Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Ranked 24th In Customer Satisfaction Poll

[webfact]

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi ranked 24th in customer satisfaction poll

BANGKOK: -- Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) managers are shocked. In one of the latest and world's best polling, Suvarnabhumi Airport failed to secure a top spot.

AoT will seek external expert consulting and advise why Suvarnabhumi failed in the poll.

AoT vowed to work hard to ensure that the Airport climbs up the customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Geneva based Airports Council International (ACI).

Suvarnabhumi ranked 24th in the 2009 polling, up from 38th in 2008 and 48th in 2007.

-- agencies 2010-02-23

ACI Airport Service Quality Awards 2009, Asia Pacific airports sweep top places in worldwide awards

ACI World is pleased to announce the top performing airports in the annual ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) passenger survey. As a leading industry benchmarking tool, ASQ is designed to help participating airports to measure their improvement year on year, as well as to benchmark against their peers worldwide, within their region and in the same size category. A reliable monitor of airport service, ASQ is used by many airports as one of the key performance indicators of the airport’s service.

ACI Director General Angela Gittens comments, “2009 was a tough year for airports worldwide. Traffic numbers fell while competition rose. For airports, it was a year of balancing tight budgets with high customer expectations for service excellence. The results of the year-long ASQ passenger survey help identify the leaders in meeting that challenge and demonstrate that airports have continued to invest and focus on customer service despite falling traffic numbers.

“Thus it is my pleasure to announce the top awards in the worldwide category go to Seoul Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, and Hyderabad Rajiv Ghandi International Airport. All hail from ACI’s Asia-Pacific Region, a reflection of the region’s strong customer service culture, airport management commitment to service delivery and the high quality of modern passenger facilities at each of these airports.

“I congratulate Incheon for its singular performance, having garnered the top spot for five years running. This record is no accident, nor for the others who year after year continue to receive top honours. All have learned to focus on key performance factors that their passengers most appreciate. All demonstrate that they fully understand that what pleases a passenger today becomes tomorrow’s expectation, and that to stay at the top, an airport must continuously refresh its offer and introduce new innovations that continue to delight the passenger on subsequent trips. So I look forward to the official awards ceremony which will take place 13 May 2010 at the ACI Asia Pacific Region’s Annual Conference in Sanya, Hainan, China, hosted by HNA Airport Group, a dynamic young company that embodies the enthusiastic development planning that characterizes this dynamic region.”

In addition to the worldwide category, top performers are named for each of the 6 regional categories and 5 traffic size categories.

* By region, top marks go to George, South Africa (Africa); Seoul Incheon, South Korea (Asia-Pacific); Keflavik, Iceland (Europe); Cancun, Mexico (Latin America-Caribbean); Tel Aviv, Israel (Middle East) and Austin, USA (North America).

* By the traffic size categories, first place recognition was won by Halifax, Canada (under 5 million), Hyderabad, India (5-15 million), Baltimore/Washington, USA (15-25 million), Seoul Incheon, South Korea (25-40 million) and Hong Kong, China (over 40 million).

ASQ Programme Director Craig Bradbrook comments, “In addition to the top performing airports award, for 2009 we expanded the ‘Best Improvement Award’ to cover each of the six regions. The awards recognize those airports having made the most progress in improving service quality. The 2009 passenger ratings show that despite the economic crisis, overall satisfaction at airports increased by almost three percent worldwide compared to 2008. It is gratifying to see that 82 percent of the airports were rated with stable or improved performance. Winners of the Best Improvement Award are Cairo (Africa); New Delhi (Asia-Pacific); Cancun (Latin America-Caribbean); Ponta Delgada (Europe); Abu Dhabi (Middle East); and Cleveland (North America). From these excellent efforts and the sharing of information on service improvement initiatives, the ASQ programme becomes a source of best practice guidance for fellow participants.”

