Thai Cabinet Approves Bt63b Expansion Plan For Suvarnabhumi Airport

[webfact]

Bt63 billion expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport approved: Sophon

The Cabinet has given its green light for the Bt63 billion expansion plan for Suvarnabhumi Airport, Transport Minister Sophon Saram said on Tuesday.

The expansion is under a phase II development plan of the airport with tie-over budget spreaded from next fiscal year to 2016, Sopon said.

The plan covers additional facilities for passenger terminal, ramps for aircraft and related construction. The planned spendings were cut down from Bt77 billion due to the cancellation to build a third runway. Without the runway construct, the expansion could proceed without having to complete the environmental impact assessment.

-- The Nation 2010-08-24

[webfact]

Thai cabinet approves Bangkok airport expansion

BANGKOK (AFP) - The Thai cabinet on Tuesday approved a two-billion-dollar expansion plan for Bangkok's main airport, Transport Minister Sopon Zarum said.

The six-year project to construct new facilities, including more aircraft parking stands, is expected to boost capacity at Suvarnabhumi Airport to 60 million passengers a year, up from 45 million at present.

The transport ministry has shelved a plan to construct a third runway because an assessment of the environmental impact was deemed necessary and two runways are still believed to be sufficient to handle flights.

Suvarnabhumi was opened in September 2006 to replace the decades-old Don Mueang airport as the capital's main air hub.

Sopon said there was no plan to shut Don Mueang, which now handles some domestic and charter flights.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-08-24

[marquess]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

[jonclark]

Ramps for aircraft huh? They expecting aircraft to do jumps and stunts now??

[bkkjames]

Ramps for aircraft huh? They expecting aircraft to do jumps and stunts now??

No no, i think they realised it was tough to procure buses in this city.  

[hyperion]

Ramps for aircraft huh? They expecting aircraft to do jumps and stunts now??

Not sure if you are being sarcastic....

A ramp is to an airplane what a parking spot is to a car.

Edited August 24, 2010 by hyperion

[whybother]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

Extend the airport express train around to Don Mueng ... then run all the budget airlines from there. At least the airport express would get used more.

[mortenaa]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

I think you should instruct them what to do. Seems like you know all about this.

[TheBarbarian]

Good for Newin and his crew, it will make them easily 6 Billion plus.

[Soutpeel]

Kinda thinking the same thing.....all the money from the last round of kickbacks from the Swampy construction must have been spent already....

[Mitker]

what about investing rather in something that makes sense for the future: education, modern railway network...?

[PEP]

77 Billion Baht minus 63 Billion Baht equals 14 Billion Baht. An extreemly inexpensive third runway?

Edited August 24, 2010 by PEP

[SamritT]

20% commission is worth . . . .

[bkkjames]

77 Billion Baht minus 63 Billion Baht equals 14 Billion Baht. An extreemly inexpensive third runway?

Well they probably are setting some aside to compensate those in the future who will buy a house next to it?

[nasa]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

I think you should instruct them what to do. Seems like you know all about this.

I also think so......

[toenail]

I hate to admit this but most countries I know will easily spend millions on airports before they budget money for something MORE beneficial for their common citizens. Look at the O'Hare (Chicago) airport expansion. The sad thing about any large goverment project in Thailand is that it will cost more than it should have because of kick backs, and contractors getting away with over charging and doing shoddy work -- no one held accountable... and it will not be ready by the due date.

[hansnl]

Bangkok has the size and traffic making the need for twin airports an atrractive proposition.

Instead of investing another big chunk of tax money into the extension of Suvarnibhumi it might have been a better idea to connect Don Mueang and Suvarnibhumi by a raillink.

That raillink could be made by upgrading the existing lines and signalling

No extra outlay would be needed to raise the capacity from Bangkok from 45 million passengers a year to 80 million passengers a year.

An added bonus would be that a huge amount of capital would not be destroyed by neglecting Don Mueang

[marquess]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

I think you should instruct them what to do. Seems like you know all about this.

I also think so......

Why bother most of the officials here know everything already and any advice is usually wasted. One does not wish to imply that one knows about everything so to speak, but the use of common sense isn't something to be sniffed at! Especially when the benefits stemming therefrom are more likely to benefit the general populace rather than a few elite.

[david555]

77 Billion Baht minus 63 Billion Baht equals 14 Billion Baht. An extreemly inexpensive third runway?

yepp there goes Thaksins frozen assets:whistling:

[jonclark]

Ramps for aircraft huh? They expecting aircraft to do jumps and stunts now??

Not sure if you are being sarcastic....

A ramp is to an airplane what a parking spot is to a car.

I was being sarcastic to hid my ignorance, as i didn't know what a ramp was. Learn something new everyday - Thanks

[Pui]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

Couldn't agree more.

