My First Experience At The New Airport

[phetaroi]

Well, nothing ugly, actually. But this was my first experience with the new airport and I was apprehensive. By the time I travel half-way around the world I'm usually a tad bit frazzled, so the last thing I need is a bad experience at the airport. My first worry...please dpn't laugh...was the availability of toilets, a topic which has generated a lot of concerns. Ended up I didn't need to visit the loo, but as I wandered through various parts of the airport it seemed as if there were sufficient opportunities to use bathroom facilities. It seems it is a problem that has been taken care of.

The problem I experienced was in going through immigration. Because I will be here only 3 weeks this year I decided not to get a visa in advance. So, when I saw the signs for "Visa Upon Arrival" I headed in that direction and then stood in line for about five minutes before one of the men behind the counter happened to notice I had a blue American passport. He redirected me to the regular immigration area...seems that Americans do not need to go through that preliminary step. Onto a nother loooooong line, although it suddenly moved rather quickly after they opened up a new counter. All went well after that in terms of immigration. They were bored at the customs counter, so they searched my luggage...first time ever...but they were extremely polite and rather quick, so no complaints there.

A Thai friend met me, and of course he had a scheme to save money on a taxi...not worth it. We waited for a long time and then were on the verge of running out of gas before he found a petrol station (actually LP). So, we got to the hotel without too much of a struggle.

All considered, not a bad experience at all. I've suffered far more in Narita over the years. It's a beautiful airport and I think they have gone a long ways toward making it work relatively well.

[siam2007]

actually u did not get any VISA, u only got a STAMP that u entered the country and are permitted to stay for 30 days. the term VISA for this is missleading, although widely used.

about the customs: if - for a reason - you want to avoid being searched (as for me: usually bringing 2-5 Kg of packed cheese from my home country), wait far away from the customs desk, until u see a big Thai family or group with a lot of bags or cases. follow them. the custom officers will usually rather stop them and look what they bring back to their home country, and then be busy. u, as the average tourist walking behind them, will not attract too much of attention then.

wear a nasty hawaii-shirt, sunglasses and a silly beach hat. that might help even more

as for Suwannaphum, I cant look behind the curtain, but I never had problems there, using it 10-12 times so far. the biggest annoyance for me is the HEAT inside once u reached the gates in the check-in hall, leading to the departure area, but thats more a problem for the pityful immigration officers who get the full load of sunspots everyday....

Edited July 8, 2007 by siam2007

[phetaroi]

actually u did not get any VISA, u only got a STAMP that u entered the country and are permitted to stay for 30 days. the term VISA for this is missleading, although widely used.

Reply -- While you are probably technically correct, the "STAMP" says "Visa Class", so yes, the term is widely used.

about the customs: if - for a reason - you want to avoid being searched (as for me: usually bringing 2-5 Kg of packed cheese from my home country), wait far away from the customs desk, until u see a big Thai family or group with a lot of bags or cases. follow them. the custom officers will usually rather stop them and look what they bring back to their home country, and then be busy. u, as the average tourist walking behind them, will not attract too much of attention then.

wear a nasty hawaii-shirt, sunglasses and a silly beach hat. that might help even more

I knew their would be raised eyebrows on a few things, and indeed there were -- a somewhat unusual type of back heating pad filled with little beads...an unusually high number of 8 prescriptions for this old (well not too old) man, all got second looks.

as for Suwannaphum, I cant look behind the curtain, but I never had problems there, using it 10-12 times so far. the biggest annoyance for me is the HEAT inside once u reached the gates in the check-in hall, leading to the departure area, but thats more a problem for the pityful immigration officers who get the full load of sunspots everyday....

I wondered about the heat since I had read about that. While it wasn't "cool" in any part of the airport that I was in (I obviiously wasn't in the departure lounge...yet), no place would I have been would I have classed it an uncomfortable. I will say that the designers should have noted how that classy glassy design would trap heat.

It's good to see that you never had problems. While there always are problems opening a new airport (I remember disasters when Denver, Colorado opened their new airport), I sometimes wonder if a lot of the airport bashing was just change to the unfamiliar. I have to admit that Don Muang always served me well. Never did I have a problem there of any kind. It was easy and I liked it. It was also very familiar. Of course, I do remember horrible traffic two and from, depending on the time of my arrival or departure.

[geriatrickid]

(as for me: usually bringing 2-5 Kg of packed cheese from my home country),

You must be very pleased with your ability to smuggle in restricted goods. There's a good reason why countries restrict the importation of Meat, eggs, dairy products, fresh fruit, vegetables and other food imports, it's called keeping out foreign diseases, parasites and other pests. You may not think you are not doing anything wrong sneaking in that cheese but you are, and it could very well cause an agricultural or disease problem for someone else.

Cheeses that are "raw" can carry bacteria or disease that while harmless to you and the environment in your home country, may thrive in a foreign location. That bacteria can also infect people who have no natural resistance or exposure to the bacteria. Don't assume that just because you plan to eat it yourself that no one is at risk. You're going to toss the wrapper somewhere and the cheese it's going to eventually come out of you with the bacteria colony still active.

Unpasteurized cheese can be infected with the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the bacteria listeria monocytogenes. Even processed cheese can be contaminated. In recent years there have been scores of infections and product recalls due to Salmonella associated with processed cheese. There are two major mold infections associated with cheese which are left in their natural state. On and on it goes. This is why cheese is a restricted item.