Leading airports recognise that the most important aspect of providing great service in an airport is the provision of a spotlessly clean terminal and a relaxed, open, friendly ambience. They also recognise that it is vital to address the basics first. Ten factors identified as essential for high customer service ratings are, by order of importance: the ambience of the airport, cleanliness of the terminal, comfort of the waiting areas, availability of washrooms, cleanliness of washrooms, courtesy and helpfulness of the airport staff, business lounges, ease of making connections, passport / ID inspection experience and good shopping facilities.

source: airports.org

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[londoedan]

After approx. 20 visits over the last 2-3 years I am surprised it is that high !

On my last trip in mid-Jan I was in the Immigration hall for over 1.5 hrs.

Why didn't they just copy Changi ? (or AMS for that matter).

Londo

I prefer going in and out of Jakarta - and I never thought I would say that.

[wimster]

Way to high!

[CockneyGit]

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) managers are shocked.

Shocked..?? They should be grateful they made the Top 30!

If they actually cared about customers and reputations as opposed to their own image within "society" all the time, they would surely realise that Swampy has been a DISASTER since the day it opened!

It's always the same with these so-called "hi-so" types. The potential for "loss of face" is just too great and it takes someone from outside to point out the blindingly obvious.

It should be fun heading for the airport knowing you're off to somewhere nice. Heading to Swampy though and it's "Oh God, got to go through there again". The place has no soul whatsoever!

Come back Don Muang, all is forgiven!

[WeeGB]

For what it's worth here's my view

Ambience - not good / not bad.

Cleanliness - Always clean whenever I've been through.

Comfort - Not enough seats, seating provided is not comfortable.

Availability of washrooms - not enough, poorly sited, poorly signposted.

Cleanliness of washrooms - always clean when I've used them.

Courtesy/helpfullness of staff - as ambience, not good not bad. Need more English speaking staff.

Business lounge - I have no experience of this.

Ease of connections - due to heavy handed security (thanks a bunch yellow shirts), impossible to meet family without going up and down escalators / lifts etc. Strangely taxi touts seem to have no problem getting into areas where passengers disembark.

Passport / ID checks - sadly Thailand is still in the "I've got a uniform, so you'll wait until I'm ready' mentality. People are coming here to have a holiday and spend money for goodness sake, NOT to be treated like mindless cattle.

Good shopping facilities - Oh dear, where to start. For Suvarnabhumi ever to get anywhere near the top of the list, King Power must be given the order of the boot. From the vastly overpriced goods they sell, to the fear of being grabbed as a shoplifter, with all the consequences that can bring, shopping in the airport is a nightmare.

Anyway that's my view.

[tomyummer]

Gee, what a surprise? Suvarnabhumi will never get a top spot and it all starts from its name (Suwannaboom, spell it like it sounds). Other reasons?

1. From the chest up the airport is strikingly modern, but from the chest down, all run down with floor tiles from like, the 70's?!

2. Terrible bathrooms and locations. Looks like the AOT ran out of money, so had to use old materials. Basins are horrible, urinals leak, etc.

3. The architect definitely designed it to be a monument of a metro city hub airport, but forgot about usability.

4. The AOT staff are not at all friendly or approachable and always tend to avoid conversation. Because they can't speak English?

5. The King Power controlled vendors are just as sloppy as they were in Don Muang. Everything in your face, no flow to the experience (like Changi).

6. King Power induced prices (poor vendors need to pay high per-meter rent) are way too high. At one time I thought AOT said they were going to follow Changi's lead in keeping pricing as found in the city? WRONG!

7. Curbside unloading is very inconvenient. They perpetually block unloading from the middle sections of the road (I believe 3-8?).

8. International arrivals is totally the same as Don Muang. What an inconvenient mess! Same stupid handwritten sign holdings, terrible signage (easy to get confused whether to go right or left upon exiting customs), tight walkways. Funny thing seeing tour and shuttle vendors being held within their little pig pens or taped areas.

9. Installation of jumbotrons? Great, so you have to get through the maze of people staring up at the jumbotrons to get to your exiting guest.

10. Constantly changing taxi areas. Now you have to go down to level 1 to catch a real meter taxi.

11. AOT running their own shuttle service. Aren't government agencies supposed to help keep the rules and support local private industry? Isn't it against a government's protocol to have a competing business against private companies? It's like the TAT having their own online travel reservations business. Oh yeah, they have that too.