Bangkok Traffic is the way it becuase there is no infrastructure. For example where I live in Chinatown there is no public transport except buses. There are no bus lanes so the buses are in all the lanes creating havoc.

There are what seem to be millions of taxi's. At least half the traffic if not more are taxi's. in a city of around 15million and no descent transport network everyone who can afford it takes a taxi. This creats traffic.

Then there are is the town planning. As long as you can pay you can plonk your hotel where you like. Everyone else can go round its madness.

But the tourist money comes from foreigners coming so they focus on that.

It amazes me at a time when airlines are cutting services including Thaiair that Thailand needs an expansion to such a new airport.

[zthyadat]

Do they plan on including any toilet facilities this time, or will they sell off all the toilet space to King Power for a large backhander, thereby ensuring that this govt gets at least a part share in the spoils of the airport?

[creck]

Forget it - nothing will be finished without Thaksin. How long was the Airport planned before he got it DONE?

[NanLaew]

Extend the airport express train around to Don Mueng ... then run all the budget airlines from there. At least the airport express would get used more.

Ummm... how can something that isn't being used yet 'get used more'?

Bangkok has the size and traffic making the need for twin airports an atrractive proposition.

Instead of investing another big chunk of tax money into the extension of Suvarnibhumi it might have been a better idea to connect Don Mueang and Suvarnibhumi by a raillink.

That raillink could be made by upgrading the existing lines and signalling

No extra outlay would be needed to raise the capacity from Bangkok from 45 million passengers a year to 80 million passengers a year.

An added bonus would be that a huge amount of capital would not be destroyed by neglecting Don Mueang

All these north Bangkokians clamouring in vain for someone to reopen their beloved old airport because it was handy for them. If the city had expanded north, it would be logical but the city is spreading more to the west and south so I guess you will need to move.

No mention if any of this newly approved budget addresses the low-cost terminal that was part of the original plan. If it does, then that would normally kill the 2-airport, "Don Meuang for low-cost operators" argument. But this being the same old Thailand where successive governments spent billions of baht over 20-odd years on endless new airport feasibility studies before eventually building Suvarnabhumi, thus depriving certain elements of their cash cow at DM, I am sure this budget will be recalled, vetoed, altered and generally so buggered about with that the current situation will prevail for another 5-8 years.

[TonyBkk]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

I think you should instruct them what to do. Seems like you know all about this.

They are already underway in upgrading the MRT with a total combined route of 91km up 333% from the current line length of 21km. Though I dont know why they dont adopt an integrated rail property model like MTR in Hong Kong, as now MRT are operating with a deficit of around 1.5billion Baht

[barney42bb]

Where are they getting the finance from what with their constant borrowing.Could it be the falsely high rate of the Baht that is fleecing and destroying their tourist industry.

[whybother]

Extend the airport express train around to Don Mueng ... then run all the budget airlines from there. At least the airport express would get used more.

Ummm... how can something that isn't being used yet 'get used more'?

<snip>

It's open and available. It is getting used. So it could get used more.

And if it wasn't being used, then it could obviously be used more.

[whybother]

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

Couldn't agree more.

Bangkok Traffic is the way it becuase there is no infrastructure. For example where I live in Chinatown there is no public transport except buses. There are no bus lanes so the buses are in all the lanes creating havoc.

There are what seem to be millions of taxi's. At least half the traffic if not more are taxi's. in a city of around 15million and no descent transport network everyone who can afford it takes a taxi. This creats traffic.

Then there are is the town planning. As long as you can pay you can plonk your hotel where you like. Everyone else can go round its madness.

But the tourist money comes from foreigners coming so they focus on that.

It amazes me at a time when airlines are cutting services including Thaiair that Thailand needs an expansion to such a new airport.

Yes. I don't understand why they didn't plan for a city of 10 million when Chinatown was being built .....

[creck]

Extend the airport express train around to Don Mueng ... then run all the budget airlines from there. At least the airport express would get used more.

Ummm... how can something that isn't being used yet 'get used more'?

<snip>

It's open and available. It is getting used. So it could get used more.

And if it wasn't being used, then it could obviously be used more.

I think the mad hatter knew that - it is easy to get more than nothing. But then Grammarians and Mathematicians are different people.

[tigermonkey]

Expand Swampy ?? - why ??

Has anyone ever seen this airport overcrowded --- make that crowded -- no, make that busy ?

Just an observers guesstimate, but I think that the existing airport is probably being used at 50 to 60 % of capacity at peak times.

Of course, the airport expansion would add some credibility to the overly expensive and soon to be under-utilized train link. It's like your wife buying an new expensive hat and shoes to make her new coat look right -- the dress will be added later..

So the only motivation must be money for the politicians and contractors.