Don Muang Airport Reopens

[mitrapaap]

Now if they'd decide to get settled with some of the other variations:

Wittiyu/Vittiyu

Chatuchak/Jatujak

etc.

The most logical transcription is from Mary Haas: Then it should be written Catucak

Take ten people from different countries/langauges and have them read this aloud one by one. Thais (and foreigners who can read and speak Thai) will crowl on the floor from laughing.

Suggest we let Mary Haas do something else and stick with the royal transcripts.

Prof. Hass passed away over a decade ago. Yet her Thai-English dictionary is still considered by many, including moi, to be the best, by a long shot, such student dictionary on the market.

That being said, rendering Don Muang to Don Mueang, will not in any manner increase the likelihood that a native English speaker will pronounce the name correctly anymore than the road signs around Cardiff would allow me to pronounce Welsh names correctly.

The problem of english speakers is that English itself is a nightmare when it comes to pronounciation. I used to work for a company with the name

LAUGHARNE PARK. Now if you read me this right the first time I'll be really impressed.

Latin languages like french and italian are much more clear to pronounce and read even if you don't know what the word stands for. The same works for german which pronounciation follows the indiviual letters (with a few exceptions), while english is a hit and miss game if you don't know the meaning of the word. Thai has a very clearly defined pronounciation of its letters and they don't change. It is much easier to write a german word in Thai alphabet than an english word. And if the roman script is used to translate Thai, then most other than english speaking people can read it. While it is hopeless for a non-english person to read the english transcript of Thai language. Because a non-english person cannot just follow the letters as he might be used to from his own langauge, but has to figure out how the hel_l english people would pronounce this. Imagine the company name at the beginning of this post would be an english transcript from a Thai name. Not sure if all english natives can read it correctly, but almost 100% sure most non-native english can't. Laugharne park in latin (or german) transcript would read "LARN PARK". Figure it out.

[JimGant]

All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses....she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care.

Actually, "it was our first day" seems perfectly logical, particularly when applied to catering on a pay-as-you-go airline. That she didn't care is probably because she had already written you off as a twit, as most of us here have.

thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worldwide),

Uh, DMK is a d-o-m-e-s-t-i-c airport. Arrivees and departees are doing so from within bahtville. Hence, no real need for money exchange. Yes, someday there probably will be a much underutilized exchange booth. But, in the rush to open DMK, a money changer was priority zip. Somehow I imagine that mechanics, controllers, and even baggage handlers were given higher priority in the re-opening.........

[Bodi]

A little insignificant but according to yesterday's Bangkok Post (24.3) they've changed the spelling to

Don Mueang

with an extra e in the middle.

I can't see what difference the extra 'e' will make. No one can pronounce the bloody name anyway. Maybe they should change the name to 'Donnybrook' or something?

If you think like that concerning the Thai language, you display in great manner how unwilling you are to try at least. But, if you are that unwilling, why are you here anyway? Thailand doesn't need bloody people like you, not at all. So just go home and citisize your own country !

Being a longtime resident, and fluent Thai speaker, I understand how you might feel about those who show no intrest in the language and "real" Thai culture. However, not everyone has the ability to learn different languages. Most simply do not have the time, as they are tourists. Even those that can learn Thai's large alphabet, vocabulary, grammar, and appropriate usage, rarely ever pronounce a word in such a way as allowing a Thai to understand the meaning. Perhaps take a deep breath, a let it go.

The above poster did not seem to be refering to the Thai language at all, but the transliteration of the Thai language into English. Which happens to be difficult to do correctly, as most of you know.

[mtnthai]

This whole split airport thing is a pain in the proverbial! Until now, I was a regular Nok Air user, in their Nok Plus cabin. Emailed Nok Air complaining that I could no longer use them as am usually connecting to or from an international flight & advised they would lose a great deal of business from other connecting passengers - no response or acknowledgement though, yet they claim that moving to Don Muang is going to increase their business but in doing so, they now lose substantial business from passengers connecting to or from internation flights! I just can't figure this personally.

