Efficiency And Comfort?

[astral]

A friend has sent me these comments on his recent departure from Suvarnphum.

I type this at 10am, almost arrival time in Penang. However, I am still in BKK, having missed the flight.

I duly arose at 4am and set off for here as planned.

On arrival I saw a totally chaotic crowd all trying to get through immigration, where I waited ages.

My flight time past while I was still waiting! Anyway, eventually, I dashed to security.

There, they seemed confused by my bottle of water. This caused them to give me a shakedown, thereby wasting more time.

When I got to the gate, it had closed and the aircraft had left.

There should have been plenty of time, but immigration was a nightmare. I have never seen such crowds and of course,

it's impossible to do anything about it at that stage in the process.

Whilst awaiting the next flight, I wandered round the place quite a bit. My impression is one of a dirty, smelly shithole,

with endless shops selling stuff I certainly don't want and restaurants at sky high prices. I tried to buy a BKK Post,

but it appears there are no local papers in any of the shops. Most importantly, the place is so uncomfortable.

On all levels except at the gates, there are precious few seats and those available are very uncomfortable.

The gates themselves have those dreadful metal seats, not good for any purpose.

All in all, I deem it one of the worst airports anywhere.

[njpski]

No wonder he miised his flight, He was at the wrong airport! Suvarnabhumi is meticulously clean, it has the standard comfort of other airports.

He doesn't say how long before his flight he arrived at the airport, from the sounds of him 10 minutes. He is probably one of those people whose name is called over the PA holding up the plane for the rest of us.

He mustn't have flown internationally recently , otherwise he would know about the 100 millilitre rule.

From the arrogant tone of his bleat, I would. if an official anywhere!, taken delight in making his day ordinary.

Hope he got out of Thailand and stays out!

[IMA_FARANG]

A friend has sent me these comments on his recent departure from Suvarnphum.

I type this at 10am, almost arrival time in Penang. However, I am still in BKK, having missed the flight.

I duly arose at 4am and set off for here as planned.

On arrival I saw a totally chaotic crowd all trying to get through immigration, where I waited ages.

My flight time past while I was still waiting! Anyway, eventually, I dashed to security.

There, they seemed confused by my bottle of water. This caused them to give me a shakedown, thereby wasting more time.

When I got to the gate, it had closed and the aircraft had left.

There should have been plenty of time, but immigration was a nightmare. I have never seen such crowds and of course,

it's impossible to do anything about it at that stage in the process.

Whilst awaiting the next flight, I wandered round the place quite a bit. My impression is one of a dirty, smelly shithole,

with endless shops selling stuff I certainly don't want and restaurants at sky high prices. I tried to buy a BKK Post,

but it appears there are no local papers in any of the shops. Most importantly, the place is so uncomfortable.

On all levels except at the gates, there are precious few seats and those available are very uncomfortable.

The gates themselves have those dreadful metal seats, not good for any purpose.

All in all, I deem it one of the worst airports anywhere.

When I last left BKK it took me almost 2 hours to go thru immigration and the liquids check.

Obviously you haven't been reading this forum too often, or you would have known not too take a bottle of water on the plane. All liquids will be in 100 ml maximum bottles. That has been said several times on this forum before. If you have no bottles, you don't need a search.

Yes the departure at immigration can be a long process. Depends on how many people are leaving. At peak times, there is quite a crush. When I left airline personnel (Thai International flight) were going around the Queue and actively looking for passengers departing soon. These passengers were being taken up to the front of the queue to be processed.

I found that I waited almost an hour to get my bags checked at check-in. Queue went around 3 times in order to get to check-in desk. Once i got to tghe desk however, process was relatively fast.

The walk to departure lounge goes a long time thru those stinking shops...that was Thaksin and his cronies idea of how they could get the last Dollar/Pound/Euro from travellers leaving.

No, I don't much like the new airport.....but I don't know what can be done about it. A lot of the crowding sinply comes down to the volume of people traveling and the scheduling of many flights leaving at certain peak times. Nothing that we can do about that, is there.

[astral]

When I left airline personnel (Thai International flight) were going around the Queue and actively looking for passengers departing soon.

No such assistance from Air Asia.

[Shrubbery]

When I left airline personnel (Thai International flight) were going around the Queue and actively looking for passengers departing soon.

No such assistance from Air Asia.

If you pay peanuts......

[rimbung]

A friend has sent me these comments on his recent departure from Suvarnphum.

I type this at 10am, almost arrival time in Penang. However, I am still in BKK, having missed the flight.

I duly arose at 4am and set off for here as planned.

On arrival I saw a totally chaotic crowd all trying to get through immigration, where I waited ages.

