Suvarnabhumi Aims At World Top Ten Best Airports

[phanu]

I'd say it's its in the top ten if the list can only be ten long and it is number ten on the list.

:D YES !!! It's a so bad airport....

[phanu]

......

Whatever you do, please do not tell me the DMK was better.

Sorry... YES, DMK was better !!!!

[Jirapa]

I'd say it's its in the top ten if the list can only be ten long and it is number ten on the list.

What are you talking about???? a "top ten" listing is only 10 items long!

[Wozzit]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant.

I agree with Beaneater in almost every respect - but one. Most of the airports he mentions were originally built many decades ago. To cope with expansion, the available cash has mostly gone on additional terminals and satellites; not so much on upgrading existing facilities. They are therefore bound to be more chaotic than a fully integrated airport designed from scratch on a new piece of land. Suvarnabhumi may have been in the planning stages for 4 decades, but it only opened 4 years ago. Many of its many faults are slowly being remedied, but the fact is they should never have been there in the first place if the right people had been making decisions. Hong Kong - around 12 years old - and KL even younger, both had major opening problems, but they were solved within a week or so. Their designers and architects got almost everything right for a fully integrated airport. Sure, each still has its problems, but they are very few and far between compared to BKK.

My criteria for a good airport are security, signage that is easy to read and, importantly, at the right height (BKK still has too many signs at eye level - useless in crowds), efficiency, the speed with which I can get from arrival at the terminal building to the plane and vice versa, a pleasing atmosphere and helpful staff, excellent communications about flight arrivals, departures and delays as well as wifi etc. for my personal use, comfortable lounges for those able to use them and a range of other F&B outlets for those who can't - and a simple mode of exiting the terminal with a variety of different types of transport. I use Suvarnabhumi at least 24 times a year. I always get the impression that it was designed from the outside in, rather than first taking into account all the special requirements of the multitude of departments, airlines, public etc. who have to use it.

[Beaneater]

......

Whatever you do, please do not tell me the DMK was better.

Sorry... YES, DMK was better !!!!

Terrible traffic, ancient buildings... I've seen nicer bus stations.

[tomyummer]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant.

I agree with Beaneater in almost every respect - but one. Most of the airports he mentions were originally built many decades ago. To cope with expansion, the available cash has mostly gone on additional terminals and satellites; not so much on upgrading existing facilities. They are therefore bound to be more chaotic than a fully integrated airport designed from scratch on a new piece of land. Suvarnabhumi may have been in the planning stages for 4 decades, but it only opened 4 years ago. Many of its many faults are slowly being remedied, but the fact is they should never have been there in the first place if the right people had been making decisions. Hong Kong - around 12 years old - and KL even younger, both had major opening problems, but they were solved within a week or so. Their designers and architects got almost everything right for a fully integrated airport. Sure, each still has its problems, but they are very few and far between compared to BKK.

My criteria for a good airport are security, signage that is easy to read and, importantly, at the right height (BKK still has too many signs at eye level - useless in crowds), efficiency, the speed with which I can get from arrival at the terminal building to the plane and vice versa, a pleasing atmosphere and helpful staff, excellent communications about flight arrivals, departures and delays as well as wifi etc. for my personal use, comfortable lounges for those able to use them and a range of other F&B outlets for those who can't - and a simple mode of exiting the terminal with a variety of different types of transport. I use Suvarnabhumi at least 24 times a year. I always get the impression that it was designed from the outside in, rather than first taking into account all the special requirements of the multitude of departments, airlines, public etc. who have to use it.

You totally hit it on the head.

Not to mention that as a Thai expat, sure you can live with it with your knowledge and experience from Don Muang and crazy life as a whole in Thailand, but for the first time travelers, how can you expect them to decipher the 'Suvarnabhumi' maze of confusion and games? AOT limos? How are people to know that it's a pseudo privatized/government entity ripping you off in a government establishment? As a traveler you wouldn't think you'd be ripped off while still in the airport (which should be well supervised and operated as a 'pride' of the country transport hub).

