Plan To Utilize Bangkok's Don Muang Airport To Be Proposed To Cabinet

[DP25]

The new mega terminal is already being built in Bang Sue, it's not going to be in DM

[GeorgeO]

Made a suggestion about this many months back.

1/ Should complete the partly built sky train to Don Muang.

2/ Turn the biggest unused building into a market like an indoor jata-jak.

3/ Another big building could be a mall/supermarket.

4/ Revamp all the other unused buildings as rental or for sale rooms and condos, in a range from basic to luxuary.

5/ Make all other unused space into parking.

Should be returning a good profit in a few years.

Bankok is littered with container parks, many of which are adjacent to housing estates.

They could pick all of these up and transfer them to Don Muang, thereby releasing the rest of the smaller plots of land for useful development.

This would of course then necessitate a specific road (or rail) link from Don Muang to the Port area, but such costs would enormously reduce the heavy traffic problem in the inner city areas caused by container trucks

[moetownblues]

It seems to me that there is no fundimental reason why the Don Muang airport cannot be used as a second international airport. Airlines would, therefore, be free to choose which airport they use.

Utilising Suvarnabhumi as the sole international and Don Muang as the internal airport would be folly in the extreme. In such a scenario, all passengers would arrive at the former then have to cross the city to get a connection for local flights - can you imagine the turmoil this would cause especially at peak traffic times.

No, I believe that Bangkok can well do with upgrading old Don to modern day standards which may, I suspect, be significantly cheaper than constructing another runway at Suvarnabhumi.

Anthing would have to be better than that outdated obselete thing they call Suvarnabhumi. An airport that provides customer service and is easy to get around and also the planes dock at the airport and not 3 kms away. The current shambles they call an airport is nothing more than one big duty free store.

[whybother]

How about they close that drab grey, badly built s**thole Suesavinapoo where nearly everyone, including me no matter how many times I use it, is wandering around lost and revert back to Don Muang.

HOW do you get lost at Suvarnibhumi? It's such a simple layout that even a baby could find their way around.

[whybother]

Anthing would have to be better than that outdated obselete thing they call Suvarnabhumi. An airport that provides customer service and is easy to get around and also the planes dock at the airport and not 3 kms away. The current shambles they call an airport is nothing more than one big duty free store.

The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them, or for the low cost airlines it's cheaper not to use them.

One of the reasons they are talking about building a second terminal or reopening Don Meung is because some planes have to park away from the terminal.

[moetownblues]

Anthing would have to be better than that outdated obselete thing they call Suvarnabhumi. An airport that provides customer service and is easy to get around and also the planes dock at the airport and not 3 kms away. The current shambles they call an airport is nothing more than one big duty free store.

The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them, or for the low cost airlines it's cheaper not to use them.

One of the reasons they are talking about building a second terminal or reopening Don Meung is because some planes have to park away from the terminal.

Thai airways is not exactly a low cost airline. The airport is so outdated back in the 50's passengers got off on the tarmac. It's time for Thailand to build a new modern airport and catch up with the times. Bulldoze Suvarnabhuni and build a new modern user friendly airport.

[whybother]

Anthing would have to be better than that outdated obselete thing they call Suvarnabhumi. An airport that provides customer service and is easy to get around and also the planes dock at the airport and not 3 kms away. The current shambles they call an airport is nothing more than one big duty free store.

The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them, or for the low cost airlines it's cheaper not to use them.

One of the reasons they are talking about building a second terminal or reopening Don Meung is because some planes have to park away from the terminal.

Thai airways is not exactly a low cost airline. The airport is so outdated back in the 50's passengers got off on the tarmac. It's time for Thailand to build a new modern airport and catch up with the times. Bulldoze Suvarnabhuni and build a new modern user friendly airport.

"The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them"

Which is why they are talking about building a second terminal or using Don Meung.

Having to get off on the tarmac has nothing to do with the design of the airport. Actually, the design of Suvarnibhumi includes a second terminal exactly because a single terminal does not allow all the planes to park at a gate.

[moetownblues]

Anthing would have to be better than that outdated obselete thing they call Suvarnabhumi. An airport that provides customer service and is easy to get around and also the planes dock at the airport and not 3 kms away. The current shambles they call an airport is nothing more than one big duty free store.