My flight time past while I was still waiting! Anyway, eventually, I dashed to security.

There, they seemed confused by my bottle of water. This caused them to give me a shakedown, thereby wasting more time.

When I got to the gate, it had closed and the aircraft had left.

There should have been plenty of time, but immigration was a nightmare. I have never seen such crowds and of course,

it's impossible to do anything about it at that stage in the process.

Whilst awaiting the next flight, I wandered round the place quite a bit. My impression is one of a dirty, smelly shithole,

with endless shops selling stuff I certainly don't want and restaurants at sky high prices. I tried to buy a BKK Post,

but it appears there are no local papers in any of the shops. Most importantly, the place is so uncomfortable.

On all levels except at the gates, there are precious few seats and those available are very uncomfortable.

The gates themselves have those dreadful metal seats, not good for any purpose.

All in all, I deem it one of the worst airports anywhere.

I have to say your friend summed up Thailand 'International Hub' pretty well.

I suggest he emails it to the travel section of as many international newspapers as possible.

I believe there are talks of changing the name to King Power international

[Shrubbery]

"it's impossible to do anything about it at that stage in the process"

You could perhaps politely ask the people at the front of the queue if you could go in front of them.

What did the other passengers who checked in after you do ?

"endless shops selling stuff I certainly don't want"

Perhaps they sell things that other people want.

"they seemed confused by my bottle of water"

Perhaps you should read the LAG's notices.

"restaurants at sky high prices"

What airport in the world has cheap restaurants ?

"I deem it one of the worst airports anywhere"

Or is it just sour grapes because you missed your flight.

[jonniebkk]

This sounds like the same when I left on a visa run to KUL a month ago. Immigration was totally swamped and people running around with flights departing in a few minutes who still in one of the unmoving lines (said they had been there a hour or more so they were not LATE arrivals). My flight was also a rather early morning departure on AA. Anyway, I just got into the Thai line as I only had about 25 minutes to boarding and there were only a couple people in that line.

I posted about this at the time...that the worst aspect of it all was that the officious "I am officer" fella at the almost empty diplomatic line was kicking people out of line there who had flights leaving in a few minutes.

Arriving the standard 2 hours before an international departure is no guarantee of making your flight at the wannabe hub of SE Asia

[onzestan]

Arriving the standard 2 hours before an international departure is no guarantee of making your flight at the wannabe hub of SE Asia

I believe that the recommended time at Suvarnabhumi is 3 hours.

There is no international standard rule about this one. It can be different for different airports.

cheers

onzestan

[jonniebkk]

Arriving the standard 2 hours before an international departure is no guarantee of making your flight at the wannabe hub of SE Asia

I believe that the recommended time at Suvarnabhumi is 3 hours.

There is no international standard rule about this one. It can be different for different airports.

The head of the immigration officers at Swampy in a related post states passengers should arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of departure. (I would say 2 hours before the start of BOARDING [or about 2.5 hours]). This is probably just saving a little Thai face and he cannot bring himself to state the obvious...that 3 hours would be more likely. I believe most airlines do recommend arrival 2 hours prior to departure.

He goes on to say that passengers should allow 45-60 minutes AFTER check-in to clear immigration! This is ridiculous! At no other airport anywhere at anytime have I had to wait anywhere near this long. At most airports...5-10 minutes would be considered acceptable and 15-20 minutes might be necessary in exceptional circumstances.

Totally unexceptable performance by Swampy airport officials and the Immigration Bureau.

[bkk_mike]

"restaurants at sky high prices"

What airport in the world has cheap restaurants ?

No airport has cheap restaurants.

However if you had to guess which was the cheaper - Heathrow or Suwannapoom? I'd actually now say Heathrow...

[DirkGently]

I waited an hour an 5 mins to clear passport control and this is not peak season. I then found my bag amongst a pile of others dumped on the floor before running the gauntlet of taxi touts.

This airport is poor.

[Who, me ?]

This airport is a shame, at all levels. Since its opening it is continuous pain for travellers.

Immigration in or out...... a joke ! And not very friendly. Not that we need to be treated with special attention, but at least, not some staff who makes you feel you are in process to be arrested........and that you bother them....

Restaurant...YES sky high prices....a shame, and really not a proper restaurant. At least Don Muang offered a bit of choice

Service

Now, I am a frequent flyer, and I always arrange myself to give me plenty of time before departure, just in case of. But often, I really had to run from the immigration to the gate. Why don't they kick out some shops and increase the number of immigraton lanes isnstead ?

[tartempion]

Arriving the standard 2 hours before an international departure is no guarantee of making your flight at the wannabe hub of SE Asia

I believe that the recommended time at Suvarnabhumi is 3 hours.

