Public Taxi Stands Will Relocate To The Second Floor (arrivals Level)

[george]

Public Taxi Stands Will Relocate to The Second Floor (Arrivals Level)

SUVRANABHUMI: -- Suvarnabhumi airport is preparing to relocate public taxi stands to the second floor of the main airport building, on the same floor as the arrivals terminal, pushing out influential private limousine operators.

Suvarnabhumi airport director Serirat Prasutanond said yesterday that taxi stands would move up from the frontal road on the first floor of the passenger terminal to the second floor after the Songkran festival ends on April 17.

Passengers arriving at the airport exit from immigration and customs checks on the second floor of the new Bangkok airport building.

Mr Serirat said the new system was in line with the original plans set out for transport services at the Suvarnabhumi airport.

"I am not concerned about what was arranged before I took office, but the current objective is to solve problems systematically by focusing on providing the most convenience for passengers by returning to the original plan," said Mr Serirat who, took up his position in February.

"This may affect some groups but it must be understood for the sake of problem solving."

Buses will also be allowed to pick up passengers from the frontal road on the second floor instead of waiting at the remote bus terminal located away from the main terminal building.

Limousine services and vehicles of hotel associations and group tour operators will be relocated from the second floor down to the first floor.

Mr Serirat said the change was aimed at providing the most convenience to the majority of passengers. Limousine services are only used by a limited group of passengers, he said.

He also said the illegal but influential groups of limousine service providers were cashing in at Suvarnabhumi and that airport authorities had been catching up to 250 illegal limousine operators every day.

Passengers have complained about the difficulties of finding the public taxi stands at the new airport, prompting officials to put more signs to direct passengers from the arrivals hall.

-- Agencies 2007-04-06

[taxexile]

good news and not before time but will he also remove the touts from the arrivals area ?

[sbk]

Will they keep the limo touts out of the arrivals section as well? I liked the roped off space at Don Muang. Gave me a chance to change money and catch my breath before being assaulted by limo drivers. At Suva, they are on you as soon as you exit Customs!

[JR Texas]

Will they keep the limo touts out of the arrivals section as well? I liked the roped off space at Don Muang. Gave me a chance to change money and catch my breath before being assaulted by limo drivers. At Suva, they are on you as soon as you exit Customs!

JR Texas: This is really good news! The last time I was at the airport in the swamp I got my bag and saw signs directing me to the taxis but they were limosines (unnecessary expense). I looked around for the normal taxis but could find them. I decided to avoid the SCAM and went upstairs to the arrival section, walked outside into the traffic, and hailed down a taxi that had just dropped off a passenger. It ended up costing me 300 baht to get to a hotel near the river. Personally, I wish they would have just renovated the old Don Muang/Meuang/Moooange, whatever, airport. It was convenient. But two airports is normal in many places, one for domestic flights and another for international flights.

[Shah Jahan]

There seems to be much resentment against the Limo guys by the rest of airport inhabitants... every time I arrive I am accosted by the touts and simply point towards the downstairs taxis with my finger.

On a few occasions another thai person watching this exchange has given me the thumbs up and expressed that those 'Limo people' are no good 'Jai Dam'

having the limos like this also causes resentment among the Taxi drivers who will then try to rip off the tourists with the mentality that

"if those Limo guys get 800 baht' why shouldn't I?

[Guest madcow]

Well this is good news !

It is very refreshing to see someone in authority recognizing that the airport is all

about passengers , not about rorts and rip-offs .

It did seem as if the airport was designed to seperate as much cash as possible

from travellers , if the shops didnt get ya the taxis would .

Must have been lots and lots of complaints

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

Looks like reasonable progress being made on the train link construction.

[samran]

Lets just hope they keep the traffic flow moving as well. No point in moving the taxi's upstairs if it is only going to create a log jam of parked taxi's.

All in all though, a good break though...even though I've taken a liking to the limo's of late. Nice coming home in a nice motor, and not a smelly armpit smelling bomb that I always seem to get when using the public taxi queue.

[lopburi3]

Looks like reasonable progress being made on the train link construction.

I suspect that is why I read today they are asking for a 2 year delay?