12. Cleaning staff: lazing around waiting areas with contaminated buckets of water with mops sticking out slapping passersby on the face? Sure, only at Suvarnabhumi.

13. Hand written signs. Sure would love to work at the AOT graphics department where making airport signs only requires a piece of paper, any big pen (one color of course), and some Scotch tape.

14. The fact that the airport seems to always be under repair?

15. For a modern airport to still having passenger unloading on the tarmac with shuttle buses? That's so 80's!

16. Immigration, imported direct from Don Muang. No changes there. Taped signs, sleeping agents, taped signage on the floor. Boy, what an experience!

And the list goes on and on and on. Suvarnabhumi will NEVER get a top rating. It's not the Thai way.

[ThaiBrat]

The immigration officers both, inbound and outbound are some of the most ignorant / arrogant people in any airport I have been to in the world. They never speak, never smile and just think their sh1t doesn’t stink. All they tend to do is use that horrible downward hand motion as if calling a dog.

I have always said to then hello, or sawatdee to them as I enter the booth, NOT one has ever acknowledged me with a reply or even a smile MISERABLE B4STARDS. Welcome to LOS, my ar5e, (land of snarls)

In all airports around the world, the immigration officers always speak even to ask you a question or two and normally say something along the lines of Welcome to “country” enjoy your stay. Jesus even in the UK on my return, I have even heard the immigration officers say welcome home on my return.

“Mind you the Ozzie’s could do with a dose of politeness at the their airports ”

TB

[d0om4gloom]

Yep what happened to the train link, getting rid of dodgy taxis, clearly signposting the official taxis etc. Then there's king power and corruption throughout. Wait for luggage, wait for entry immigration - although at least departing has substantially improved.

However, unlike all those that are slagging it off here I think it is slowly but surely improving throughout and is placed about right in my experience

[KKvampire]

The immigration officers both, inbound and outbound are some of the most ignorant / arrogant people in any airport I have been to in the world. They never speak, never smile and just think their sh1t doesn't stink. All they tend to do is use that horrible downward hand motion as if calling a dog.

I have always said to then hello, or sawatdee to them as I enter the booth, NOT one has ever acknowledged me with a reply or even a smile MISERABLE B4STARDS. Welcome to LOS, my ar5e, (land of snarls)

In all airports around the world, the immigration officers always speak even to ask you a question or two and normally say something along the lines of Welcome to "country" enjoy your stay. Jesus even in the UK on my return, I have even heard the immigration officers say welcome home on my return.

"Mind you the Ozzie's could do with a dose of politeness at the their airports "

TB

so true . the times when you would really like to tell those Immigration Illmannered nobodies what you think of them , either entering thecountry or exiting but for obvious reasons you dont, It's like the feeling of you would get no justice from any uniformed l**ky here.

[londoedan]

The immigration officers both, inbound and outbound are some of the most ignorant / arrogant people in any airport I have been to in the world. They never speak, never smile and just think their sh1t doesn't stink. All they tend to do is use that horrible downward hand motion as if calling a dog.

I have always said to then hello, or sawatdee to them as I enter the booth, NOT one has ever acknowledged me with a reply or even a smile MISERABLE B4STARDS. Welcome to LOS, my ar5e, (land of snarls)

The last time I left Jakarta I had over-stayed by one day. The immigration officer was as nice as pie about it - we had a chat, I tried to talk my way out by juggling the dates, she laughed at my mangling of the language, then we joked a bit more and I handed-over the $20 (I was in the wrong). I cannot imagine that ever happening with a Thai immigration official.

[RAZZELL]

For what it's worth here's my view

Ambience - not good / not bad.

Cleanliness - Always clean whenever I've been through.

Comfort - Not enough seats, seating provided is not comfortable.

Availability of washrooms - not enough, poorly sited, poorly signposted.

Cleanliness of washrooms - always clean when I've used them.

Courtesy/helpfullness of staff - as ambience, not good not bad. Need more English speaking staff.

Business lounge - I have no experience of this.