The other thing is that being in CM, even the TG flights are split between the 2 airports. This now means that if I am returning from a trip to Oz, I can no longer connect back home to CM the same day, as the last flight of the day leaves from Don Muang (Don Mueang!!! - who's got shares in a signwriting company?!?!?) and there's not enough time to drive from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang to connect! This now means I have to overnight in Bangkok every time - an absolute pain & gross inconvenience!

i just now have gotten off the line with Nok "Customer Service". I explained in detail what went wrong with my flight to Don Muang Saturday evening. All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses and her job is to listen and ask for suggestions and solutions, but that went over like the Hindenberg in New Jersey. I tried to explain that most folks would expect an airline to iron out all the problems before opening day, for safety and comfort reasons.

when i tried to get her to understand that many of my points were relative to percieved (if not real) safety issues and a care-free attitude that does not fit with such a serious service as air travel, she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care. another talking head offering lip service. i also feel that i was probaly one of many who had called her today to say the exact same things.

too bad, Nok used to be the best, heads above the rest.

they really seemd to have bought into their own line of propaganda that if you go to Don Muang and you are not making a connecitng flight so there is no need for concerns, there are not a lot farangs on the plane and you will need no assitance or deserve any level of professionalism from Nok who used to be (IMHO) a benchmark for the local air travel industry.

i closed my conversatioin by giving her the URL for this forum in hopes that they will see what everyone's concerns are, and then maybe try to do something that is prompted by the consumers concerns.

now i will try to stop laughing and get back to work.

I'm sure she did not write down the url you gave her. How unfortunate. She would have seen that you actually the only one who makes such a fuss about it.

actually many people on my flight had problems with what i have mentioned, and it was another customer who was able to make the exchange for me, not anyone working at the airport. and i think if you arrived at Phuket airport late, because your shuttle driver was late in getting you there, and you then had to quicly board a flight, thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worlwide), and then found you could not, and were then laughed at and told to wait until morning, by the people who are supposed to be organizing the place and helping you, i think you would feel as i do. ripped off and inconveinced.

further, i make a living in the hospitality/tourism industry, and i am forever having to run damage control in thailand because of things like this. every year we suffer for something (whether it is a natural disater, bombs, corruption/monoply or created by piss-poor-planning), millions of people are working in this sector and if thailand's reputation continues to suffer year after year we will see a radical decrease in toursits and the revenue and jobs they provide. (this year is a perfect example of a downtrend in arrivals and spending directly related to new years eve terrorism.)

considering the size of this local industry, and the numbers of businesses and people affected by it, this is a national issue of importance. everyone in the industry, service providers especially, must work as a team to guard against this loss of trade. if you can not see that now, i do not know what to say to you.

it is people like myself, within this industry, that work tirelessly to provide people like yourself with services of value.

think about it.

Interesting, but I don't think I will ever need your services.

I can survive an hour flight without coke or coffe, I don't need exchange offices open at midnight because I have a Thai Bank account and an ATM card that works at any ATM 24h a day. I usually don't take taxis as I drive my own car and if I do I can get it at any street corner as I speak their language fluently. I don't have to worry about the pronounciation of the airports or anything else as I can read (and pronounce) Thai. I don't expect customer service agents to do more than answer standard questions as they are not paid for more than that, and if I check-in in a cheap hotel I won't ask for an improvement of the services. I have learnt that the world is not perfect and that sometimes we just have to accept facts and situations as they are. And all this after only 11 years in the land of smile.

Don't worry about me, I can manage the little inconveniences you mention while you continue to boost services and save the Thai tourist industry.

mitrapaap, your tone has stuned me from the first reply post. that is why i persist ...

i have done nothing but address this issue from a stand point of trying to improve services and communications in my adopted home for everyone's benefit, that is actually part of my job, not a crusade. anyone who is a dedicated hospitality person is always on the job, its in the blood, on your mind, 24/7. its called 5 star service attitude. even in a 1 star establishment it takes a 5 star attitude to make it all work for everyone. anyone i meet in my travels, especially around town, can one day be a customer who walks into my establishment, so as a hospitality person i must always be hospitable.

and, who hires someone to do information and customer service work and then not expect them to have answers to people's questions, that's the job. and everyone knew this was the state of affairs at don muang and they did not do anything to prevent it. that's blatant disregard and greed. this type of management is not quaint anymore, its passe, even in se asia. its poor planning and preparation at a national airport.

do you want your adopted country to become a second rate tourist destination and see the entire economy falter because of it? dubai, shanghai, bali and malaysia are right next store. viet nam, cambodia and laos, too. more competition for tropical tourism dollars every day in asia. so unless you are a particular type of traveller, or expat, that is looking for a particular type of tour, then these places will have more to offer you in a very short span of time. most already do, they just need to market them as much as thailand does. everyone says they want to atract a new and better tourist, more up-scale and family, you do that with service, safety and value.

regardless, i knew how to navigatre the entire episode ... my point was, if i was a tourist, they would have gotten a bad deal, had a bad time, developed a bad opinon, and passed it on for years to come whenever thailand was mentioned. and if there was an accident, because they did not turn on the hall lights from the plane's gangway, that stuff can make the papers in a bad way. just another nail in the coffin.

similar to how a cold cup of coffee with dessert can ruin an otherwise expected to be gala dinner.