Anyways, Wozzit just about summed it up.

[asiawatcher]

Until they provide some real services and facilities for passengers it will never reach the top ten. One of the worst modern airports for transit passengers, and not much better for others.

Agree wholeheartedly - pedestrian flow is abysmal and they are incapable of fixing it due to lack of managerial skills at any level within AOT or its advisory board. But the article (look at the 'players') is all about more PR and how great Thailand is. What a joke!

[mirthseeker]

Most handicapped friendly place??????

Wheelchairs with fixed armrests and footrests, so that attendants must lift non ambulatory persons when transferring them to other wheelchairs!

Refusal to bring personal wheelchairs to the gate, upon arrival.

No narrow wheelchairs, so that if the aircraft does not have an on board wheelchair (all narrow bodied aircraft), the passenger must be carried to or from their seat on the plane.

No wheelchair accessible vans/buses, so that if one arrives at the domestic terminal, one must be dragged up into an inaccessible vehicle to be transported to the International terminal.

And as far as I know, no specific transit lounge for persons with special needs.

[naiharn]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons,

What do you mean it won't make the top ten?

If that's your attitude, then LEAVE!

[jayjay0]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant. Let's start with LHR-an awful airport to transit through on your way here from the US (if you like 30 minute bus rides from one terminal to the next then you're in luck). The new terminal is an exercise in austere modernism and is already dirty due to lack of maintenance. JFK, an airport which is not even on my top ten for the US, is better. LAX is awful, try switching terminals or getting a cab there. CDG is not too bad, until you want to use public transport to get into the city. Their rental car lots are a mess as well.

NRT, not too bad to transit through, but a frankly dumpy looking airport (however, the JAL lounge is the best b-class lounge I've seen in Asia).

Changi is fine, but hardly what I would call special. The terminal Thai flies into is fine, but it's not like the immigration people are any friendlier there. A plus is that it is close to the city.

The best is HKG, although it is big. Getting between flights can be a challenge even if you use the train (it's a long way down). The immigration lines can be absolutely awful.

CAN and Chengdu are the new breed of Chinese airports; efficient, modern-actually pretty nice. Customs can be a hassle sometimes, and you can see where they cut the occasional corner during construction.

Of all the airports I've listed BKK would be clearly behind HKG. It would be behind Changi only because of the huge shopping mall you, annoyingly I agree, have to walk through. If you're dumb enough to use an AOT "limo" that's your fault, as it is fairly easy to get a taxi downstairs. If you don't know how to get around the security area to go to the arrival halls, you need to be a little more creative. I imagine they have one meeting point because passengers can access either arrival haul. Perhaps a nicer set up would be good as far as seating, but I would struggle to think of another international airport in the US which is clearly better in this regard. What they need to improve are the finishes like the chicken wire ceiling in baggage claim and immigration.

Whatever you do, please do not tell me the DMK was better.

PS the best airport in the US is TPA.

Are you saying it is in the top ten because the other hundreds are so bad.

[naiharn]

Most handicapped friendly place??????

I think the competition was only within Thailand. So there probably isn't a lot of competition!

Wheelchairs with fixed armrests and footrests, so that attendants must lift non ambulatory persons when transferring them to other wheelchairs!

Refusal to bring personal wheelchairs to the gate, upon arrival.

No narrow wheelchairs, so that if the aircraft does not have an on board wheelchair (all narrow bodied aircraft), the passenger must be carried to or from their seat on the plane.

No wheelchair accessible vans/buses, so that if one arrives at the domestic terminal, one must be dragged up into an inaccessible vehicle to be transported to the International terminal.

And as far as I know, no specific transit lounge for persons with special needs.

[Jirapa]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant. Let's start with LHR-an awful airport to transit through on your way here from the US (if you like 30 minute bus rides from one terminal to the next then you're in luck). The new terminal is an exercise in austere modernism and is already dirty due to lack of maintenance. JFK, an airport which is not even on my top ten for the US, is better. LAX is awful, try switching terminals or getting a cab there. CDG is not too bad, until you want to use public transport to get into the city. Their rental car lots are a mess as well.