Ease of connections - due to heavy handed security (thanks a bunch yellow shirts), impossible to meet family without going up and down escalators / lifts etc. Strangely taxi touts seem to have no problem getting into areas where passengers disembark.

Passport / ID checks - sadly Thailand is still in the "I've got a uniform, so you'll wait until I'm ready' mentality. People are coming here to have a holiday and spend money for goodness sake, NOT to be treated like mindless cattle.

Good shopping facilities - Oh dear, where to start. For Suvarnabhumi ever to get anywhere near the top of the list, King Power must be given the order of the boot. From the vastly overpriced goods they sell, to the fear of being grabbed as a shoplifter, with all the consequences that can bring, shopping in the airport is a nightmare.

Anyway that's my view.

Pretty much agree with you

Queues at immigration on arrival and departure are far too long. Then again LHR-UK isn't exactly great in that respect

RAZZ

[hardy1943]

After approx. 20 visits over the last 2-3 years I am surprised it is that high !

On my last trip in mid-Jan I was in the Immigration hall for over 1.5 hrs.

Why didn't they just copy Changi ? (or AMS for that matter).

Londo

I prefer going in and out of Jakarta - and I never thought I would say that.

I agree every time it is getting worse, last time it was like returning to LA La land , could not even stamp my multi entry visa gave me tourist visa instead only have 6 yearly visas in my passport.

[arkom]

For what it's worth here's my view

Ambience - not good / not bad.

Cleanliness - Always clean whenever I've been through.

Comfort - Not enough seats, seating provided is not comfortable.

Availability of washrooms - not enough, poorly sited, poorly signposted.

Cleanliness of washrooms - always clean when I've used them.

Courtesy/helpfullness of staff - as ambience, not good not bad. Need more English speaking staff.

Business lounge - I have no experience of this.

Ease of connections - due to heavy handed security (thanks a bunch yellow shirts), impossible to meet family without going up and down escalators / lifts etc. Strangely taxi touts seem to have no problem getting into areas where passengers disembark.

Passport / ID checks - sadly Thailand is still in the "I've got a uniform, so you'll wait until I'm ready' mentality. People are coming here to have a holiday and spend money for goodness sake, NOT to be treated like mindless cattle.

Good shopping facilities - Oh dear, where to start. For Suvarnabhumi ever to get anywhere near the top of the list, King Power must be given the order of the boot. From the vastly overpriced goods they sell, to the fear of being grabbed as a shoplifter, with all the consequences that can bring, shopping in the airport is a nightmare.

Anyway that's my view.

Pretty much agree with you

Queues at immigration on arrival and departure are far too long. Then again LHR-UK isn't exactly great in that respect

RAZZ

I second that especially about not enough bathrooms, seems like you have to miles forever until is found, and like most public places like malls in Bangkok there are not enough seats.

Maybe if the Airport Link opens up it will move up and we call stop getting ripped of by taxis!

But then again the location is stupid, when you arrive your gonna have to haul you luggage to the ground floor to get on, and when you arrive(if you don't use the check-in at the Makassan) your gonna have to haul your luggage up to check in!

[petedk]

I left Thailand Friday evening and it was a nightmare.

First it took about 50 minutes to check in. The another 50 minutes in the passport control.

When I eventually got through the passport control and security I looked for a trolley to put my hand luggage in. I couldn't find any anywhere and when I asked someone I was told "sorry sir. no have enough"

No decent seats to sit in.

Oh what about the free wifi? I logged on only to be told there was a charge.

It has a cold atmosphere, unfriendly staff and lack of signs and information.

[wpcoe]

Wow, some of you seem to consistently get the group of the Immigrations Police officers who are mean and nasty. I *usually* (but not always) am treated with respect and courtesy, and my salutation of "Sawatdee khrup" is usually met with at least a smile.

Now, about the actual facilities, I agree with most of the negative comments above. The concourses and gaterooms at nighttime are dreary. Where those white billowing roof fabrics join the walls are usually totally unlit, like dark, dirty corners. The fabric seems much greyer at night, giving a gloomy feeling to the concourses and gates.

