Will You Miss Don Muang?

[Flummoxed]

As you know, Don Muang is to close to international flights next year (supposedly). I've been to many many world class airports of varying quality. For me, Don Muang is my favourite because I never had to wait at immigration and never lost luggage (maybe I'm lucky in this respect).

When Kai Tak airport closed in central Hong Kong, 10's of thousands turned up to watch the last plane land amongst the skyskrapers. That was because it was much loved in Hong Kong and airliners flying low over apartment buildings was part of life there. Don Muang is just a grotty lump of concrete alongside an ugly tollway but I'll miss it... what say you?

[SeaVisionBurma]

Nice idea, with Don Muang due to close etc, but I cast a null vote.

Why? Because I have no idea yet how the new Suvanabhumi Airport will be in terms of quality, style, ease of use etc. In other words, I can't say whether I'll miss the old airport until I've used the new one. If the new airport sucks, then of course I'll wish we were still flying in and out of Don Muang. But if the new airport is the duck's nuts, then I won't miss Don Muang at all.

I flew over the new airport site last month on an afternoon flight out of Bangkok to Perth - and I must say it looks reasonably impressive, and one of the first things I noticed was some kind of main arterial highway joining the airport to the Bangkok city region. (can anyone enlighten us as to the main route to/from BKK?)

Don Muang is a nice little airport, but its old and tired. It rates well with me because I can be in the city reasonably fast if I take the tollway. But I'd take Changi or Chep Lap Kok any day.

I'll reserve judgement on the new airport once I see it in operation. I think the main factors for most people are likely to be:

1. How quickly do you clear immigration?

2. How fast are the bags ready,

3. How quick is it to get into town/what transport options are there?

my 2 satangs worth....

[Stocky]

Likewise, no vote. The road and rail link to Suvanabhumi Airport are due to be finished after the airport. I suspect I'll dread the first year or so.

[george]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

[Stocky]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

Oh shit! You're joking, that's something I didn't know. So no international flights to Had Yai? Clear customs at Suvanabhumi and battle your way through the traffic to Don Muang and check in for the domestic flight. How convenient.

[george]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

Oh shit! You're joking, that's something I didn't know. So no international flights to Had Yai? Clear customs at Suvanabhumi and battle your way through the traffic to Don Muang and check in for the domestic flight. How convenient.

No, I am not joking. Travellers have to take bus or taxi between International and Domestic.

The current airport, Don Muang International, will be transformed into the domestic terminal.

[Stocky]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

Oh shit! You're joking, that's something I didn't know. So no international flights to Had Yai? Clear customs at Suvanabhumi and battle your way through the traffic to Don Muang and check in for the domestic flight. How convenient.

No, I am not joking. Travellers have to take bus or taxi between International and Domestic.

Somehow I didn't think you would be George, TiT

[Rinrada]

I seem to remember Mr T. saying something to the effect that D.M.might become a new Parliament /Government /Showpiece Building.

[Johpa]

Don Muang is a nice little airport, but its old and tired.

Don Muang is neither old nor tired. Most of the buildings in both the domestic and International terminals are fairly new. The domestic terminal is nowhere near capacity and most of you would be hard pressed to identify what once was the single room of the domestic terminal. And the recently completed International terminal is often running at half capacity except at the AM departure rush and the midnight arrival rush.

I hope you all like the soon to be long journey into Bangkok. For those with early AM departing flights, enjoy waking up even a few hours earlier. And for those arriving during the midnight rush hour, having to take an additional hour plus ride into Bangkok will be especially satisfying if you are lucky enough to find a cab. Otherwise it is the bus stopping at every hotel in Bangkok taking hours. Although I am sure some relative of Toxin will open up a new Amari Airport style hotel that will have exhorbitant rates based upon your skin color and ethnic origin just as the racist Airport Amari has done for decades.

And for those of us not headed into Bangkok or Pattaya, well shiver me timbers, we are screwed by this project whose sole purpose was to line the pockets of influential families. Chaiyo!

[john b good]

As you know, Don Muang is to close to international flights next year (supposedly). I've been to many many world class airports of varying quality. For me, Don Muang is my favourite because I never had to wait at immigration and never lost luggage (maybe I'm lucky in this respect).

When Kai Tak airport closed in central Hong Kong, 10's of thousands turned up to watch the last plane land amongst the skyskrapers. That was because it was much loved in Hong Kong and airliners flying low over apartment buildings was part of life there. Don Muang is just a grotty lump of concrete alongside an ugly tollway but I'll miss it... what say you?

For me, Don Muang is my favourite because I never had to wait at immigration

All I can say is that you have been very lucky.

My own experience is that Don Muang is one of the worst airports in the region in terms of slow immigration. Half the time they add personnel to the number doing the processing and people are often ducking from one queue to another.

If they want to have the epitome of efficiency at the new airport it will have to be modelled on Changi.

[ovenman]

The road and rail link to Suvanabhumi Airport are due to be finished after the airport. I suspect I'll dread the first year or so.

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well...

[eric1000]

DM is just fine but the setdown points are seriuosly inadequate , taxis just cant drop a person off very easilly and roads into the airport are snarled up .

however the roads to and from the new site wont be able to take the extra traffic,

bang na trat intersection is already solid without the extra load from the new site to take-on. A huge amount of trucks/container from the industrial areas of chonburi are already blocking the roads. a 3rd tier of highway is being built but its just not enough to take the load . 2 tier is slow moving . a MTS is desperately needed to the new airport .

building a new airport without MTS is a total screwup

[fatter than harry]

Quite right:

"D.M. might become a new Parliament /Government /Showpiece Building suckas!"

[Axel]

Guess it will be the same mess as all over, when a new airport at a different location replaces the old one we are used to.

I will try not to use the Crocodile Swamp during the first two weeks or so.

Easy approach, of course, is a must. Hong Kong after opening had a complete break down in computer systems, immigration in HKG during rush hours still is a mess; their airport express train though takes you in 23 minutes to and fro Central, or laess than that to Tsim Sha Tsui.

Anyway, the less time I have to spend in an airport the better it is. If it works out I will not miss Dong Muang.

[lopburi3]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

Is that today's version George? Seems they change their mind every month.

My take was that Don Muang International Terminals were to be used for exhibition areas and Domestic Terminal was going to be used for charter and low cost airline flights but normal domestic service would move to new airport (those airlines that can afford it).

[PvtDick]

My take was that Don Muang International Terminals were to be used for exhibition areas and Domestic Terminal was going to be used for charter and low cost airline flights but normal domestic service would move to new airport (those airlines that can afford it).

Yes, that is the latest I have heard as well. That way, TG will retain its advantage on the domestic routes (i.e., if passengers fly into the country and want to connect to a domestic flight run by one of the budget airlines, they'll have to transfer between airports). Makes perfect sense, actually.

[Digger]

The motorway connections into the airport are already built and signposted. the road is being extended to 5 lanes each way from what I can see (unless they want extra wide central reservations. If you need to go to the new airport the new(ish) motorway is better than bangna Trat at least for the time being.

From Sukhumvit, the journey time to the new aiport is the same pretty much as using the current expressway and I make the journey on a reagular (at least twice a week) basis.

Totally agree about Mass Transit comments.

Have to say though learning about domestic flights is going to push up even further land and proerty values around Pattaya

[eric1000]

And the Domestic Airport will remain at Don Muang, so domestic transfers will be very convenient indeed.

its all up in the air so far , latest report says budget airlines will use DM ..they cant make their minds up , maybe there is a pot of money to be made somewhere and they dont know which way to jump

so i am flying budget airlines .