NRT, not too bad to transit through, but a frankly dumpy looking airport (however, the JAL lounge is the best b-class lounge I've seen in Asia).

Changi is fine, but hardly what I would call special. The terminal Thai flies into is fine, but it's not like the immigration people are any friendlier there. A plus is that it is close to the city.

The best is HKG, although it is big. Getting between flights can be a challenge even if you use the train (it's a long way down). The immigration lines can be absolutely awful.

CAN and Chengdu are the new breed of Chinese airports; efficient, modern-actually pretty nice. Customs can be a hassle sometimes, and you can see where they cut the occasional corner during construction.

Of all the airports I've listed BKK would be clearly behind HKG. It would be behind Changi only because of the huge shopping mall you, annoyingly I agree, have to walk through. If you're dumb enough to use an AOT "limo" that's your fault, as it is fairly easy to get a taxi downstairs. If you don't know how to get around the security area to go to the arrival halls, you need to be a little more creative. I imagine they have one meeting point because passengers can access either arrival haul. Perhaps a nicer set up would be good as far as seating, but I would struggle to think of another international airport in the US which is clearly better in this regard. What they need to improve are the finishes like the chicken wire ceiling in baggage claim and immigration.

Whatever you do, please do not tell me the DMK was better.

PS the best airport in the US is TPA.

It's not really justified to compare the likes of Heathrow which is the busiest international passenger airport on the planet to the likes of Bangkok's new pride and joy. Heathrow is a logistical nightmare and would be difficult to get around as it's about 10 times bigger. It has to be as it deals with more passengers every year than the entire population of Thailand. Obviously it looks a bit dated but most of it is so it would, but Heathrow offers the most important airport service of all and that's a comparatively good safety record. Can't be easy when you have a flight taking off and another landing within every 60 seconds of the day. I applaud them as I'd much rather be pissing in a dirty airport lounge toilet than taking off or landing on a mistimed flight path!

I take it the rankings are based on creature comforts and customer satisfaction more than anything. I've had many a flight delayed in many countries and in general it's not down to the airport itself. It's the airlines, security reasons, safety checks or striking staff. So many of us complain about illegal immigration well that's why immigration sometimes takes a while to get through so illegal immigrants can be caught. What's the problem with that? It's nice to have a moan after a long haul flight but you shouldn't let an hour in an immigration queue ruin your day as Thailand's on the other side of that man in the uniform!

Suvarnabhumi is a good airport and the hours I've spent there in transit have always been spent comfortably with all I need to hand for my 5 hour wait. I fly economy so no first class lounge but the airports good even for us peasants. No complaints!

[Humphrey Bear]

They should have aimed for this when they built the place. Now the concrete is in place and is not so easily changed. About all they could do is tear the entire thing down and build it the right way. We all know that what would happen would just be a repeat of what already went down. This is how things go when the nouveau riche people that started off as farmers think that they are the top of the elite totem pole.

Thailand will never have the best airport, resorts or beaches. The beaches used to be good but lack of planning is what went wrong and that is what is killing Thailand in almost every regard. They should make the airport better value for money. Perhaps use their national asset of TG to assist them to do so. TG is the same way though they think they are the best because some incompetent people that are high up are involved and think they are the best. TG is the national carrier and charges so much money it is fitting they fly into Suwanabumi. Given the parallel of mediocrity in both entities.

The arrogance in Thailand is astounding. They are the best in the region, but compared to what?

Burma, Cambodia, Laos? Wow that is amazing! If they keep squandering their chances it won't be long before this isn't the case. They are above average for now in Indochina but this is no great feat.

With corruption as endemic as it is in Thailand and the police being essentially ineffectual against touts and scams there is little realistic hope for change anytime soon.

I hope Viet Nam builds a nice hub as they are currently discussing as maybe it would be a wake up call for Thailand.