I have noticed the past few times as I walked from a distant gate to Immigrations on arrival, that they have finally added some planters with orchids. It's a good start! Changi has flowers everyplace and the terminal is always brightly lit and cheery. In the earlier Suvarnabhumi days, I took a picture from the gate area, and other than shades of grey, there was *no* color at all.

The airport authority has made an absolute mess of the area outside the customs exits. I'm sure the architects did not anticipate the large roped off areas, which include elevators and escalators. The way it is now, for someone landside to get to the arrivals floor, they can only use the elevators at the far ends of the terminal because the rest are in the "secure" area, so they don't even stop at the arrivals floor.

Likewise many of the exits from the arrivals hall to the outdoors are blocked off.

Those flight arrival/departure boards have to be some of the least user-friendly of any modern airport. Why not list the flight info in the customs hall by departure city, rather than scheduled arrival time? As an example, I recently arrived on a NH flight from NRT. I honestly did not know my exact scheduled arrival time. While the signage flipped between Thai and English, I couldn't even find an ANA (NH) flight number, as the sign rotated between all the code-share airlines (LH, AC, UA, and maybe others?). Had the flights been listed alphabetically by origin, at least I could have focused my attention to the cluster of "Tokyo" entries rather than repeatedly scanning multiple columns hoping to find the NH flight to determine my baggage carousel number.

And, how much money was wasted on those fancy revolving doors that were irritatingly slow for me, but too fast apparently for the traveling public with over-loaded baggage trolleys? They've now been fitted with much more functional sliding doors.

So, progress is being made: flowers blooming sporadically, new entrance doors, colored padded cushions on the gateroom chairs, etc, but there's a bit more of a ways to go to reach any "Top Ten" list.

[tomyummer]

Wow, some of you seem to consistently get the group of the Immigrations Police officers who are mean and nasty. I *usually* (but not always) am treated with respect and courtesy, and my salutation of "Sawatdee khrup" is usually met with at least a smile.

Now, about the actual facilities, I agree with most of the negative comments above. The concourses and gaterooms at nighttime are dreary. Where those white billowing roof fabrics join the walls are usually totally unlit, like dark, dirty corners. The fabric seems much greyer at night, giving a gloomy feeling to the concourses and gates.

I have noticed the past few times as I walked from a distant gate to Immigrations on arrival, that they have finally added some planters with orchids. It's a good start! Changi has flowers everyplace and the terminal is always brightly lit and cheery. In the earlier Suvarnabhumi days, I took a picture from the gate area, and other than shades of grey, there was *no* color at all.

The airport authority has made an absolute mess of the area outside the customs exits. I'm sure the architects did not anticipate the large roped off areas, which include elevators and escalators. The way it is now, for someone landside to get to the arrivals floor, they can only use the elevators at the far ends of the terminal because the rest are in the "secure" area, so they don't even stop at the arrivals floor.

Likewise many of the exits from the arrivals hall to the outdoors are blocked off.

Those flight arrival/departure boards have to be some of the least user-friendly of any modern airport. Why not list the flight info in the customs hall by departure city, rather than scheduled arrival time? As an example, I recently arrived on a NH flight from NRT. I honestly did not know my exact scheduled arrival time. While the signage flipped between Thai and English, I couldn't even find an ANA (NH) flight number, as the sign rotated between all the code-share airlines (LH, AC, UA, and maybe others?). Had the flights been listed alphabetically by origin, at least I could have focused my attention to the cluster of "Tokyo" entries rather than repeatedly scanning multiple columns hoping to find the NH flight to determine my baggage carousel number.

And, how much money was wasted on those fancy revolving doors that were irritatingly slow for me, but too fast apparently for the traveling public with over-loaded baggage trolleys? They've now been fitted with much more functional sliding doors.

So, progress is being made: flowers blooming sporadically, new entrance doors, colored padded cushions on the gateroom chairs, etc, but there's a bit more of a ways to go to reach any "Top Ten" list.

