New Bangkok Airport Construction Photos

[george]

2bangkok.com shows the latest photos of the construction work at the new Bangkok airport:

http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/sbia/index.shtml

http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/sbia/jun04/jun04.shtml

[viviana]

hi!

Looks good! !

where will this new airport be located? and when is it supposed to be opened?

thanks!

[john b good]

It is expected (scheduled) to open in October 2005 but don't hold your breath.

It is located in Samut Prakan and there won't be any supporting infrastracture for at least another year (no sky train, no elevated highway etc) and if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

This could only happen in Thailand. The previous worst that I have experience would be Perth where the domestic and international terminals are on opposite sides of the airfield.

Another case of TIT

[PvtDick]

if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

A bit of an exaggeration, I'd say. Should take no longer than 45 minutes to get from one to the other. Besides, they're still debating on what the future use for Don Muang will be.

[Digger]

It is located in Samut Prakan and there won't be any supporting infrastracture for at least another year (no sky train, no elevated highway etc) and if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

Entrances from the motorway that runs between Bkk and Chonburi are already in place and currently they are widening the road to cope with increased traffic. Have not been down the Bang Na Expressway for a while so not sure whats happening that side but certainly looks good motorway side !! (FYI< for those that dont know, the aiport is between the motorway on one side and the Bang na expressway on the other.)

[john b good]

if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

A bit of an exaggeration, I'd say. Should take no longer than 45 minutes to get from one to the other. Besides, they're still debating on what the future use for Don Muang will be.

I hope that you are right. It was not all that long ago when it could take a couple of hours to get from downtown to Don Muang.

And it is nice to know the jury is still out on the future of Don Muang as most often I don't stop off in Bangkok, as I just want to see my "little darling" again as quickly as possible.

[chingy_]

It is expected (scheduled) to open in October 2005 but don't hold your breath.

It is located in Samut Prakan and there won't be any supporting infrastracture for at least another year (no sky train, no elevated highway etc) and if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

This could only happen in Thailand. The previous worst that I have experience would be Perth where the domestic and international terminals are on opposite sides of the airfield.

Another case of TIT

there is an express way, the one going to pataya.

[bangsaen bob]

I heard there was a roof collapse at the new airport. It must have been a hoax?

[Up2U]

I heard there was a roof collapse at the new airport. It must have been a hoax?

No collapse - but a well-known thai engineer says that the 'super-truss' concept is flawed and there may be a collapse. Charles de gaulle is the most recent collapse, in which I was not involved but many years ago Mehrabad Airport (Teheran) had a collapse that had Brian Colquhoun people running for cover - the original airport design was modified after completion to put in additional air-conditioning. The ducts were wide, so some of the columns were chipped away. Then later a restaurant was built on the roof. Then there was a heavy snow-fall. Then there was a roof collapse. Must be the fault of the designer.

With regard to other comments - the connections from the Bangkok-Rayong Motorway (running North of the airport, alongside On Nut Road, are the main route for Phase 1. These are under construction. There will also be connections from the Bang Na-Trad road, but not the Skyway, just the 'Frontage' roads.

There is a big hole being dug for future rail connections, but none in Phase 1.

It will take about an hour to transit SBIA-Don Muang. I have heard that DM will cover all domestic flights, SBIA all International flights, thus if you want to go anywhere but BKK or Pattaya, you've got a long ride in front of you. (Like London - Heathrow/Gatwick/Stanstead). But I've not seen this in official publications - just newspapers.

The official opening is scheduled for 29th September 2005, but that does not mean that airlines will start to use it - may be another year after that to wait.

[Up2U]

I heard there was a roof collapse at the new airport. It must have been a hoax?

Have just seen this :

Bangkok Post, May 26, 2004

...New Bangkok International Airport Co (NBIA) acting head Gen Somchai Somprasong said the new airport's concourses were similar to the one in Paris which collapsed on Sunday...

The concourses of Suvarnabhumi and Charles de Gaulle were tube-like and designed for glass roofs and walls.

Suvarnabhumi's design belongs to the Murphy Jahn/TAMS/ACT consortium but the French design was the work of another firm which lost out in the Suvarnabhumi bidding contest...

Mr Thaksin was worried about delays in the construction of a new train terminal in Makkasan to connect the airport to Bangkok's city centre...

