back out of the swamp.

Now, when the next 128 serious problems are encountered at Swampbunny, they might have a chance to fix them. Not that they'll fix them properly, of course. And it can be abandoned in stages, to save face. Face down in the swamp.

[SwaziBird]

"Considering the problems we have now at Suvannabhumi Airport and the number of passengers are increasing, the Cabinet decided that Don Muang Airport will be re-opened and Bangkok will have two international airports."

At least somebody who 'dares' to state some simple truths. I am involved in the tourism biz in Pattaya and I can tell you with gret certainty, that I reckon "incoming tourism" is down at least 50% as opposed to last year.

On the Suvarnabuhmi Airport; I reckon they should stop all incoming flights there a.sa.p., with the exception of ONE (1) flight . . . . . . . . yep; you guessed it; Toxin's fabulous return to his homeland; just have to make sure there are lots of devices; machines and heaps of soil on all the cracked runways . . . . . . . naaahhh; don;t feel sorry for the chap; they almost always find the black-box, don't they ? ? ? ? ? ?

JK/Pattaya

Must say,

Ive heard that this type of wish has been known to rebound !

Your business just might be down some 50% because a part of that loss might arise from bad-wishing , and I mean death -wishing other people.

Chock dee!

Hope you dont have any misfortunes and that your business thrives.

[AlexLah]

Supervisor to khun Somchai: Somchai, move the old office furniture back to DM.

But we have problem because only one of the two rooms have old furniture that we took from DM to SV

as boss took the new furniture for one room to his house.

Listen you piece of waterbuffalo, the new furniture has been used for a few months so it is old.

So now we can order new furniture for both rooms again, nobody will notice. Now Somchai, get on with your work and don't you ever try to question my orders again!

New "old" furniture

Old furniture

Edited February 6, 2007 by AlexLah

[blam]

I can't stand the new airport. Too many bad experiences...

all within 2 months.

I can't wait for the old airport to re-open. So many good experiences...

bring back the good old days. It'll be like going home, I know every nook and cranny of the old lady.

GREAT NEWS !!!

...

OK, here's the deal: Phuket is packed. The weather is simply fantastic right now. People traveling here are having an incredible time. Deep blue skies all day, warm exciting nights (all night!) coco palms gently swaying, ice cold beers and gai yang chicken on the perfect beach instantly with a smile. Lots of places to go and see. The happy travelers may have planned on going to Bangkok for a couple of days, and Chiang Mai for couple of days, and maybe Samui for a couple of days... but now they are having second thoughts.

"Gee honey, it is so wonderful here and we are having the best time of our lives, are we sure we want to pack everything up and go all the way to Chiang Mai? This is paradise. Let's go to all of those other places next time."

There you have it. If it was raining this month, it would be a different story.

Keep them coming, we need the money. Two airports in BKK all the better.

[mtnthai]

I have read that Phuket seems to be doing well, but from what I've seen, Pattaya seems a little light compared to recent years. kind of contradicts the passengers are increasing quote. I know, TIT.

Let me assure you, Phuket is doing very well. Places like Karon and Patong are full and I mean it. Try to find seats for a group of 8 people in a restaurant in Karon between 1830 and 2030 hours, most likely you will fail.

may i suggest a little known gem in karon called Pacific Club Spa and Resort. www.pacific-club-phuket.com/ built, owned and managed by a 15+ year resident of karon who also owns a great steak house and a tropical/tex-mex restaurant, PAC is serving american, european, mexican, steak house, indian and thai cusines in a beautiful new dining room. the fact that it is off the beaten track, and only a year and a half old, means they do not get the regular load of tours or independent travelers. they will even pick you up down town karon and drive u to the hotel and back.

the fact that his staff are a team made up from his other establishments these folks can really pull this off. it is also a great value.

chek it ou, u should be pleasently surprised.

[mtnthai]

script malfunction, redundant post, sorry

Edited February 6, 2007 by mtnthai

[ollyrosee]

yippee , just let me at those urinals for a luxurious weewee...

[toptuan]

And the BEST part: I'm sure the airport fee/departure tax will return to 500 baht for all flights leaving Don Muang. Right?

[Tbone]

Suvarnabhumi - What a Cracker!!!