Suvarnabhumi was designed by Murphy Hahn - the group who designed Munich Airport shortly beforehand. Munich is noticeably better in facilities.

With regard to the new airport at Bien Hoa, near Saigon, this will start in 2013 and be completed around 2018, so Tan Son Nhat will have to fill the bill until then. It will have a fast monorail link to HCMC, the major highway will be improved - everything will be pretty much state-of-the-art, but I understand the monorail will not be maglev, so not a top speed train. I am not party to the engineering (yet) but just chatting with folk who are developing the concept.

Back to Swampy - the shortage of seating is chronic. Makes you run for the boarding lounge, thus missing all the King Power tourist rip-offs. I noticed on my last couple of trips that prices seem to have lowered - is this a trend? But still far higher than places like Central in Bangers.

[tomyummer]

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant.

I agree with Beaneater in almost every respect - but one. Most of the airports he mentions were originally built many decades ago. To cope with expansion, the available cash has mostly gone on additional terminals and satellites; not so much on upgrading existing facilities. They are therefore bound to be more chaotic than a fully integrated airport designed from scratch on a new piece of land. Suvarnabhumi may have been in the planning stages for 4 decades, but it only opened 4 years ago. Many of its many faults are slowly being remedied, but the fact is they should never have been there in the first place if the right people had been making decisions. Hong Kong - around 12 years old - and KL even younger, both had major opening problems, but they were solved within a week or so. Their designers and architects got almost everything right for a fully integrated airport. Sure, each still has its problems, but they are very few and far between compared to BKK.

My criteria for a good airport are security, signage that is easy to read and, importantly, at the right height (BKK still has too many signs at eye level - useless in crowds), efficiency, the speed with which I can get from arrival at the terminal building to the plane and vice versa, a pleasing atmosphere and helpful staff, excellent communications about flight arrivals, departures and delays as well as wifi etc. for my personal use, comfortable lounges for those able to use them and a range of other F&B outlets for those who can't - and a simple mode of exiting the terminal with a variety of different types of transport. I use Suvarnabhumi at least 24 times a year. I always get the impression that it was designed from the outside in, rather than first taking into account all the special requirements of the multitude of departments, airlines, public etc. who have to use it.

You totally hit it on the head.

Not to mention that as a Thai expat, sure you can live with it with your knowledge and experience from Don Muang and crazy life as a whole in Thailand, but for the first time travelers, how can you expect them to decipher the 'Suvarnabhumi' maze of confusion and games? AOT limos? How are people to know that it's a pseudo privatized/government entity ripping you off in a government establishment? As a traveler you wouldn't think you'd be ripped off while still in the airport (which should be well supervised and operated as a 'pride' of the country transport hub).

Anyways, Wozzit just about summed it up.

[Humphrey Bear]

It just doesn't make sense that it's a new airport and that you sometimes have to take a BUS after getting off. For that reason alone, it would never make the top 10 for me.

I thought the domestic departures terminal was very poorly signed and organised.

One time recently I had to wait around 1 hour to pass immigration, the line was ridiculously long and not all immigration desks were opened.

Considering how new the airport is, it doesn't rank high in my view.

Simple economics.

To tie up to a jetway costs more than using a parking apron and bussing people into the terminal.

When we were building the terminal we had discussions on modifying the end bays on concourses C and E for A380 jetways, Drove everyone into a panic, because of the cost and time, while wacky Tacky was screaming to get it finished. Don't think it ever happened. So that must push it down the ladder, if it can't handle A380s. Changi can and does. Their modifications took less time than the discussions at Su'boom.

[geovalin]

One easy thing to transform a basic airport in a modern and appreciated airport is FREE WIFI like in Hong Kong or Seoul.

If already in previous posts (I do not have the time to read them all), please delete my post.

[golferchin76]

after years in service, with continuous improvements, I have to say that I like the airport more and more.

if you compare what it is now to when it just started....you will see my point.