Load of bull - the design concept of the Concourse trusses is entirely different to the CDG collapse. Over-designed, in my opinion. It is the Terminal Building itself that prsents a problem in that the original design had inadequate protection against heat-gain (according to some sources). So a series of louvres has been planted on the roof, to take away some of the heat-gain. This added weight was not in the original loading calculations, nor was the wind-loading. But the calc's have been re-run and are stated to be OK. As I said above, there is a question about the super-truss concept (see the 2Bangkok photos) but no question in any reasonable engineer's mind about the concourses.

[eric1000]

if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

A bit of an exaggeration, I'd say. Should take no longer than 45 minutes to get from one to the other. Besides, they're still debating on what the future use for Don Muang will be.

have they built some new roadway to take the increased load ?

and how about getting into town from the new place ?

suhkumvit road is always snarled up so it could take an hour to do just that small section .

and how can you be sure a taxi will be available ?

theres a complex cartel operating at donmuang and that sort of thing has yet to be instigated at the new airport !

no doubt the generals and mafia godfathers have to sort out some sort of deal to control the taxis !

[Bluecat]

if you are transferring to a domestic flight it will take you a couple of hours to get from Suvarnabumi (the international) to Don Muang (which will be handling domestic traffic)

A bit of an exaggeration, I'd say. Should take no longer than 45 minutes to get from one to the other. Besides, they're still debating on what the future use for Don Muang will be.

have they built some new roadway to take the increased load ?

I think they are building a few ones.

That makes the traffic quite heavy when you want to go south.

Anyway, 45 minutes to reach the present airport from the new one? Do you live in Bkk?

In the best, best of cases it will take 1 1/2 hour.

In the worst case, you'll never reach it,...

[Up2U]

The existing infrastucture around Lad Krabang and Bang Phli is not being upgraded.

All that is happening is that interchanges are being made with the access roads to the airport.

What used to be confusion and delay will turn into chaos when the 45 million passengers per year are trying to get out of the immediate vicinity.

But by then there will be a new government that will have to solve the problem.

[Hit]

There are several highways and roads going tot he new airport. The Bangkok-Pattaya motorway (highway no.7) will be widened and offer a connection. Bang-Na Trad highway will have a connection. The elevated highway above Bang-Na Trad highway (with the 'H' shaped pillars) will have a connection. Onnut Road will have a connection. And there will be a few local access (ie. 2 lane) roads as well.

Considering there is only one road and one highway going to Don Muang, this is a huge improvement.

There will be a "high speed" (how fast it actually will be is anybody's guess) going from Makkasan Junction (Asoke Petchburi Intersection) to the airport, and if that is too far for you, there will be a line with several local stops at Phaya Thai, Ramkamhaeng etc. Once again, when this will open is anybody's guess, but I would say 2007 would probably be the latest time.

Finally, as per my knowledge, Don Muang will be used for low cost budget carriers like AirAsia, Valuair and One-2-Go. Domestic flights operated by airlines like THAI and Bangkok Airways will be at the new airport. Thats not too inconvenient as many other countries have secondary airports for their budget carriers.

Hope I managed to clear doubts or misunderstandings anyone had.

[udon]

I can see this airport being nicnamed Bhumi as pron Bummy by our Ozmates. lol

[john b good]

On the matter of roof collapses.....

If it can happen in "developed" countries it's an odds on bet that the roof at the new SBIA will not be up there too long.

Someone could start a poll on how long it is expected to stay up and not down

[splitlid]

i hear that the roof is made of a material like that is used in sails for boats.

the air conditioning comes from the floors and only cools down the first 10feet or so.

if the roof does indeed collapse....it will be to the cries.."sh@t weve torn another mainsheet"

[chingy_]

remind me when this airport is finish, if i needed to fly anywhere just ckeck in and check out ASAP, wouldn't want to hang around for anything.

[eric1000]

how to get to and from the new airport ? it does not look good right now .

the bang na trat intersection is soild on the lower level and slow moving on the upper level , there is a higher level under construction , but i cant see how the road here can take the load . there will be 1000s of extra vehicles added to the already diabolical jams.

[20yearsinthai]

The new bang na construction will link the bang na -trat upper level with the end of the rama 9 expressway. so there will be several options as to how to get into bangkok-- however i think it will be congested until, they get the train/or subway out to the airport

[Up2U]

The new bang na construction will link the bang na -trat upper level with the end of the rama 9 expressway. so there will be several options as to how to get into bangkok-- however i think it will be congested until, they get the train/or subway out to the airport

No, no, no, no, no!

The connections will be (and now are) to the lower section of the Bang Na - Trad road. The Skyway will not be connected until Phase 3. That is probably eight-to-ten years away. If ever.