[ramidin]

Thai Govt To Re-open Don Muang Airport

BANGKOK, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Thai Cabinet Tuesday approved the plan to have two international airports in the capital, paving way for the re-opening of the 93-year-old Don Muang which was closed last September with the opening of the US$3.7 billion Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the decision was made due to the problem-ridden Suvarnabhumi Airport which needed massive repairs at its taxiways and runways, as well as leaking roof, in the terminal, lack of signboards and toilets, poor lighting and faulty air-conditioning.

"The number of passengers is also increasing at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. So we feel there is a need to have two international airports...we will make a final decision in two weeks' time," he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting today.

Transport Minister Admiral Thira Haocharoen said the airport could be used within 45 days after a final decision was made, adding that renovation works were going on to re-open the Don Muang Airport which used to be an airfield for the Royal Thai Army and opened in 1914.

He said the government would let airlines decide if they want to return to the Don Muang, operate from both airports or maintain their current base at the Suvarnabhumi.

The new spanking airport, which began full commercial operations on Sept 28 last year, had its west runway closed for repairs recently as several flights were diverted to the U-Tapao military airfield in Chon Buri for refuelling due to congestion here.

Situated about 25km east of Bangkok at Nong Ngu Hao, which means Cobra Swamp, the "Pride of Thailand", as its slogan says, is touted as being Southeast Asia's largest airport and the Thai government is banking on it to make Thailand the undisputed aviation hub of Asia.

The first phase of Suvarnabhumi is expected to handle three million tonnes of cargo and up to 45 million passengers, which is 15 million more than Don Muang.

The Airports of Thailand's (AOT) board approved in principle the reopening of the old airport following an outcry from low-cost airlines over the higher operating fees at the new airport.

The government had first suggested that domestic flights without international connections operate from Don Muang, but many airlines feared that lack of a transport link between the two airports could cause inconvenience for overseas-bound passengers flying in from the provinces.

The Don Muang served more than 80 airlines in 2004, with 160,000 flights and 700,000 tonnes of cargo and was the 14th busiest airport in the world by passenger volume.

- BERNAMA

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Situated about 25km east of Bangkok at Nong Ngu Hao, which means Cobra Swamp, the "Pride of Thailand", as its slogan says, is touted as being Southeast Asia's largest airport and the Thai government is banking on it to make Thailand the undisputed aviation hub of Asia.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yeah, like Suvarnaswampi can even consider itself in the same class as Changi

Well, if it wasnt for the sinking runways, the duff airbridges, the bodgy computer system, etc etc and the fact that this spanking new airport leaks, is dirty, crowded, hard to get to, has no signs, no toilets, the roof leaks, the air con doesn't work, it could praobably compete.

Thailand, hate to say it given the relations at the moment with Singapore, but if you want to see how to build an airport, go check out the new Terminal 3 at Singapore.

[bakmigoreng]

One or two or neither of them. But please open these Klong again which were shut for the construction of the Suva and for the draining of the water from that place. Our Moo Ban is only about 10 Minutes N-E of the new airport. Since the construction of this new "Pratu Nam" started, our house is flooded not only in the rainy season. The sewer in our Moo Ban are brain full even in the dry season. During the rain season we need a boat to leave the house. When the our place was developed 10 years ago, there was absolutely no flooding in that area.

And nobody listen to our problems, everybody asking us to stay calm.

HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bakmi

smily does not fit to the subject

[pschef]

Maybe we should coin a new acronym for Thailand now - LOU, Land of U-turns

There was a report by some high ranking Thai architects recently in the BKK post in which the architect pointed out that

- The design for the airport was 20 years old and never revised. So Thailand ended up with a state-of-the-art facility - state of the art for 1987.

- The design had many built-in flaws such as:

-- All glass design makes it difficult to cool

-- The structural design makes it difficult to impossible to clean. The solution proposed by the original architects was an elaborate and expensive cleaning system. Worse, the cleaning system was never installed.

-- The finishing was done without any consideration for aesthetics

-- Many intrinsic flaws - lack of toilets, lack of storage space meaning carts and other airport equipment is just standing around in halls

-- No interior room for staff etc

-- Largest single terminal feels cramped and claustrophobic because of these faults

In architecture, anything can be fixed given time and money. But if you believe these architects you would basically have to shut down the airport completely, have an independent team of international architects come in, analyze all the problems, and develop solutions which are subsequently implemented. Sounded like a multi-year project.