The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them, or for the low cost airlines it's cheaper not to use them.

One of the reasons they are talking about building a second terminal or reopening Don Meung is because some planes have to park away from the terminal.

Thai airways is not exactly a low cost airline. The airport is so outdated back in the 50's passengers got off on the tarmac. It's time for Thailand to build a new modern airport and catch up with the times. Bulldoze Suvarnabhuni and build a new modern user friendly airport.

"The reason they don't park at the gates is because there aren't enough of them"

Which is why they are talking about building a second terminal or using Don Meung.

Having to get off on the tarmac has nothing to do with the design of the airport. Actually, the design of Suvarnibhumi includes a second terminal exactly because a single terminal does not allow all the planes to park at a gate.

They should have built the 2nd terminal 10 yrs ago. Poor planning for future demands. Tourists arriving arrival on international flights are greeted with technology but I guess Thailand is still a 3rd world country. If you arrive at Chiangmai airport onbaord an international flight the plane does dock but then Chiangmai airport if more up with the times and modern compared to BKK

[SantiSuk]

If they can run the Airport Express onto Don Muang from Makkasan and if there is scope to increase the capacity of that link massively then Bangkok has the chance to make a multiple airport system work better than anywhere else I have come across in the world. There would then be no need to spend more money on a new terminal at Swampy (or at least it could defer the need for 5 or 10 years) - just spend a bit more money on high capacity lifts to the train from arrivals and departures (and more toilet capacity please!!). It will not happen - too cheap and too logical.

Edited November 12, 2010 by SantiSuk

[anterian]

Every major city should have two airports, purely on a "belt and braces" principle, or belt and suspenders if you are a yank

Nowdays airports need to suspend services from suspect bombs, the somtimes crash and similar emergencies, much better to divert to a relatively nearby airport than one milkes away. London has two major airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, and three lesser ones, Luton, Stanstead and the city airport.

[whybother]

If they can run the Airport Express onto Don Muang from Makkasan and if there is scope to increase the capacity of that link massively then Bangkok has the chance to make a multiple airport system work better than anywhere else I have come across in the world. There would then be no need to spend more money on a new terminal at Swampy (or at least it could defer the need for 5 or 10 years) - just spend a bit more money on high capacity lifts to the train from arrivals and departures (and more toilet capacity please!!). It will not happen - too cheap and too logical.

They've already started construction of the line to don meung extending the airport line from phayathai. but I don't see the need to massively increase capacity since no one is using the express service now anyway.

[SantiSuk]

If they can run the Airport Express onto Don Muang from Makkasan and if there is scope to increase the capacity of that link massively then Bangkok has the chance to make a multiple airport system work better than anywhere else I have come across in the world. There would then be no need to spend more money on a new terminal at Swampy (or at least it could defer the need for 5 or 10 years) - just spend a bit more money on high capacity lifts to the train from arrivals and departures (and more toilet capacity please!!). It will not happen - too cheap and too logical.

They've already started construction of the line to don meung extending the airport line from phayathai. but I don't see the need to massively increase capacity since no one is using the express service now anyway.

I think we would see the need if both airports were up and running in tandem.

I withdraw my cynicism if they are already connecting the two airports directly

Edited November 12, 2010 by SantiSuk

[scorecard]

It seems to me that there is no fundimental reason why the Don Muang airport cannot be used as a second international airport. Airlines would, therefore, be free to choose which airport they use.

Utilising Suvarnabhumi as the sole international and Don Muang as the internal airport would be folly in the extreme. In such a scenario, all passengers would arrive at the former then have to cross the city to get a connection for local flights - can you imagine the turmoil this would cause especially at peak traffic times.

No, I believe that Bangkok can well do with upgrading old Don to modern day standards which may, I suspect, be significantly cheaper than constructing another runway at Suvarnabhumi.

Agree why not two airports!

Options for airlines and options for passengers.

I live in Bkk quite close to DM and travel frequently to Chiang Mai and return. I always use Nok Air, simply because I can be at DM in 10 to 15 minutes, fly Nok Air, and coming back I'm often home within twenty minutes of landing at DM.