Phase 1 is the current terminal construction, plus runways, maybe control tower. And connection by road to Bangkok-Chonburi-Rayong Motorway.

Phase 2 will be a centre-piece VIP terminal and (probably) rail terminal.

Phase 3 will be a mirror-image of phase 1 and connections to the Skyway. Maybe connections to the Skytrain. (Extend from On Nut) Depends on who is in power and what they want to spend.

[Up2U]

i hear that the roof is made of a material like that is used in sails for boats.

the air conditioning comes from the floors and only cools down the first 10feet or so.

if the roof does indeed collapse....it will be to the cries.."sh@t weve torn another mainsheet"

The material of the outer layer of the tensile fabric roof is a PTFE-clad glass-fibre, that is translucent. There is a centre layer (not visible) consisting of a steel cable net and rubber-mounted polycarbonate sheets. An inner layer of glass-fibre coated with a low-E aluminium powder and teflon completes the package. You can see the inverted white triangles on some of the Concourse in the 2Bangkok photos. This basically will shield the passengers from excessive heat and sound, with natural light being sufficient during daylight hours. Air conditioning will be minimal, the upper parts of the concourses may reach 65 degrees Celsius, but as they are 15-20 metres above the general public, it don't matter.

This will not collapse. (Famous last words). The terminal building is the problem, as I have stated above. I have no worries about the concourse, especially not about the brilliant design of the fabric roof and the extraordinarily gifted and dedicated people who have designed and installed it.

And will be covering streets in Singapore next year, just to keep the shoppers happy.

[Up2U]

The locals around the airport pronounce it Suwwannaboom, so it may turn into boom-boom airport.

Or - So-wanna boom-boom airport.

[Darth Bangkok]

Up2U, can I ask a question? not aimed at you,

what the ###### is a VIP terminal? Why would the airport need one, and why would it be in phase two, rather than later after the important things are taken care of?

this airport has been under construction for more than 40 years. how can any of these phases be expected to be finished in our lifetimes?

anyway, the fact that passengers transferring to domestic flights have to travel across bangkok seems to me to be mostly a ploy to get people to drop a few hundred baht on taxis or to promote limos and other premium services that are not worth it. fleecing tourists is number one, and only situtations where money can physically be seen count. the fact that after one or two nightmare transits through bangkok, people might stop coming, does not factor into the equation.

[Totster]

what the ###### is a VIP terminal?

I'm quite sure Heathrow Airport has a "VIP Terminal", which is used for Royalty/Foreign Dignitaries etc....

It is used so that these arrivals can be given the pomp and ceremony it requires ( you know red carpet and military bands ), also it is easier to provide all the extra security mesures needed.

totster

[Up2U]

Up2U, can I ask a question? not aimed at you,

what the ###### is a VIP terminal? Why would the airport need one, and why would it be in phase two, rather than later after the important things are taken care of?

this airport has been under construction for more than 40 years. how can any of these phases be expected to be finished in our lifetimes?

anyway, the fact that passengers transferring to domestic flights have to travel across bangkok seems to me to be mostly a ploy to get people to drop a few hundred baht on taxis or to promote limos and other premium services that are not worth it. fleecing tourists is number one, and only situtations where money can physically be seen count. the fact that after one or two nightmare transits through bangkok, people might stop coming, does not factor into the equation.

I may have been a little off with that comment about a VIP terminal - since Thai International have now bought half-a-dozen A380 double-deckers (or at least signed an order / option-to-purchase - don't know if they've actually PAID for any ) then Phase 2 will be to construct a terminal that can accommodate these extra-high-exit planes.

I'm too used to working in the Middle East, where every local sheikh wants his VIP terminal in his local feeder-airport.

The Northern Terminal, closest to Lad Krabang - is the current structure under construction, along with ancillary buildings such as fire station, service buildings and the like. Plus the runways. Don't know if both are being built in phase 1. I assume so, but only one is visible from the top of the concourse structures.

[shellman]

Another interesting site is teh official site of the new airport, some photos, current status, project plans...

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/demo/en/index.htm

you also find the project plans for expressway connections:

1. The Third Southern Expressway Project S1 (Arj-Narong – Bang Na) from Arj-Narong Interchage over the First Expressway System to Bang Na Interchange linking to Bang Na – Cholburi Expressway (Burapa Vithi). The distance is 4.7 kms.

2. South Access to the Airport: Elevated and at-grade roads connecting the South Access to Bang Na-Cholburi Express Way . The distance is 900m – 1.5 km.

current status can be asked about at http://www.eta.co.th/

cheers