The Thai architects suggested international help because there are no impartial / independent architects in Thailand.

Argee totally, how about the long drops over those walkways. just throw your self over there mate

[Briggsy]

Thai Govt To Re-open Don Muang Airport

BANGKOK, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Thai Cabinet Tuesday approved the plan to have two international airports in the capital, paving way for the re-opening of the 93-year-old Don Muang which was closed last September with the opening of the US$3.7 billion Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the decision was made due to the problem-ridden Suvarnabhumi Airport which needed massive repairs at its taxiways and runways, as well as leaking roof, in the terminal, lack of signboards and toilets, poor lighting and faulty air-conditioning.

"The number of passengers is also increasing at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. So we feel there is a need to have two international airports...we will make a final decision in two weeks' time," he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting today.

Transport Minister Admiral Thira Haocharoen said the airport could be used within 45 days after a final decision was made, adding that renovation works were going on to re-open the Don Muang Airport which used to be an airfield for the Royal Thai Army and opened in 1914.

He said the government would let airlines decide if they want to return to the Don Muang, operate from both airports or maintain their current base at the Suvarnabhumi.

The new spanking airport, which began full commercial operations on Sept 28 last year, had its west runway closed for repairs recently as several flights were diverted to the U-Tapao military airfield in Chon Buri for refuelling due to congestion here.

Situated about 25km east of Bangkok at Nong Ngu Hao, which means Cobra Swamp, the "Pride of Thailand", as its slogan says, is touted as being Southeast Asia's largest airport and the Thai government is banking on it to make Thailand the undisputed aviation hub of Asia.

The first phase of Suvarnabhumi is expected to handle three million tonnes of cargo and up to 45 million passengers, which is 15 million more than Don Muang.

The Airports of Thailand's (AOT) board approved in principle the reopening of the old airport following an outcry from low-cost airlines over the higher operating fees at the new airport.

The government had first suggested that domestic flights without international connections operate from Don Muang, but many airlines feared that lack of a transport link between the two airports could cause inconvenience for overseas-bound passengers flying in from the provinces.

The Don Muang served more than 80 airlines in 2004, with 160,000 flights and 700,000 tonnes of cargo and was the 14th busiest airport in the world by passenger volume.

- BERNAMA

No spanking for me, thank you.

[ThailandTony]

Anyone wanna bet that anything not nailed down or worth more than 5 Baht will have gone AWOL since Don Muang shut down, wonder if they can buy all the missing bits in 45 days? Will they need to be re-certified by the governing bodies or do they just dust off the last one and switch on the landing lights again?

Happy Travels.....TT

[kalaminsa]

Would'nt surprise me if passengers are still to be checked-in at SA and the bussed to DM !

[Maestro]

I believe that they will have to close, partially or totally Suva in order to proceed to massive repairs.

Welcome to the club! I predicted total closure of Suvarnabhumi on 29 January (“My guess is that Suvarnabhumi will be shut down completely, all flights moved to Don Muang”) and again on yesterday (“And I go further and predict that as soon as Don Muang is ready, not only non-connecting domestic flights but all flights, domestic and international, will be transferred back do Don Muang”)

--

Maestro

[jetjock]

I think that having two airports to permanently serve the Bangkok area in the furture is one of the best things to happen out of the massive screwup at Suvarnabhumi. I have spent 40 years in the airline industry and believe that the the list of positives of having these two airports, from both the passenger and pilot perspective, far outnumber the negatives. Many major cities in the US and elsewhere have two or more major airports serving their areas. The close proximity of major airports capable of handling large jets is a tremendous advantage for pilots in their flight planning of alternate airports in the case a diversion becomes necessary. This can become a tremendous advantage to getting passengers to their destination safely and in a reasonable time when a diversion becomes necessary. The list of pluses could go on and on.... I think of airport land in prime near city locations as something of a natural resource which once it is replaced by housing and shopping centers, it can never be replaced. Hopefully the Thai government will make the best of this opportunity and be able to transistion smoothly to having both BKK and DMK serve the needs of the flying public.

[ollyrosee]

i wonder if the airlines flying to DM will get more trade than those flying to SV?

i would defiantely choose a DM bound airline over the rest of them .