this fuss you talk about is actually a graduate course of study, at the university level, globally. its a career dude. one of the biggest industries on the planet, and it is what created your little forum here. think about that. how many of your members first came here as a tourist, or are folks planning on touring here? at least as many who first came to work as expat i would think.

and yes, in regard to a life in thailand, i to can do and have all the things you have. krap khun maak krap. that was never my point.

please do not spin this.

all i want to do is highlight the fact that in regard to tourism serivces and customer satisfaction, the growth of one of the nation's largest industries, and the empowerment of the thai emploee to do the best that they can do (rather than to settle for mediocrity), is intrinsicly linked to the re-opening of don muang and not just a simple matter of inconvenience to myself. it is the lazy attitude and the its-enough attitude that has created whatever is going on with the airport situation in bkk.

i guess it is just a matter of industry perspective. well heeled executives sit in high towers and discuss this stuff at publicly traded corporation's board meetings in most places. it is called good planning, service and profit.

nuff said.

[Screws]

But why for gods sake have they decided to change the spelling to 'Don Mueang'? (Bangkok Post yesty)

Don't they know that one of the principles of any language is to use the most simple spelling possible - which is why most commonly used words are short.

Also especially in this case as the name 'Don Muang' has such a long history. Everybody knows it as that. Farangs, anyway.

Ours is not to reason why -

[mtnthai]

All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses....she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care.

Actually, "it was our first day" seems perfectly logical, particularly when applied to catering on a pay-as-you-go airline. That she didn't care is probably because she had already written you off as a twit, as most of us here have.

thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worldwide),

Uh, DMK is a d-o-m-e-s-t-i-c airport. Arrivees and departees are doing so from within bahtville. Hence, no real need for money exchange. Yes, someday there probably will be a much underutilized exchange booth. But, in the rush to open DMK, a money changer was priority zip. Somehow I imagine that mechanics, controllers, and even baggage handlers were given higher priority in the re-opening.........

someone else who has missed the point entirely. doesn't anyone read what they are replying to?

i never said the nok people used the excuse "first day" that was the airport authority's information staff in the information booth in their brand new matching uniforms. again, looks like the real thing but it isn't. appearances are not everything. these people should be able to function. first day or not. and where is the supervisor to show them how to respond? after all, it is the first day why leave them unsupported? it is bad business for thailand.

it is not a domestic airport in the sense of which you speak. if you are coming to bkk domestically and you are not transiting, but you are a tourist who expects to find a national airport with working services you were at a disadvatgae yesterday for no reason than piss-poor planning and disregard. simple.

yes, ground services (that's what we fussy industry people call it) are essential, but so are terminal services, catering (food) and livery/limo (taxi). they waited 6 months what would one more day have done ... hmmmmmm let's see ... made it seamless.

i guess i need to settle for more mediacrity in my life, because that is how i define it, not as an inconveince.

what about a family with elderly, kids and babies in transit? they are told they are going to an airport that is open and serviceable, and when they arrive the lights are not even on in the hallway and there is no one to assist them in an unkown place. does that spell sawasdee to you? typically tourists are forever running out of money or maxing out their credit cards, so atms are of no help to them. they need to exchange money. they expect to be able to, its an airport in a nation's capitol city. one reason they run out of local cash/baht is that expected services are not available. duhhhh ...

gimme a break ... it is commone sense.

Edited March 25, 2007 by mtnthai

[BARRYT]

I would not like to be on the first flights in or out.

How have they been able to find the qualified staff?

Why do you feel that they need qualified staff to run a little bitty airport like Don Muang you no the thai way if you can't fix it BREAK IT A BIT MORE No seriously all the pilots have been handed a adapt and overcome manual im sure it will be ok!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BARRYT]

All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses....she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care.

Actually, "it was our first day" seems perfectly logical, particularly when applied to catering on a pay-as-you-go airline. That she didn't care is probably because she had already written you off as a twit, as most of us here have.

thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worldwide),

Uh, DMK is a d-o-m-e-s-t-i-c airport. Arrivees and departees are doing so from within bahtville. Hence, no real need for money exchange. Yes, someday there probably will be a much underutilized exchange booth. But, in the rush to open DMK, a money changer was priority zip. Somehow I imagine that mechanics, controllers, and even baggage handlers were given higher priority in the re-opening.........

someone else who has missed the point entirely. doesn't anyone read what they are replying to?

i never said the nok people used the excuse "first day" that was the airport authority's information staff in the information booth in their brand new matching uniforms. again, looks like the real thing but it isn't. appearances are not everything. these people should be able to function. first day or not. and where is the supervisor to show them how to respond? after all, it is the first day why leave them unsupported? it is bad business for thailand.