It took them a long time to make it working properly, but the end result is no joke. And when some hardcore Thai makes a vow to make it top ten, sometimes you have to believe it. The same goes for the land transport department, the head quarter is light-years ahead compare to it was 3-4 years ago. I work in the logistics and I give them thumbs up.

Not everything here works the way we want 100%, but when compare to things overseas, I think most parts of Thailand is progressing.

Sam

[BusyBee123]

Over the last 4 years, I have been travelling about 250,000 miles per year, all over Asia, some in Europe and North America. My Top Ten Airport List based on having been through about 25 airports WW during this timeframe:

1) Changi (no brainer)

2) Hong Kong (excellent train service to Kowloon and HK Island)

3) Denpasar (OK, mainly because it's Bali; but still a decent airport and close to Kuta Beach)

4) KL (best immigration; no need to fill out arrival form)

5) Beijing (the new Terminal 3 is great)

6) Pudong/Shanghai

7) Munich

8) Seattle SETAC

9) Swampy (yeah immigration sucks in high season, otherwise I never have to wait more than 10 min)

10) SFO (San Francisco)

Seoul/Incheon and Narita are also very good; I just hate the 90 minute bus rides into the city.

I understand your point, but would you consider the following substitutions?

3. No way on Denpassar. Langkawi and even Koh Samui are so much better. Koh Samui is like a private club. Langkawi is modern.

5-6. I dunno. AMS and FRA are pretty good compared to them.

10. SFO although smaller than BKK is a mess since the renovations started. (But yes it is beautiful and well run.) I'd put the new YVR right up at 5 or 6 . They spent a fortune on the place for the winter Olympics.

Chiang Mai's airport is so boring and dirty. One of the worst airports in Thailand has to be Phuket. It's had some cosmetic work but it can't handle the crowds.

Samui has a nice environment at but a shocker for queues if flying peak season, low season great. I don't mind swampy, the things I want at an airport are clean toilets, good transportation and quick visa queues, swampy has that i'd say. Not bothered about any other distractions.

[salty]

If they are aiming for the top 10 I'm keeping my head down to avoid the stray bullets.

[Bagwan]

--

Yes, it might be the top ten Airport with the highest landing Fee's and airport Taxes  

It is not always preferred by transatlantic flights or for stopovers to australia, as it is to expensive for the Airline's.

And, with this political Situation in Thailand, some Airlines & Tour Operators are starting to avoid Thailand.

--

I should think that Swampy is NEVER preferred for transatlantic flights. 

[bkk_mike]

Don Muang was regularly in the top 10.

Suvarnabhumi suffers from a few things.

1. During the day, it's too hot. (as in the airconditioning is insufficient). If the airconditioning was up to par, the immigration staff wouldn't have fans on their desks, and there wouldn't be portable aircon units at immigration and security.

(and if you go to the food area at F, the aircon so obviously can't cope with the heat generated from the kitchens that it's even hotter.)

2. Wi-fi. It should be as simple to use as Hong Kong's. I.e. You turn on your computer, select the FREE airport wifi, and that's IT... - No searching for an information desk to get a password, no handing over your credit card details on a Wifi connection with no security on it, etc.

3. Shops. Take away some of the floorspace selling bags and perfumes, and give just a little of it over to things that people actually want to buy when travelling. A place selling snacks and soft drinks and paperback books, etc. (airside). Now that security is before duty free, people would actually be able to carry bottles of liquids onto the plane. (assuming it's not a US carrier).

In some ways, the shops on the domestic side (where there's no duty free) are better than what they decide to give international travellers. It's a lot easier to buy a small soft toy for a kid for instance where the only soft toys on the international side are the silk elephants at Jim Thompsons).

4. Pricing. Why is the price of a burger 100 baht more at the airport than it is in central Bangkok. (A Whopper meal costs over 195 baht at MBK and 295 baht at the airport). And the >50% markup on burgers isn't the worst example. The markup is even more for things like a ham and cheese toasted sandwich which seems to cost something closer to 500% more than in Bangkok.