[Arandora]

I think that having two airports to permanently serve the Bangkok area in the furture is one of the best things to happen out of the massive screwup at Suvarnabhumi. I have spent 40 years in the airline industry and believe that the the list of positives of having these two airports, from both the passenger and pilot perspective, far outnumber the negatives. Many major cities in the US and elsewhere have two or more major airports serving their areas. The close proximity of major airports capable of handling large jets is a tremendous advantage for pilots in their flight planning of alternate airports in the case a diversion becomes necessary. This can become a tremendous advantage to getting passengers to their destination safely and in a reasonable time when a diversion becomes necessary. The list of pluses could go on and on.... I think of airport land in prime near city locations as something of a natural resource which once it is replaced by housing and shopping centers, it can never be replaced. Hopefully the Thai government will make the best of this opportunity and be able to transistion smoothly to having both BKK and DMK serve the needs of the flying public.

They rushed to open the new airport, now they are rushing to reopen the old one in time for Songkran. What about passenger safety? I would hope (hope springs eternal!) that would be top priority!! If I hadn't chosen Bangkok as our hub for our forthcoming revisit to Khal Lak and booked non-transferable, non-refundable tickets I would fly to Kuala Lumpur - now THAT is an International Airport.

I don't know which worries me most - an ill-conceived, ill-prepared, fault ridden new airport or an old, mothballed one! I'd be amazed if an old, decommissioned airport could be recommissioned safely, all flight timetables and aircraft rescheduled in 45 - 60 days! If that happens Thailand will prove that it has the best Project Managers in the world!! I'm returning to the UK on 12th April. Worst o two evils, I hope and believe it will be from the NEW airport. I also hope that the international community will not agree to reusing the old until it is guaranteed to be safe - if they are allowed to have a say, that is!

[cdnvic]

We have a condo that's almost walking distance from DM so that's an indication that we'll land at Suvarnabhumi regardless of who I book my flight with. I wonder how long into the night the taxi/"limo" mafia partied over this one?

Incidently, the swamp isn't the issue, it's the engineering. Vancouver Intl is built on a river delta and it manages to stay afloat, and so could Suvarnabhumi if it had been built properly. Unfortunately, accountability isn't a specification built into publuc projects in Thailand.

[yoshiwara]

the critical problem at sumo airport is the cracks, everything else is manageable and relatively solvable in not too long a time..... those cracks are serious enough to have safety permits removed, so the whole show must be moved back to Don Muang. A structural survey will be required and together with consideration of possible solutions will likely take 2 years to sort out, so forget Sumo until the end of 2009 maybe.....I like the idea of going back to Don Muang and even after 1999 it will probably still continue a while more...I loved that feeling of walking out into the warm air soup around dusk after spending 12 hours in a squashed seat breathing air in a tin....and then flirting with the girls flogging tickets to the number 1/2/3 airport buses......well helllo again!

[backflip]

Two international airports, and both of them will have the designator "BKK".

[cdnvic]

Two international airports, and both of them will have the designator "BKK".

I don't know of any place in the world where IATA has allowed that.

Routing luggage would be a nightmare.

[oevna]

...

The new spanking airport, which began full commercial operations on Sept 28 last year, had its west runway closed for repairs recently as several flights were diverted to the U-Tapao military airfield in Chon Buri for refuelling due to congestion here.

...

The new "spanking airport." I don't quite know what to make of that, but it sounds kinky...

[sriracha john]

Massage Parlor King Chuwit got the spanking concession....

[jinjok]

edited as i will be banned

thailand - LOM

land of morons

Edited February 7, 2007 by jinjok

[sriracha john]

Assuming that this isn't yet another governmental trial balloon regarding moving some flight operations back to Don Muang, I'd reckon that AirAsia will announce very soon that they will be moving their entire operation back to Don Muang.

A FREE AirAsia T-shirt to ovenman for correctly predicting that one

SUVARNABHUMI CRISIS

Don Muang to be 2nd international airport

THAI to decide whether to return to old airport for some overseas routes, Air Asia agrees to move

Thai Airways International (THAI) is considering moving some international flights back to Don Muang, while Thai AirAsia will operate all 80 daily flights out of there, following the Cabinet's surprise decision yesterday to reopen the old airport for both domestic and international flights.