Must be many others who find DM more convenient than swampy.

[CraXeliCroX®]

The new mega terminal is already being built in Bang Sue, it's not going to be in DM

And that "mega terminal" is a combined freight train station and freight terminal? My point is to get the main part of the domestic goods transported by the railway, anything else is not planning ahead.

If such a terminal is already being built elsewhere, then convert the whole DM area into a gigantic Solar panel project. Even better..

[RaoulDuke]

I really don't understand why everyone complains so much about 'swampy'. It is pretty much the same as many other recent int'l airports. I had a serious case of deja vu when I checked in the other day, I could have sworn I was at ICN, in Seoul, they are almost identical outside of security, and ICN is not much better on the inside.

But still, anyone complaining about BKK needs to spend some time at LAX if they want to see what a true nightmare of an airport can be. They just spent millions of dollars revamping the int'l terminal, only to decide shortly before finishing the remodel to completely redo the whole terminal, tearing up everything they just remodeled. Which is just as well, it takes about 20 minutes of walking on a series of the world's slowest moving walkways just to get from the gate to the passport line, which takes another hour to get through (BTW, no restrooms in the 1 mile walkway to immigration, because who gets off of a 10-16 hour plane ride and needs a restroom??). Then there is the mess of a baggage claim area, where the luggage is literally stacked 4 bags high on the carousel, with many bags just being taken off and placed haphazardly somewhere on the floor. Then you get another ridiculous wait/line at customs, before you are finally free and clear. And it is still far and away the worst airport on the west coast. JFK is the only airport I have been to that is more of a nightmare, but the LAX must have the worst layout of any major airport in the world. I only wish we could have an airport like BKK, even if it did get waterlogged once in a while. Even in its current state of disrepair, DMA is still probably 10x better than LAX will ever be. BKK is more like 1000x better.

Edited November 12, 2010 by RaoulDuke

[roundeye]

here we go again.

Obviously the air force is in need of a little cash injection.

the airforce ran a pretty tight ship as I understand at DM (comparatively).

In anycase, it seems a shame to let such a piece of infrastructure lie idle. Costs are largely sunk. Definitely could be a LCC hub if someone put their mind to it. We'd just have to loosen the grip on THAI's influence within government on these things.

is it possible to catch a flight from D.M. to Buri Ram. If not any ideas on how. or is there a faster way than the back roads and 5 hours of driving

[SantiSuk]

here we go again.

Obviously the air force is in need of a little cash injection.

the airforce ran a pretty tight ship as I understand at DM (comparatively).

In anycase, it seems a shame to let such a piece of infrastructure lie idle. Costs are largely sunk. Definitely could be a LCC hub if someone put their mind to it. We'd just have to loosen the grip on THAI's influence within government on these things.

is it possible to catch a flight from D.M. to Buri Ram. If not any ideas on how. or is there a faster way than the back roads and 5 hours of driving

I think not. Get a bus to Pattaya - seems like half of Buriram (the female half) lives there anyway

[gregb]

No 5 parking place ???????? for who ? you need the No 1 if you want people to get rid of their car

Actually, you don't really. I've thought for a long time how tantalizing that huge parking lot at Don Muang is while sitting in traffic on Viphawadi Rangsit, knowing I'll have to drive all the way into the city center because there is absolutely nowhere to park my car. (OK, there is Union Mall, but getting in and out of that place is a nightmare.)

All they really need is free parking an express bus service from DMK to Morchit that jumps on the highway and goes. If such a service was available I would always use it. Not even a doubt in my mind.

Who actually wants to drive into downtown? Turning DMK into a parking lot is a no brainer and would require almost no investment. I would jump at the chance to use a service like this, and I'm sure that if I would, there have to be thousands of others that also hate driving but currently have no other options. The people who operate the mass transit systems in Bangkok simply have no concept that you must provide parking if you want people to use your service.

But since most of the planners in Bangkok have brains the size of a gnat, I will continue sitting in traffic, wasting time and fuel until they surgically remove their heads from their anus. Doesn't take much to act intelligently, but I guess nobody has figured out yet how to split the corruption from such a system.