it is not a domestic airport in the sense of which you speak. if you are coming to bkk domestically and you are not transiting, but you are a tourist who expects to find a national airport with working services you were at a disadvatgae yesterday for no reason than piss-poor planning and disregard. simple.

yes, ground services (that's what we fussy industry people call it) are essential, but so are terminal services, catering (food) and livery/limo (taxi). they waited 6 months what would one more day have done ... hmmmmmm let's see ... made it seamless.

i guess i need to settle for more mediacrity in my life, because that is how i define it, not as an inconveince.

what about a family with elderly, kids and babies in transit? they are told they are going to an airport that is open and serviceable, and when they arrive the lights are not even on in the hallway and there is no one to assist them in an unkown place. does that spell sawasdee to you? typically tourists are forever running out of money or maxing out their credit cards, so atms are of no help to them. they need to exchange money. they expect to be able to, its an airport in a nation's capitol city. one reason they run out of local cash/baht is that expected services are not available. duhhhh ...

gimme a break ... it is commone sense.

Im more concerned with how are KING POWER ARE GOING TO COPE

[avvocato]

I live in Khon Kaen which makes the international hop a real pain in the jackseeeee!!! Silly question probably but how long does it take to get from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi? And how much? Do Thai Airways lay on a courtesy couch if you are connecting to their International flights? Thanks.

BTW: This is bonkers!!

I agree. I travel to Khon Kaen several times a year. Now there is no direct connection.

Does anyone know what the connection between airports NOW consists of? Thai should provide a courtesy shuttle. Ha Ha!

The simple fact is I will now lose a night to get to Khon Kaen as my NYC flight arrives about 4-5 PM and the last flight out of what was BKK and now DMK to KKC is 7-8 PM. This is an impossible connection to make needing to clear immigration, customs and baggage pickup.

Are others in Khon Kaen up in arms yet!

[frankthetank]

Now that Don Muang has re-opened, anyone got any info as to whether that lovely hairdressers that used to be on the top floor will re-open also?

BB

or the ice-cream girl from the bridge beer house?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

what happens when pilots get mixed up on which airport to land on.

Air Traffic Control might give 'em a bit of a hint.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses....she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care.

Actually, "it was our first day" seems perfectly logical, particularly when applied to catering on a pay-as-you-go airline. That she didn't care is probably because she had already written you off as a twit, as most of us here have.

thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worldwide),

Uh, DMK is a d-o-m-e-s-t-i-c airport. Arrivees and departees are doing so from within bahtville. Hence, no real need for money exchange. Yes, someday there probably will be a much underutilized exchange booth. But, in the rush to open DMK, a money changer was priority zip. Somehow I imagine that mechanics, controllers, and even baggage handlers were given higher priority in the re-opening.........

Correcto.

[hansnl]

Nice, very nice indeed!

So the Don is open again!

Can I ask if there might be someone who maybe might have shed some thoughts about a shuttle system between the two airports?

Departing from Khon Kaen will I be confronted with an lengthy (impossible?) connection to my connecting flights to Holland, maybe?

Maybe up to 4 hours extra for changing planes, instead of 1,5 or 2 hours?

And if there is a shuttle system, does it run for 24 hours, or maybe from 9 till 5?

Nowhere can I find the info I need, the only thing I can find is that there should be a shuttle system.

On the other hand the Bangkok Post sports an article about the service to connect passengers between international and national flight is the business of the aircraft operators.

I really had an idea that this service should be the business of AOT!

But of course I will be wrong assuming this idea!

Anybody can supply more info?

[ThaiGoon]

Interesting, but I don't think I will ever need your services.

I can survive an hour flight without coke or coffe, I don't need exchange offices open at midnight because I have a Thai Bank account and an ATM card that works at any ATM 24h a day. I usually don't take taxis as I drive my own car and if I do I can get it at any street corner as I speak their language fluently. I don't have to worry about the pronounciation of the airports or anything else as I can read (and pronounce) Thai. I don't expect customer service agents to do more than answer standard questions as they are not paid for more than that, and if I check-in in a cheap hotel I won't ask for an improvement of the services. I have learnt that the world is not perfect and that sometimes we just have to accept facts and situations as they are. And all this after only 11 years in the land of smile.

Don't worry about me, I can manage the little inconveniences you mention while you continue to boost services and save the Thai tourist industry.

[ThaiGoon]

All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses....she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care.

Actually, "it was our first day" seems perfectly logical, particularly when applied to catering on a pay-as-you-go airline. That she didn't care is probably because she had already written you off as a twit, as most of us here have.

thinking you could get exchange at your destination (as expected worldwide),

Uh, DMK is a d-o-m-e-s-t-i-c airport. Arrivees and departees are doing so from within bahtville. Hence, no real need for money exchange. Yes, someday there probably will be a much underutilized exchange booth. But, in the rush to open DMK, a money changer was priority zip. Somehow I imagine that mechanics, controllers, and even baggage handlers were given higher priority in the re-opening.........

