Thai government to increase capacity in four airports – 200 M arrivals by 2031

[Khyron]

On 2/9/2023 at 7:51 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

Well, they've already spent 2 billion upgrading Khon Kaen airport in anticipation of hoards of foreign tourists coming to see what, exactly?

I think it is a huge improvement, in the 90's It was a very Podunk airport, I always thought there was danger of getting trampled by a cow wandering through the terminal.

 

Although the big sign that says "international airport" is wishful thinking, nothing international about it. I wish they would get the jetways finished though.

 

I am also amazed at all the Farangs in there too, except for Udon Thani, there isn't anything close to fly out of.

[Khyron]

On 2/13/2023 at 2:35 AM, terryofcrete said:

As i said the ONLY reason for the mess was not enough staff on duty... Im sure there are more than enough staff , but where are they ? 

I flew out the 23rd, and I guess I was lucky, it was only 45 minutes to leave passport control. There needs to be something done if they are to get more people in and out. It will only take time for the word to spread about the passport control taking hours to get through for others to mark Thailand off the list for being too difficult in immigration.

[Bangkok Barry]

39 minutes ago, Khyron said:

there isn't anything close to fly out of.

Exactly why it didn't need 2 billion spent there. It was perfectly adequate to serve Podunk.

 

44 minutes ago, Khyron said:

I always thought there was danger of getting trampled by a cow wandering through the terminal.

Reminds me, though of the time I found a large but old-fashioned looking hotel in Malmo, Sweden. It was right at the end of the runway and yes, there were cows grazing among the approach lights. It was a Sunday and the hotel was actually closed and carpets were being cleaned, but they gave me a room and rustled up a cold meal, and next morning took me to the terminal in an old Daimler. I've always had the feeling that if I went back the place wouldn't exist and I'd been in The Twilight Zone.

[zzaa09]

Nothing encourages the ever expanding fanciful growth more than tonnes upon tonnes of foreigners coming around.

Repeated often and loud enough, it all becomes true and real. 

 

 

[josephbloggs]

17 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Nothing encourages the ever expanding fanciful growth more than tonnes upon tonnes of foreigners coming around.

Repeated often and loud enough, it all becomes true and real. 

 

 

So there aren't tons of tourists then?  Wow, you speak the truth!

 

And all the tourists packing the BTS are fake. I flew out of BKK yesterday and the airport was rammed. Obviously I imagined that and it was fake.

What is wrong with people like you? 

[scorecard]

On 2/9/2023 at 6:19 PM, WHansen said:

Make Thailand a welcoming enviroment for foreigners without fear of being ripped off at every opportunity, sort out the BIB mafia and it could be possible

Plans to massively expand most airports have been announced 4 or 5 times in the last several years.

 

Have none of them been approved?

 

Have all of them been approved?

 

Has any of the constuction started? 

 

Have any of the approved plans been overridden by later approvals of more expandion plans? Therefore requiring new design work? 

 

Have finances been approved? If yes where do that all 'sit' in terms of conflicting / superseded / resdesigned plans? 

 

 

[scorecard]

On 2/10/2023 at 8:49 AM, MrJ2U said:

I didn't see Udon Thani Airport. 

Has there been a mistake?

Quck, add Udon Thai, don't want to miss any chance of more budget 'opportunities'.

Edited February 28, 2023 by scorecard

[MrJ2U]

On 2/27/2023 at 4:21 PM, Khyron said:

I think it is a huge improvement, in the 90's It was a very Podunk airport, I always thought there was danger of getting trampled by a cow wandering through the terminal.

 

Although the big sign that says "international airport" is wishful thinking, nothing international about it. I wish they would get the jetways finished though.

 

I am also amazed at all the Farangs in there too, except for Udon Thani, there isn't anything close to fly out of.

Khon Kaen and Udon Thani are actually great Issan cities to visit with good food, shopping, and surprisingly good nightlife for mongers and married couples alike. 

 

 

[zzaa09]

267 godzillion quatrillion arrivals by next week alone.

 

What shall we do...

[DrJoy]

On 2/9/2023 at 6:20 PM, Jerno said:

Why not 400 million. Go big with your total insane predictions!

Its 4000 million, Good Sir

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Plans to massively expand most airports have been announced 4 or 5 times in the last several years.

 

Have none of them been approved?

 

Have all of them been approved?

 

Has any of the constuction started? 

 

Have any of the approved plans been overridden by later approvals of more expandion plans? Therefore requiring new design work? 

 

Have finances been approved? If yes where do that all 'sit' in terms of conflicting / superseded / resdesigned plans? 

 

 

For Suvarabhumi it has been approved and done.

Satellite concourse approved a few years ago and finished a year or more ago adding 28 new gates. Not opened yet due to Covid but will open this year - connected to the main terminal by Automated People Carriers.

The third runway approved a few years ago and nearing completion.

[RandiRona]

Common, let's call it a Billion and no need to predict for few centuries!!

[Danderman123]

The traffic at Suvarnaphumi is unbelievable now. Immigration is completely swamped.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[Danderman123]

There are 6 Passport control booths where I am now. Only 3 have staff. The line goes all the way back to Security on the floor above.

 

The problem is lack of staffing, not capacity. 

[KiChakayan]

They forgot to mention the new Buriram international, which is well under way...

[KiChakayan]

On 2/10/2023 at 4:45 AM, spidermike007 said:

More insanity. I doubt if it will ever even get back to the record of 39 million. Just wishful thinking on the part of dreamers, with nothing to back up their aims, and absolutely no effort to improve Thailand or the tourist experience. 

 

Thailand somehow thinks it can surpass France in tourism numbers. Is Bangkok the new Paris? Comparable museums, culture, food, wine, monuments? 

 

https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/ST.INT.ARVL/rankings

 

 

 

 

I thought some of these numbers were dodgy, especially France, so I went to your source and found that their figures are based on the following: "

 

Definition: International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival."

 

I'll let fellow Aseanners form their own opinion.

Edited March 26, 2023 by KiChakayan

[rabang]

When I have stayed longer periods in Thailand I have usually made a trip to some nearby country every 1 or 2 months, meaning that during a 3 month trip I have been counted as an arrival thrice on average.