Suvarnabhumi Airport capacity to be tripled as tourism booms

[webfact]

Bangkok airport capacity to be tripled as tourism booms

Suvarnabhumi Airport already handles 20 million more travelers than intended

HIROSHI KOTANI, Nikkei staff writer

 

BANGKOK -- Airports of Thailand has unveiled a 260 billion baht ($7.96 billion) plan that will roughly triple capacity at the country's largest airport over about a decade to meet rising demand.

 

Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country's main international gateway, opened in 2006 and has an annual capacity of 45 million passengers. But actual usage has hit 65 million as more tourists arrive from overseas, the operator says. A lack of boarding gates and long lines are among the problems that have resulted from the overcrowding.

 

Expansion will be carried out over four phases, expansion phase 2 to 5, after which the airport will be able to service 150 million travelers annually. Boarding gates will more than triple to 157 from 51 now. The original master plan had called for a total capacity of 135 million, but the plan was revised to accommodate a larger capacity, with demand looking to expand faster than previously anticipated. 

 

Full story: https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Bangkok-airport-capacity-to-be-tripled-as-tourism-booms

 

-- NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW 2018-10-16

 

[spidermike007]

Can anyone on this forum even begin to imagine Swampy with 150 million annual people using that airport? Nine hour lines at immigration? What are they thinking? Is there no limit to the nonsense? What about an alternative airport? What about starting flights again at Hua Hin? Where is the creative juice?

[Esso49]

150,000,000 is an average of 410,000 per day or assuming a 24 hour average, is 17,123 per hour. Given in another thread Big Joke has instructed immigration officers to process people no longer than 30 seconds each then this will mean increasing the immigration channels so that there will be 143 immigration officers/gates constantly open.

 

A challenging target for them.

[Phuketshrew]

51 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Where is the creative juice?

They don't want creative juice spoiling things. It's all about the trough:

 

 

... and some pigs are more equal than others ????

 

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Bangkok airport capacity to be tripled as tourism booms

Is this to be another plan to add to the big collection of already unfulfilled plans?

The chances of it actually happening and the speed with which it progresses is directly proportional to the corruption opportunities available to those in charge of implementing the plan.

Increased capacity also probably means increased distances to and from the departure gate. Always remember.........."The distance to your departure gate is directly proportional to the weight of your carry on luggage and inversely proportional to the time remaining before your flight". 

[brucegoniners]

Tripled? I shudder when I think about it. The place is already a monstrosity!

They didn't need to make it so you have to walk so frikin far already to the gates, through their darn shopping mall!

 

I'm sure they'll make it so big now they'll need an internal train station. That's not such a bad idea to do NOW!

[connda]

Great.  I can envision it now.  Triple the capacity and funnel the travelers through an Immigration gauntlet that perhaps increases in size by 25%.  Well, unless it's lunch time; or a holiday; or off-hours. 

[observer90210]

The nationalities with visa exemption should not have any paperwork and have specific dedicated counters that will not take more then a few seconds to pass, after just 2 simple checks - is the person wanted by Interpol or other - has the person overstayed and that's it...no more forms or similar.

[jossthaifarang]

In all fairness, I came in through Swampy this morning. Loads of people and I was expecting to be there forever, but immigration was really efficient. Probably not 30 seconds per person but still under a minute per person on average. Certainly an improvement!! Well done Big Joke, let's just hope he follows through..

[Lupatria]

Note to all buskers and open mike enthusiasts:

You sing 'where have all the Chinese gone' one more time, and you will be arrested!

[mfd101]

Would be luvly to have a little airport here in Surin, a nice little domestic one.

 

Just sayin'.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country's main international gateway, opened in 2006 and has an annual capacity of 45 million passengers. But actual usage has hit 65 million

With only two runways the airport is an accident waiting to happen.

[rickudon]

Udon Thani has built an international terminal ....... all it needs is some international flights!

[Aussie999]

2 hours ago, rickudon said:

Udon Thani has built an international terminal ....... all it needs is some international flights!

There are a few "international" airports, but in name only, gives them a feeling of  having bigger gonads.