Totally true on the rotated LCD panels. You'd think they'd take off the brand on the sideways screens. Sloppy. And the rotating doors? Very typical in this town. Design and build first, then use (find out it doesn't work) and re-design again. Did anyone notice the new 'smaller' trolleys? At least the armed security have Segways. Glad my taxpayer funds are well spent.

[rfukata]

all true...

such a poor planning airport for its modern structure. did anyone notice that there is no flight announcements i.e. of departures?

has anybody experienced a 'bus-gate' arrival during midnight?

- in a recent AOT article, they said that AOT will reduce the landing fees to airlines to attract more passengers? would all of those

airlines going to be subjected to the 'bus-gate' arrival?

- the gates are too far away in most cases - this terminal would be a nightmare for a disabled person to access.

[infernalman7]

all true...

such a poor planning airport for its modern structure. did anyone notice that there is no flight announcements i.e. of departures?

has anybody experienced a 'bus-gate' arrival during midnight?

- in a recent AOT article, they said that AOT will reduce the landing fees to airlines to attract more passengers? would all of those

airlines going to be subjected to the 'bus-gate' arrival?

- the gates are too far away in most cases - this terminal would be a nightmare for a disabled person to access.

1. Most of the world's best airport has no flight announcements. Only shitty ones do.

2. Bus-gate arrival only happens with Thai Airways. This is because they park their planes on the wrong section of the airport so that they can use it on that section later without having to mobilize the plane. (i.e. you are coming from overseas but the plane parks at domestic section because the plane will be used for domestic flight later, they will bus you to international arrival, and vice versa). So blame Thai Airways, not AOT.

3. Reduced landing fees = doesn't have anything to do with bus gates as they only happen to Thai Airways.

4. Gates are too far = you haven't been to Munich.

[landofthefree]

I left Thailand Friday evening and it was a nightmare.

First it took about 50 minutes to check in. The another 50 minutes in the passport control.

When I eventually got through the passport control and security I looked for a trolley to put my hand luggage in. I couldn't find any anywhere and when I asked someone I was told "sorry sir. no have enough"

No decent seats to sit in.

Oh what about the free wifi? I logged on only to be told there was a charge.

It has a cold atmosphere, unfriendly staff and lack of signs and information.

Are the Thais really surprised at the ranking after swampy was publicised for being the 'hub of scams' Take that TOT I've been looking for a correct usage of the word 'hub' for ages after your constant missuse of the word and this story has just handed it to me on a silver platter!

[landofthefree]

The immigration officers both, inbound and outbound are some of the most ignorant / arrogant people in any airport I have been to in the world. They never speak, never smile and just think their sh1t doesn't stink. All they tend to do is use that horrible downward hand motion as if calling a dog.

I have always said to then hello, or sawatdee to them as I enter the booth, NOT one has ever acknowledged me with a reply or even a smile MISERABLE B4STARDS. Welcome to LOS, my ar5e, (land of snarls)

In all airports around the world, the immigration officers always speak even to ask you a question or two and normally say something along the lines of Welcome to "country" enjoy your stay. Jesus even in the UK on my return, I have even heard the immigration officers say welcome home on my return.

"Mind you the Ozzie's could do with a dose of politeness at the their airports "

TB

so true . the times when you would really like to tell those Immigration Illmannered nobodies what you think of them , either entering thecountry or exiting but for obvious reasons you dont, It's like the feeling of you would get no justice from any uniformed l**ky here.

I know its not an excuse for the immigration officers but I have often thought that their job must be completely crap, they work for the government so they obviously are going to be paid peanuts and then you end up with peanut eaters with a boring job no wonder theyre pissed off. Not an excuse for them- perhaps they should have worked harder at school and got a better job but just an observation of why they are not amongst the world's happiest bunnies.

[webfact]

Special Report:

Suvarnnabhumi Airport Efficacy Development

BANGKOK: -- Suvarnnabhumi International Airport is the gateway to Thailand. According to the vision of the Airport of Thailand Public Company (AOT) which aims for Suvarnabhumi Airport to be the Aviation Hub of Asia, policy has been laid down to enhance the quality of services at Suvarnabhumi Airport to be 1 of 10 excellent airports of the world in 2010.