While the likelihood of a negative impact from foreign cheese may be low, the use of import restrictions helps diminish the risk even further. Please consider this the next time you decide to smuggle.

[johnsonspot]

(as for me: usually bringing 2-5 Kg of packed cheese from my home country),

You must be very pleased with your ability to smuggle in restricted goods. There's a good reason why countries restrict the importation of Meat, eggs, dairy products, fresh fruit, vegetables and other food imports, it's called keeping out foreign diseases, parasites and other pests. You may not think you are not doing anything wrong sneaking in that cheese but you are, and it could very well cause an agricultural or disease problem for someone else.

Cheeses that are "raw" can carry bacteria or disease that while harmless to you and the environment in your home country, may thrive in a foreign location. That bacteria can also infect people who have no natural resistance or exposure to the bacteria. Don't assume that just because you plan to eat it yourself that no one is at risk. You're going to toss the wrapper somewhere and the cheese it's going to eventually come out of you with the bacteria colony still active.

Unpasteurized cheese can be infected with the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the bacteria listeria monocytogenes. Even processed cheese can be contaminated. In recent years there have been scores of infections and product recalls due to Salmonella associated with processed cheese. There are two major mold infections associated with cheese which are left in their natural state. On and on it goes. This is why cheese is a restricted item.

While the likelihood of a negative impact from foreign cheese may be low, the use of import restrictions helps diminish the risk even further. Please consider this the next time you decide to smuggle.

Oh, for chrissakes. GET OVER YOURSELF.

I especially like this one:

You're going to toss the wrapper somewhere and the cheese it's going to eventually come out of you with the bacteria colony still active.

What's the person supposed to do if they eat cheese in their native country and don't have to take a shit before they land? What then? Are they supposed to hold it until they leave again?

Look, I can see if they were bringing it in to sell to others or even give to others, but the vast, VAST majority of people bring....uhhh, sorry, "smuggle"....small amounts in for their own, personal use.

[asiaexpat]

Glad to hear the experience was acceptable. My wife has used the new airport sevral times and has no complaints. She carries insulin and various other medications that cause some delays and explainations, but overall the people are very helpful. I had a normal LOS experience last week, my first to the new airport. Immigration and customs seems better than at DM, but the airport was less than I expected. I hope the massive amounts of concrete eventually get covered by something less penal looking. I did notice King Power concessions are now quit upscale. The shopping mall was impressive.

[Humphrey Bear]

The toilet problem is really a lack of directional signs to washrooms / restrooms / toilets - whatever you want to call them.

There is no indication on any of the big signs in the Arrivals Hall for toilets - you have to go to the back wall and look for mini-signs. My eyesight being poor, this is not easy.

[siam2007]

(as for me: usually bringing 2-5 Kg of packed cheese from my home country),

You must be very pleased with your ability to smuggle in restricted goods. There's a good reason why countries restrict the importation of Meat, eggs, dairy products, fresh fruit, vegetables and other food imports, it's called keeping out foreign diseases, parasites and other pests. You may not think you are not doing anything wrong sneaking in that cheese but you are, and it could very well cause an agricultural or disease problem for someone else.

Cheeses that are "raw" can carry bacteria or disease that while harmless to you and the environment in your home country, may thrive in a foreign location. That bacteria can also infect people who have no natural resistance or exposure to the bacteria. Don't assume that just because you plan to eat it yourself that no one is at risk. You're going to toss the wrapper somewhere and the cheese it's going to eventually come out of you with the bacteria colony still active.

Unpasteurized cheese can be infected with the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the bacteria listeria monocytogenes. Even processed cheese can be contaminated. In recent years there have been scores of infections and product recalls due to Salmonella associated with processed cheese. There are two major mold infections associated with cheese which are left in their natural state. On and on it goes. This is why cheese is a restricted item.

While the likelihood of a negative impact from foreign cheese may be low, the use of import restrictions helps diminish the risk even further. Please consider this the next time you decide to smuggle.

Oh, for chrissakes. GET OVER YOURSELF.

I especially like this one:

You're going to toss the wrapper somewhere and the cheese it's going to eventually come out of you with the bacteria colony still active.

What's the person supposed to do if they eat cheese in their native country and don't have to take a shit before they land? What then? Are they supposed to hold it until they leave again?

Look, I can see if they were bringing it in to sell to others or even give to others, but the vast, VAST majority of people bring....uhhh, sorry, "smuggle"....small amounts in for their own, personal use.

I bring packs of vacuumized, 400 gr-slized Gouda or Edamer or whatever, bought in one of those hypermarkets, and produced in a huge dairy-product factory under the most hygienic conditions in a country with probably the strictest law concerning food in Europe.

I really DONT feel guilty in any way

Probably i would never be able to experience any food produced under more hygienic conditions here in Thailand.

my seat-neighbors perspiring feet though, were the real THREAT to Thailand. His "bactery colony" was indeed still active, no doubt.....

[Naam]

Oh, for chrissakes. GET OVER YOURSELF.

What's the person supposed to do if they eat cheese in their native country and don't have to take a shit before they land? What then? Are they supposed to hold it until they leave again?

[Naam]

my seat-neighbors perspiring feet though, were the real THREAT to Thailand. His "bactery colony" was indeed still active, no doubt.....

another good reply

[gampaan]

...What's a boy to do ??