:D

[vladaman]

I flew Phuket-BKK with Nok Air yesterday, the flight was bit delayed in Phuket, however there are few things I noticed:

- flight was about 15 minutes shorter then scheduled (maybe less traffic?)

- nok air crew announced airport as an International Don Muang

- short taxing (after arrival first terminal)

- no long walk for domestic in the terminal

- airport look like it was never closed

- no problem with taxis - there are planty of them!

Basically we landed, then we parked at the gate within 2 minutes and then we walked out. Was much much faster I think. It took I'd say 5-10 minutes between we landed and I was waiting for a taxi.

I like it!

Edited March 26, 2007 by vladaman

[stao]

i flew in on Nok last night at 10 pm from Phuket and it was a typically bad experience. TIT

my departure gate was changed three times in Hkt to start off. then their was no service on the plane, nothing to buy or eat, whatsoever. the plane was maybe 20% capacity. we left early and arrived late. it took close to ten minutes to get the gangway door opoened once they started to try (so glad it was not an emergency situation, we would have all suffered for it. then the walk way to the main hallway was not lit. NO LIGHTS exccept ambient light form outside. baggage claim was ok, surprisingly. then, no exchanges open to change money, or break bills for taxis. many of the people were travelers who needed to do this but were told, in the morning it will open, ha ha ha. then the taxi stand was all the same people that helped to generate pages of posts here on TVF.com. for their bad attitude and over pricing.

all in all, TIT to the max. i will probably not fly Nok again unless they go back to the new airport.

further, the taxi ride to town, Phrakanong, was an hour and fifteen minutes and cost 400 baht (they jacked up the surcharge fee 50 baht to 150 form 100) and the new airport for me is 200 baht and 25 minutes with traffic.

i have heard this is all about politics and military control to reap the rewards. one airport is army controled and the other is airforce. everyone looking to make a fast buck. is this so? anyone hear about this?

Yep... Typical for Kii Nok Airways...

[papabill]

This whole split airport thing is a pain in the proverbial! Until now, I was a regular Nok Air user, in their Nok Plus cabin. Emailed Nok Air complaining that I could no longer use them as am usually connecting to or from an international flight & advised they would lose a great deal of business from other connecting passengers - no response or acknowledgement though, yet they claim that moving to Don Muang is going to increase their business but in doing so, they now lose substantial business from passengers connecting to or from internation flights! I just can't figure this personally.

The other thing is that being in CM, even the TG flights are split between the 2 airports. This now means that if I am returning from a trip to Oz, I can no longer connect back home to CM the same day, as the last flight of the day leaves from Don Muang (Don Mueang!!! - who's got shares in a signwriting company?!?!?) and there's not enough time to drive from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang to connect! This now means I have to overnight in Bangkok every time - an absolute pain & gross inconvenience!

i just now have gotten off the line with Nok "Customer Service". I explained in detail what went wrong with my flight to Don Muang Saturday evening. All the rep kept saying was, "it was our first day". i told her i did not want to hear excuses and her job is to listen and ask for suggestions and solutions, but that went over like the Hindenberg in New Jersey. I tried to explain that most folks would expect an airline to iron out all the problems before opening day, for safety and comfort reasons.

when i tried to get her to understand that many of my points were relative to percieved (if not real) safety issues and a care-free attitude that does not fit with such a serious service as air travel, she was unresponsive. she really never understood what i was trying to say, nor did she really seem to care. another talking head offering lip service. i also feel that i was probaly one of many who had called her today to say the exact same things.

too bad, Nok used to be the best, heads above the rest.

they really seemd to have bought into their own line of propaganda that if you go to Don Muang and you are not making a connecitng flight so there is no need for concerns, there are not a lot farangs on the plane and you will need no assitance or deserve any level of professionalism from Nok who used to be (IMHO) a benchmark for the local air travel industry.

i closed my conversatioin by giving her the URL for this forum in hopes that they will see what everyone's concerns are, and then maybe try to do something that is prompted by the consumers concerns.

now i will try to stop laughing and get back to work.

I'm sure she did not write down the url you gave her. How unfortunate. She would have seen that you actually the only one who makes such a fuss about it.

Whats up with you chum. Wife kick you out or what? Chill out.Give it a rest. ECT.