[JohnThailandJohn]

It would be closer to double vs triple the passengers given it is already handling 65 Million travelers. Expanding the airport, as was always the plan (and currently happening), is the most sane and cost effective solution. 

 

Don Mueang already is seeing about 40 Million Passengers a year after reopening and also needs to expand capacity.

 

Interesting to note there is only 1 airport in the world which sees more than 100 Million passengers a year and that was originally built about almost 100 years ago.

[lagavulin1]

On 10/16/2018 at 11:37 AM, spidermike007 said:

Can anyone on this forum even begin to imagine Swampy with 150 million annual people using that airport? Nine hour lines at immigration? What are they thinking? Is there no limit to the nonsense? What about an alternative airport? What about starting flights again at Hua Hin? Where is the creative juice?

These numbers surely presage a new terminal or terminal complete with Immigration. I'm not happy though. Dong Mangy wasn't that bad. Why don't they wind it back up ??

[blackhorse]

With only two runways the airport is an accident waiting to happen.

Wrong an accident waiting to happen is 10 runways.

[Esso49]

6 minutes ago, blackhorse said:

19 hours ago, Srikcir said:

With only two runways the airport is an accident waiting to happen.

Wrong an accident waiting to happen is 10 runways.

Wrong again both of you.  Accidents already happen there with 2 runways. An A380 clipped another plane couple of years ago and a Thai Jumbo went of the runway last week to name only 2.

[blackhorse]

Wrong again both of you.  Accidents already happen there with 2 runways. An A380 clipped another plane couple of years ago and a Thai Jumbo went of the runway last week to name only 2.

Errrm you can never stamp out "incidents" and accidents whether 1 runway or hundred.

The less runways the less chance of a collision in the circuit area

[user564545]

Will they be adding more car parking spaces, as they don't have enough spaces at the moment to match the current capacity.

 

Also will they be adding taxi drivers who will  be able to do their job without moaning, ripping of their fare or asking "you give me tip" as soon as your ass touches the back seat?

[Esso49]

16 minutes ago, blackhorse said:

Errrm you can never stamp out "incidents" and accidents whether 1 runway or hundred.

The less runways the less chance of a collision in the circuit area

So its a case of when is an accident not an accident then ?  ????   But of course your last sentence is correct because with less runways,  ie if there were none, there would be no planes to cause an accident or an incident or any other terminology that would require the investigation by the Thai  Aircraft Accident Investigation  Committee,  ????

[blackhorse]

Will they be adding more car parking spaces, as they don't have enough spaces at the moment to match the current capacity.
 
Also will they be adding taxi drivers who will  be able to do their job without moaning, ripping of their fare or asking "you give me tip" as soon as your ass touches the back seat?

In the 50 trips I have never been asked for a tip entering a cab

[user564545]

5 minutes ago, blackhorse said:

9 minutes ago, secondfusilier said:

Will they be adding more car parking spaces, as they don't have enough spaces at the moment to match the current capacity.
 
Also will they be adding taxi drivers who will  be able to do their job without moaning, ripping of their fare or asking "you give me tip" as soon as your ass touches the back seat?

In the 50 trips I have never been asked for a tip entering a cab

And I have been asked every time.

[blackhorse]

So its a case of when is an accident not an accident then ?  [emoji16]   But of course your last sentence is correct because with less runways,  ie if there were none, there would be no planes to cause an accident or an incident or any other terminology that would require the investigation by the Thai  Aircraft Accident Investigation  Committee,  [emoji1787]

Depends there are lots of incidences but very few accidents. The difference between the 2 is self explanatory

[josephbloggs]

21 hours ago, blackhorse said:

21 hours ago, secondfusilier said:

Will they be adding more car parking spaces, as they don't have enough spaces at the moment to match the current capacity.
 
Also will they be adding taxi drivers who will  be able to do their job without moaning, ripping of their fare or asking "you give me tip" as soon as your ass touches the back seat?

In the 50 trips I have never been asked for a tip entering a cab

Me neither.  In hundreds of trips.