There is no international standard rule about this one. It can be different for different airports.

cheers

onzestan

Ridiculous

[jonniebkk]

This airport is a shame, at all levels. Since its opening it is continuous pain for travellers.

Restaurant...YES sky high prices....a shame, and really not a proper restaurant. At least Don Muang offered a bit of choice

Well this is the predictable result when an airport (or any public works facility) is not built because of a public need (there never was anything wrong with Don Muang in the first place) but to provide a massive public works project that could be used as a personal piggy bank for politicians and others as a cesspool of kickbacks and corruption on a massive scale both during construction and now the operation of the facility.

Really such a sad (but accurate and revealing) reflection of the government and business culture in much of Thailand.

[Zpete]

Ok, I have only used Swampypool about 18 times since it opened.

WOW, reading here is like people have been eating sour grapes and drinking vinegar.

Some p eople are never happy, every little problem is magnified tenfold.

Mostly of that persons own making.

Many ignoramuses, bottle of water, so basic, not allowed.

Immigration, well I have never had any waits of half an hour or more, either way.

I agree getting rid of some DF shops and more immigration counters would help.

Summun called it "Dirty stinking", wow, obviously not very well travelled person.

Swampy would be one of the cleaner airports around.

Baggage security checks for hand luggage, neva a problem, very short queues.

Auckland, AKL, recommends 3 hours as do many other airports, well travel agents normally suggest 3 hours. These days, simple logics tell 2 hours too short.

Don Muang was quite good, better for sleeping over if you knew where.

Mite be the reason for all those hard aluminum seats. Some padded on 2nd level.

Airside, every airport is expensive for food.

Don Muang had a couple of really good and reasonably priced ones.

As at Swampypool, there is one of the cheapest restaurants in Thailand, "Magic Food Point", near Gate 8.

Anyway, it is ones own responsibility, DO NOT blame others for ones own shortcomings.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Zpete

[lomatopo]

astral's friend seemed to have had a pretty bad experience, missing an international flight can suck. After that, everything negative came spewing out in his missive. Said traveler does come across as a bit disorganized, and uninformed about the challenges of international air travel in today's world. It would help if he could present a coherent time-line so as to elicit constructive advice for himself, and future travelers. It seems odd, to me, that FD would allow this person to check in too late to clear Immigration and make the flight? In general, when asked, I coach people to be at check-in (receiving a boarding card, not joining the line) at least two hours prior to the flight. I also make sure they are familiar with the airport lay-out (levels) & concourses, check-in counter letter for their airline and general procedure for getting from say Bangkok to their departure gate. I have to say I'd dig a lot deeper with a friend, to get more details, before I posted his communication to me on a public forum, so as to not have him look like a bit of a doofus.

[trader1]

I have only been to suvarn.. 7 times. But have had no problems except for a long wait at check in once for a china airlines flight.

Restaurants are plentiful enough and the prices not bad (unless you think starbucks is an expensive restaraunt?)

The water bottle complaint is hilarious - tell me an airport internationally that doesn't have rules about this.

Edited March 3, 2008 by trader1

[tw25rw]

I have only been to suvarn.. 7 times. But have had no problems except for a long wait at check in once for a china airlines flight.

Restaurants are plentiful enough and the prices not bad (unless you think starbucks is an expensive restaraunt?)

The water bottle complaint is hilarious - tell me an airport internationally that doesn't have rules about this.

I've been through it 10 times. Only bad experience was a long line at immigration one afternoon, exacerbated by loads of people insisting on pushing in.. They were on the same flight as me and I made it in good time despite their selfishness.

I regularly use Heathrow, Sydney and Schiphol airports. All of them have long queues, long walks and (apart from Schiphol) inconveniently positioned duty free shops.

[Ricardo]

Perhaps King Power might add some fruit-machines, to while away the hours/days gambling, while waiting to get to the front of the queue ? OMG, is this the real reason, they built Swampyboom ? ! Thailand to become hub of gambling at airports !

Well at least it's more credible than claiming that Don Muang was overloaded ! I passed through there last month, it was barely ticking-over, IMHO.

[BigSnake]

Yeah, friend this Airport is going thru some growing pains these days, hold folks hopefully it will get better sooner rather than later.

[tw25rw]

Well at least it's more credible than claiming that Don Muang was overloaded ! I passed through there last month, it was barely ticking-over, IMHO.

Well it's not overloaded now...

[astral]

you would have known not too take a bottle of water on the plane.

Taking the water bottle through the security check is not allowed,

but there is no restriction about taking it on the plane.