Cabinet gives green light to Don Muang airport expansion plans - finished by 2029

[webfact]

Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob. Picture: Siam Rath

 

Siam Rath reported that the Thai cabinet has agreed to requests from transport minister Saksayam Chidchob to expand Bangkok's Don Muang airport. 

 

The budget is 36,829,499 million baht. 

 

Environmental Impact Assessments were completed in October.

 

Work includes building an entirely new Terminal 3 and full refurbishment of Terminal 1. 

 

Terminal 3 will be 166,000 square meters and include facilities such as self check-in, self bag drop and early baggage. 

 

18 million foreign travellers are expected to use the facility yearly.

 

In total the airport will expand from current 30 million passengers a year to 50 million including domestic that makes up much of the Don Muang traffic.

 

Inbound and outbound facilities for travellers will also be upgraded.

 

New access ramps direct from the tollway are also being constructed along with improved parking facilities.

 

Work will take 7 years with the completion date expected to be 2029.

 

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[khunjeff]

Odds of completion by 2029: zero

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In total the airport will expand from current 30 million passengers a year to 50 million including domestic that makes up much of the Don Muang traffic.

Remember, this was an airport that was closed and mothballed as being surplus to requirements when Swampy was opened. And then within weeks it was realised that Swampy was - well, swamped to overcapacity - and they begged Air Asia and others to return to Don Muang. Absolutely first class Thai-style planning with Thai-style forward thinking. An airport that wasn't needed now set to handle 50 million a year.

While they're at it with the expansion, can they dedicate one of the terminals entirely for China flights, so the rest of us can use the airport in comfort instead of fighting the hoards. 

[wpcoe]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The budget is 36,829,499 million baht. 

???  Do they mean B36,829,499 x 1,000,000 (B36,829,499,000,000) or B36,829,499?  The former seems like an awful lot, but the latter (only about one million USD) doesn't seem like much.

[hotchilli]

Why not improve other airports so they can take international arrivals.. instead of having to land in Bangkok then get a domestic transfer to where you actually want to go.

[Sydebolle]

Did I just read 1,060,757,705,773.15 United States Dollar, in other words just a little over a TRILLION? 

Taking ransacking of state coffers to new heights, congratulations to this achievement. 

Give 'em a medal please? 

 

 

[josephbloggs]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:37 AM, hotchilli said:

Why not improve other airports so they can take international arrivals.. instead of having to land in Bangkok then get a domestic transfer to where you actually want to go.

Because there is no demand to justify it.  How many people will fly direct from the UK to Udon Thani for example?  No demand for direct flights = no need to build an international airport.

 

Makes sense to make sure the ones in Bangkok have the capacity.

 

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Did I just read 1,060,757,705,773.15 United States Dollar, in other words just a little over a TRILLION? 

Taking ransacking of state coffers to new heights, congratulations to this achievement. 

Give 'em a medal please? 

 

 

Come one, you really think they are spending a trillion dollars on DMK???

It is 36 billion baht, or about a billion USD.

 

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Because there is no demand to justify it.  How many people will fly direct from the UK to Udon Thani for example?  No demand for direct flights = no need to build an international airport.

 

Makes sense to make sure the ones in Bangkok have the capacity.

 

How many people fly into Bangkok and want to stay in Bangkok?

I'm not saying all the other airports they have to be fully international, but allow some direct flights to other parts of the country.

[josephbloggs]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

How many people fly into Bangkok and want to stay in Bangkok?

I'm not saying all the other airports they have to be fully international, but allow some direct flights to other parts of the country.

Again, supply and demand.  They do allow direct international flights to the places that have demand for direct international flights and which airlines can make a profit on. Places like Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi Hat Yai etc.

The airlines know the demand and number of travelers to each location. If there was sufficient demand to regularly fill planes between two international locations then they would put a case forward to upgrade them, just as has happened in the past with airports that are now international.

[Sydebolle]

On 12/3/2022 at 8:26 PM, josephbloggs said:

Come one, you really think they are spending a trillion dollars on DMK???

It is 36 billion baht, or about a billion USD.

 

From where I come from it is called sarcasm; 36,829,499 million Baht though would be slightly more than 36 billion Baht but 36 trillion; in real money still 1 trillion USD. 
Of course not even the most gifted Thai politicians will achieve that which shows the worthiness of media articles - combined with the Thai understanding of numerals a devastating outlook. 

Whatever and how much is irrelevant; my comment was querying the professionalism of the article's editors ???? On that note - happy Father's Day to you too ???? 

[sandyf]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:37 AM, hotchilli said:

Why not improve other airports so they can take international arrivals..

They are, both Krabi and U-Tapao international airports are being upgraded that I know of, possibly more.

Of course on this forum, "international" is taken to mean inbound from the western world.