Nok Air and One-Two-Go also said they would base their flights at the old airport.

The decision to turn Don Muang into Bangkok's second international airport came as a major surprise to THAI.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni yesterday said the airline needed to reassess its operating plan. "We're reviewing the situation, as we need to know how to deploy our fleet with two airports in operation," said Apinan, adding that some international flights should return to Don Muang.

The new plan should be completed within the first quarter.

Earlier, after Airports of Thailand (AOT), operator of both the old and the new airports, proposed using Don Muang only for non-transit domestic flights, THAI announced its plan to move most of its domestic flights to Don Muang, except those from Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi, which carry a large number of connecting passengers.

The decision delighted Thai AirAsia. CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said the budget airline was ready to move all 80 flights - domestic and international - from Suvarnabhu-mi Airport to Don Muang.

"We will soon visit Don Muang to check equipment and know the exact location of our base," Tassapon said.

Thai AirAsia was the first airline to propose reopening the old airport, citing the much higher operating costs at Suvarnabhumi, which required higher fees to cover its Bt150-billion cost.

The proposal was made following rumours in the Thaksin era that Don Muang would be reserved as the operating base of Thai AirAsia, which is partially owned by Shin Corp, the flagship business of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai AirAsia earlier opposed the reopening of Don Muang for only domestic flights, citing that it would cause trouble for connecting flights.

The Cabinet yesterday resolved to reopen Don Muang, which had been used for 91 years before the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport last September 28 for both domestic and international flights. The decision came amid growing problems at the scandal-ridden new airport.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont attributed the decision to the growing number of passengers that Suvarnabhumi alone could not serve. He also reportedly said Don Muang's reopening would benefit the country, because the old airport was still in good condition, and runway repairs at Suvarnabhumi could be carried out smoothly.

"I consulted the transport minister [Theera Haocharoen], and he said there should be no problem, because some cities abroad also have two international airports," he said.

He also said that once Don Muang reopened, AOT's plan to build a new passenger building and two more runways at Suvarnabhumi would be shelved, in order to save the national budget. AOT earlier estimated it would need additional Bt16 billion for the project.

Among major world cities that operate more than one international airport are New York, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Milan, Rome and Paris.

Surayud also reportedly told the Cabinet that Suvarnabhumi's problems should be addressed by a national committee, to be established later. The committee would be tasked with investigating the problems, even after the present government ends its term.

"The chairman and board members will be neutral people who will win public recognition. I will consult with the transport minister on the proper individuals," he reportedly told the Cabinet.

Currently, there are a variety of committees looking into the scandals, which have already been highly publicised and could ruin the country's image among travellers.

Meanwhile, the Thai News Agency reported that the Airport Operations Committee (AOC), which represents more than 65 airlines, yesterday voiced opposition to the use of dual airports for Bangkok and warned that doing so would sow confusion among passengers.

AOC chairwoman Sopin Daengthes said due to a lack of transport links between the two airports, passengers would have difficulty getting from one to the other.

She said a study by the International Air Transport Association showed a single airport would be more efficient in terms of management.

- The Nation

[ovenman]

Assuming that this isn't yet another governmental trial balloon regarding moving some flight operations back to Don Muang, I'd reckon that AirAsia will announce very soon that they will be moving their entire operation back to Don Muang.

A FREE AirAsia T-shirt to ovenman for correctly predicting that one

Make that an L or an XL, please.

I'd also be willing to bet that the decision to extend flight operations at Don Muang to also include international flights was done solely to please AirAsia. AirAsia has said all along that they would be more than happy to move back to Don Muang, but they would need to take their entire operation with them. The logistics of how they utilize their fleet does not really allow for split operations between the two airports. Operating 80 flights per day out of Bangkok is a significant amount of traffic and probably only second to THAI in terms of volume.

[Virgil]

Gee .... looks like I missed my flight ....

Virgil, Out!

Former Bangkok International Airport, days after it was closed. Thailand's government announced that it will reopen Bangkok's shuttered Don Muang airport after a series of problems emerged at its sparkling new air hub.

AFP

[gregchambers]

Air Asia are getting into long haul and you can bet they are rubbing their hands with glee at getting a base at DM to do the same from Bangkok...

No-one has mentioned the obvious, getting Mr Thaksin to stump up for the mess he created....