Edited March 26, 2007 by papabill

[BigSnake]

Thank goodness, the powers that be wokeup and smelled the coffee. No problem for a city the size of Bangkok, the Mango to have two Airport. Yeah!! It will enchant Bangkok status as an International HUB>

[Jai Dee]

Transport Minister and officials assessed operation of Don Muang Airport

Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen and entourage assessed the orderliness of Don Muang Airport the airlines’ services following the reopening day yesterday (Mar 25).

Admiral Thira together with Deputy Minister of Transport Sansern Wongcha-um inspected the overall operation of Don Muang Airport after the venue has reopened to service commercial domestic flights since yesterday. They checked the airport check-in counters of the Thai Airways International Public Company Limited at Lad Phrao underground train station. Flying Officer Apinan Sumanaseni, the Thai Airways International President, says the project will facilitate the passengers. He says his airline will open a restaurant at the airport and public members can eat there.

The Thai Airways International has signed a three-year with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand in order to rent about 1,500 cubic meters of MRTA land at 450 baht per cubic meter.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 26 March 2007

[John K]

Don Muang may host overseas flights again

(Thai News Agency)

Thailand's main airport regulator will soon discuss the possible restoration of international flights at Don Muang Airport, which officially reopened for domestic flights on Sunday, according to a senior official.

Admiral Bannawit Kengrian, head of the National Legislative Assembly committee investigating Suvarnabhumi Airport problems, said that Airports of Thailand plans to renovate passenger lounges for international flights at Don Muang Airport while it awaited a clear policy from the government.

Adm Bannawit, who advises the AoT board chairman, said the board is expected to confer on services to be provided to international airlines at Don Muang during its next meeting.

Don Muang Airport was closed last September 28 on the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok's Samut Prakan province. However, it was officially reopened today for domestic flights as the authorities believe it could help ease congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport while workers repair cracks in taxiways and runways and build more restrooms and other facilities at the new airport.

Gift shops and restaurant facilities at Don Muang are not yet furnished but Adm Bannawit said he was optimistic they could be completed within a week.

The reopening of Don Muang has sent joy to vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers as they hope their earnings would increase.

Tawatchai Kompairee, a motorcycle taxi driver at Don Muang, said his income had dropped sharply after the closure of the airport almost six months ago and he wanted the government to keep Don Muang opened forever.

Mala Ngernsunthia, a coffee-shop employee at Suvarnabhumi Airport, said she traveled between the new and old airports daily and she hoped that her employer would open a branch at Don Muang if more airlines operate there. If her dream materialises, she said she would not have to travel as far as now.

[John K]

Did anyone ever doubt this? Seeing as some particular company called "King Power" does not seem to have things in order at the swamp... opportunities come and go.

[pippasipanoun]

Thanks to Scooty, Hansnl and Avvocato for supporting / furthering my Q's from page 2 re: travel from one airpot to the other / time and cost of this / existence of courtesy shuttle buses etc. I think some of thhe other forum members are too busy having a go at each other to answer these important questions!!

Paw laeo!!! I have a 1 year old who is better behaved than you guys who are constantly slagging each other off!! C'mon. Life's too short and all that!!

Anyways, If anyone can give us any advice then I'm sure we'd appreciate it. Many thanks and kind regards. Pippa

[george]

I live in Khon Kaen which makes the international hop a real pain in the jackseeeee!!! Silly question probably but how long does it take to get from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi? And how much? Do Thai Airways lay on a courtesy couch if you are connecting to their International flights? Thanks.

BTW: This is bonkers!!

I agree. I travel to Khon Kaen several times a year. Now there is no direct connection.

Does anyone know what the connection between airports NOW consists of? Thai should provide a courtesy shuttle. Ha Ha!

The simple fact is I will now lose a night to get to Khon Kaen as my NYC flight arrives about 4-5 PM and the last flight out of what was BKK and now DMK to KKC is 7-8 PM. This is an impossible connection to make needing to clear immigration, customs and baggage pickup.

Are others in Khon Kaen up in arms yet!

There is a minimum of 3 hrs 30 min transit time for connecting flight between DMK and BKK. I believe the actual transit time by taxi will be an hour or slightly more, or what do you guys think?

[Jai Dee]

THAI to readjust flight services

Thai Airways International Plc is set to adjust its local flights to cater to customer demand for point-to-point domestic flight services after more than 2,100 people used its services at the reopening of former international airport Don Mueang on Sunday.

THAI President Apinan Sumanaseni revealed 2,165 passengers had counted on its domestic flight services resuming on at the Don Mueang from early morning to 4 pm on Sunday.

Of this, 71 are passengers who travelled from the provinces wanting to connect to international flights. For their convenience, THAI provided buses to shuttle them to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Mr. Apinan conceded that only a small number of passengers used check-in services opened at the subway station on Lat Prao Road because the public is generally not yet aware of the service. More public relations activities would be conducted to make more people know the service is available.