The policy has as its objective to provide utmost satisfaction to all users of the airport as it gives the first impression of the country and brings reputation to the country. The high quality service will also support the expansion of various businesses thereafter.

Several measures have been implemented for the development of the airport and for its efficient operations as defined. The AOT has followed the strategy to suppress illegal taxis and guides in the airport by arresting and prosecuting all of them. Court orders have also been obtained to prohibit such illegal service providers from entering the airport.

The sub-committee for management development and passengers’ luggage security has been formulated to cope with cases of burglary of passengers’ assets in their luggage or at the sorting area. The process of luggage sorting has been developed for quick and efficient services, also to improve on the investigating process. The 24-hour one stop service center is set to provide information and solving all problems for passengers.

In case of measures to deal with rallying at the airport to renew confidence among foreign investors and tourists, the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) had proposed to the Cabinet to formulate a strategy in support of smooth business operations. With the measures, economic activities will not be interrupted in any critical situation. The Cabinet had agreed with the proposal. The suggestions and directions will be gathered from all parties involving the AOT’s services and those comments will lead to the implementation accordingly.

Moreover, the Cabinet had approved in principle a police station to be established in the airport for higher capability in security supervision, criminal suppression and facilitation for both Thais and foreigners who use the airport.

-- NNT 2010-02-23

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[sillyfools]

Suvarnabhumi was solely meant to impress the Thai people... Oh look at all the glass! We've built the biggest in the world!

(and your uncly made some hefty profits on the glass deliveries, ....)

but I agree with all being said here. Start with replacing the immigration officers if you really want to have repeat visitors.

And as for toilets.... There are toilets???????? Oh, you mean those at the outer left corner? Yes, very convenient, ... I guess it's the only place that could not be sold to Kingpower....

[landofthefree]

I don't believe it they used the word hub again! dam_n I'll now have to find another opportunity for a counter hub post.

[nowork114]

Built by the Italians ... what did you expect. They are good to make pizza, not to build international airports ....

[Butterbean]

For what it's worth I really like this airport. I've flown in and out of it with my girlfriend, two young sons and other family member over five times and always found it an easy airport to deal with and an impressive one to look at.

The only downsides I can see are that the immigration staff are a mardy bunch of sods and it can take too long to get through. For a country that sells itself as the Land of Smiles you would have thought some attention to this area would be a given.

The King Power duty free scam also concerns me but has never effected me. We just head for Burger King and then to the gate and have always had a good experience.

[mrtoad]

The tools at AOT must really have their heads buried way up their own rectums if they can't understand why. I guess the opportunity to bring in some consultants though will feed a few more cronies.

[geriatrickid]

Ok, so BKK didn't make the top group. Neither did major airports like Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Toronto, Sydney, Los Angeles etc. That's life. BKK still functions quite well as an airport and that's what counts.

The measure of an airport is also how it handles serious events. It's great that Baltimore/Washington made the top rank. However, if you were a passenger stranded by the snowstorms you wouldn't be turning cartwheels. On the other hand, Montreal Trudeau and Ottawa International are two of the few airports in the world that can keep runways open during a blizzard and keep deicing delays to a minimum. If you are a winter traveler, you are grateful to use these airports as you know you will takeoff or land. The point being is that for frequent flyers it's all about getting somewhere. For leisure travelers, other qualities are more important. I use BKK to go somewhere, not for a leisure experience, so BKK works for me, warts and all.

[astral]

Moreover, the Cabinet had approved in principle a police station to be established in the airport for higher capability in security supervision, criminal suppression and facilitation for both Thais and foreigners who use the airport.

-- NNT 2010-02-23

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

I can't believe that such a basic consideration was not in the original plans from day one......................

[ding]

I miss Don Mueng, but still breeze thru when compared to going through a US airport.

[surayu]

Built by the Italians ... what did you expect. They are good to make pizza, not to build international airports ....

yes and next you will tell us that your mama is the owner of it, c'mon man what are you all about? do a bit of research before to come up with this kind of stuff, or are you just another absurd flamer coming from the pizza thread?