5. Seats. Admittedly, there has been a massive improvement since the airport opened but they're still not exactly ubiquitous.

6. Is it just me or does there seem to be an awful lot of broken screens.

7. Immigration isn't that bad - inbound at least. There's far worse... - the queues at Hong Kong, JFK, Heathrow, etc. are all worse. Outbound is a different matter. You've literally got a plane to catch - the last thing you want to be doing is standing in a queue. (However it does generally mean that security doesn't have a long queue).

On the good side.

Massive improvement on the touts... - I barely notice them now...

Check-ins are generally quick. (The only oddity is if you're a gold cardholder with Thai - you go and check in next to Business class, but you can't use the business class immigration queue, so you've got to walk half way along the departures area, past all the domestic desks etc. to get to immigration.)

The Thai lounge has nice showers (witness the issue with the aircon mentioned above).

And before you say that there are other airports that are worse - of course there are. The sprawling mess that is Heathrow if you're changing planes is a nightmare. But the shopping is better than Thailand for actual travellers.

But nobody has ever suggested putting Heathrow in a list of the top airports in the world.

[tropo]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

[tropo]

7. Immigration isn't that bad - inbound at least. There's far worse... - the queues at Hong Kong, JFK, Heathrow, etc. are all worse. Outbound is a different matter. You've literally got a plane to catch - the last thing you want to be doing is standing in a queue. (However it does generally mean that security doesn't have a long queue).

I think part of the reason for the holdup going out has a lot to do with the complications of Thai visas.

One example: My Filipino wife was held up for over 5 minutes before he could finally understand why she was on a retirement extension, and that was only after he realised her husband (me) was standing behind her. They don't allow couples or groups to go up to the windows together.

I also noticed coming in that re-entry permits seem to cause them a bit of bother.

[webfact]

AoT injects 60bn THB into Suvarnabhumi expansion project

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is eyeing to expand the capacity of the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with a 60-billion-THB budget. The project is expected to be completed in 2016.

Speaking of the Suvarnabhumi development plan, AoT President Serirat Prasutanond stated that the company is preparing to build another concourse and enlarge the existing passenger terminal in order to accommodate 60 million people a year, instead of 45 million at present.

The AoT also plans to raise more income from non-aviation businesses by developing land around the airport into a business center. The state enterprise will adjust its service strategy using the “Airport of Smiles” concept to create good impression among passengers. The company targets to become one of the top ten airports with the best service in the world.

-- NNT 2010-09-29

[trogers]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

[Wozzit]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

Then how come the glasshouse that is Hong Kong's airport does not suffer from that problem?

[Humphrey Bear]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

There were long discussions on the climate control during both design stage and construction stage.

The fritting on the windows has been increased; the heat insulation in the tensile membrane sections of the roof was improved; the air-con equipment was tested and retested several times.

The building is performing as designed, as required by the original NBIA specifications. For me it is fine, I never feel uncomfortable there. But then I never sleep with air-conditioning, even in places like Saudi, Iran, Libya. I appreciate a little cooling but I realise that I am in SE Asia and not at the South Pole.

[tomyummer]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

Then how come the glasshouse that is Hong Kong's airport does not suffer from that problem?

Maybe one of the reasons is that they keep those non-working rotating doors permanently open now at each entrance at the departures level?

[Wozzit]

For me it is fine, I never feel uncomfortable there. But then I never sleep with air-conditioning, even in places like Saudi, Iran, Libya. I appreciate a little cooling but I realise that I am in SE Asia and not at the South Pole.

In which case, I'd suggest you are hardly the best person to judge how it affects most other passengers.

[tropo]

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

Then how come the glasshouse that is Hong Kong's airport does not suffer from that problem?

Maybe one of the reasons is that they keep those non-working rotating doors permanently open now at each entrance at the departures level?

My guess is that they are operating temperatures to Asian comfort levels. (Same as most shopping malls etc), which are far too warm for many Farang...and thereby saving on power.