Some foreign passengers mistakenly travelled to catch their THAI domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport, only to be disappointed and to have their travel plans disrupted.

He said one flight outbound for the northern province of Udon Thani experienced a delay of around 30 minutes.

To facilitate its flight services at both airports, he said, THAI had sought to recruit new 125 staff.

Source: TNA - 26 March 2007

[mtnthai]

i have just re-read all the posts on this subject and it is appears to me that most people in this discussion are expats who know how to navigate the process at both bkk airports. but no one is really considering the fact that millions of people, who have never been here before are a part of the overall equation. whether they go to the old or the new airport, there is confusion. and if they do go to the old one, they are being put into a system that has not been completely thought out or effectuated. all of this damages the reputation of the thai air and tourism industries. this in turn has a radical effect on the economy as a whole. further, people book holidays way in advance. what they are told about operations now, or any confusion that may exist now, will fdeter them from booking a holiday here that may be 6 months to a year away. these types of scenarios have far reaching consequences, but the future, as those who have lived here for some time now know, is not always a consideration when "planning" is in process.

you may all think i am a whiner and a fussy butt head, but the fact remains that this is a serious matter that needs (needed) to be addressed.

many travelers are not seasoned or used to going to a place where they do not have a grasp of the language or know the local customs. so they worry a lot and make choices based on these concerns they have. ease of travel is paramount to most holiday travellers. their time is limited, they are crossing great distances, and they are spending big bucks. they want to know, and deserve to know, that there will be no glitches due to poor planning. everyone can absorb and deal with the unexpected, they have too, but when it comes to matters that could and should have been addressed before hand, the need should not arise.

there is a major push going on for several years to change the type of tourist that comes to thailand. the people who work within this industry have been tasked with helping that change to occur. the people in charge of this decision, and the implementation of opening up DM again, appear to have not really considered or made ready (if it was considered) all necessary preparations that international travellers have come to expect at both the new airport and the old, and any other hub for that matter.

travelers talk about their experiences, and it is a statistical fact that they repeat the bad stories much more so than the good ones. why would the people in charge of all of this want to have anyone walking around with a bad opinion about their trip to thailand? it is counter productive.

the mere fact that you can not easily get a keyword search to return a web page that has a specific and accurate description of what to expect, how to transit from one port to another port, or which services are currently available is absurd. anyone who feels that it is not absurd is just not thinking this through, like those who "planned the change" and also screwed up.

any smart and savvy enterprise knows that a good web presence is essential in today’s world. why would this be any different? if they had done the job fully the first time, this topic would not have posts continually asking for shuttle info, for example. if there was a web page, with shuttle info for transiting the 2 ports, would it not have been found and already posted here?

and again i say this because it concerns the livelihood of so many people and the vitality and image of a national industry.

so many posters here talk about how people who come to reside in thailand must take certain things into consideration and buy into the local customs, I AGREE. we need to participate with our hosts in a manner that benefits us all and continuously improves the nation as a whole. so i find it very strange that posters here think that my string of posts is either a complaint, mis-placed or wrong. why is it so hard to believe that folks like me spend our careers trying to provide good services, at good value for every type of customer that comes here (or anywhere for that matter)? i think it exhibits a lack of knowlege and concern when a matter such as this is trivialized. and yet, posters to this forum at time go on for days about the price of a beer, or what a visa run by mini-van to cambodia costs, only because that affects them directly and their pleasures, at that juncture in time.

does anyone know how much repeat business is lost due songkran? you may think this is off topic but it is not. because the subject of all of this of which i write is good service and planning. forethought. the customer that the TAT has targeted for the upgrade in tourism often times does not come back if they were here during that period on any given year. they find the festivities/debacle too disruptive, drawn out and in many cases, dangerous. they never get to see or learn about the true spirit of songkran that is touted in the brochures or on the www. they feel mislead, ripped-off. ( i say this from having interacted with 1,000's of them year after year in hotels all over thailand.)

so, people like myself, who are career and industry minded/concerned dwell on these matters so as to contribute positively to the industry and the country where they live for the benefit of everyone. why is that considered fussy or mis-placed? i don't get it ...

Edited March 26, 2007 by mtnthai

[Thai-Spy]

Can anyone with airline experience say what percentage of passengers book their travel with a single airline or their code-share partners versus those that mix carriers?

[Welsh John]

what happens when pilots get mixed up on which airport to land on.

Pilots follow the instructions of sky control. Aside that Pilots are not drunk when flying, neither are they stupid nor dumb.

Unless they work for Phuket Air !!

[dman]

i have just re-read all the posts on this subject and it is appears to me that most people in this discussion are expats who know how to navigate the process at both bkk airports. but no one is really considering the fact that millions of people, who have never been here before are a part of the overall equation. whether they go to the old or the new airport, there is confusion. and if they do go to the old one, they are being put into a system that has not been completely thought out or effectuated. all of this damages the reputation of the thai air and tourism industries. this in turn has a radical effect on the economy as a whole. further, people book holidays way in advance. what they are told about operations now, or any confusion that may exist now, will fdeter them from booking a holiday here that may be 6 months to a year away. these types of scenarios have far reaching consequences, but the future, as those who have lived here for some time now know, is not always a consideration when "planning" is in process.

you may all think i am a whiner and a fussy butt head, but the fact remains that this is a serious matter that needs (needed) to be addressed.

many travelers are not seasoned or used to going to a place where they do not have a grasp of the language or know the local customs. so they worry a lot and make choices based on these concerns they have. ease of travel is paramount to most holiday travellers. their time is limited, they are crossing great distances, and they are spending big bucks. they want to know, and deserve to know, that there will be no glitches due to poor planning. everyone can absorb and deal with the unexpected, they have too, but when it comes to matters that could and should have been addressed before hand, the need should not arise.

there is a major push going on for several years to change the type of tourist that comes to thailand. the people who work within this industry have been tasked with helping that change to occur. the people in charge of this decision, and the implementation of opening up DM again, appear to have not really considered or made ready (if it was considered) all necessary preparations that international travellers have come to expect at both the new airport and the old, and any other hub for that matter.

travelers talk about their experiences, and it is a statistical fact that they repeat the bad stories much more so than the good ones. why would the people in charge of all of this want to have anyone walking around with a bad opinion about their trip to thailand? it is counter productive.

the mere fact that you can not easily get a keyword search to return a web page that has a specific and accurate description of what to expect, how to transit from one port to another port, or which services are currently available is absurd. anyone who feels that it is not absurd is just not thinking this through, like those who "planned the change" and also screwed up.

any smart and savvy enterprise knows that a good web presence is essential in today’s world. why would this be any different? if they had done the job fully the first time, this topic would not have posts continually asking for shuttle info, for example. if there was a web page, with shuttle info for transiting the 2 ports, would it not have been found and already posted here?

and again i say this because it concerns the livelihood of so many people and the vitality and image of a national industry.

so many posters here talk about how people who come to reside in thailand must take certain things into consideration and buy into the local customs, I AGREE. we need to participate with our hosts in a manner that benefits us all and continuously improves the nation as a whole. so i find it very strange that posters here think that my string of posts is either a complaint, mis-placed or wrong. why is it so hard to believe that folks like me spend our careers trying to provide good services, at good value for every type of customer that comes here (or anywhere for that matter)? i think it exhibits a lack of knowlege and concern when a matter such as this is trivialized. and yet, posters to this forum at time go on for days about the price of a beer, or what a visa run by mini-van to cambodia costs, only because that affects them directly and their pleasures, at that juncture in time.

does anyone know how much repeat business is lost due songkran? you may think this is off topic but it is not. because the subject of all of this of which i write is good service and planning. forethought. the customer that the TAT has targeted for the upgrade in tourism often times does not come back if they were here during that period on any given year. they find the festivities/debacle too disruptive, drawn out and in many cases, dangerous. they never get to see or learn about the true spirit of songkran that is touted in the brochures or on the www. they feel mislead, ripped-off. ( i say this from having interacted with 1,000's of them year after year in hotels all over thailand.)

so, people like myself, who are career and industry minded/concerned dwell on these matters so as to contribute positively to the industry and the country where they live for the benefit of everyone. why is that considered fussy or mis-placed? i don't get it ...

I wish you well in your effort to turn the Thailand travel experience into a Switch watch. Mind you I do not go out of my way to find a bad experience, but one of the reasons I like it here is the unpredictability. Some of the most memorable and funny experiences have happened when things did not go exactly according to plan. I do not particularly care if a few tourists do not have a good time in Thailand. The vast majority of people that visit LOS love it just the way it is. I think the efforts to change it has made it less attractive.

Cheers

[dman]

I wish you well in your effort to turn the Thailand travel experience into a Switch watch. Mind you I do not go out of my way to find a bad experience, but one of the reasons I like it here is the unpredictability. Some of the most memorable and funny experiences have happened when things did not go exactly according to plan. I do not particularly care if a few tourists do not have a good time in Thailand. The vast majority of people that visit LOS love it just the way it is. I think the efforts to change it has made it less attractive.

Cheers

My humble apologies.

Swiss watch.

Too many beers here in Taipei.

I love business travel when the company is paying.