Flights Stop At Bangkok's Don Muang Airport As Floods Reach Runways

[webfact]

Nok Air cancels its service from today until 1 Nov

BANGKOK, 25 October 2011 (NNT) - Nok Air budget airline has cancelled all flight schedules from 12.00hrs today until 1 November due to floods.

Mr Pathee Sarasin, Nok Air's chief executive officer, stated that Nok Air needs to stop its service temporarily from 12.00hrs today until 1 November as flood water has reached the top of Don Mueang runway. Airplanes departing from airports in other provinces are instructed to land at Suvarnabhumi Airport before being parked at U-Tapao International Airport, Chon Buri. Nok Air offers its service of approximately 53 flights per day.

-- NNT 2011-10-25

[webfact]

Orient Thai Airlines relocates flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport

Orient Thai Airways on Tuesday announced it would relocate its flights from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi International Airports starting today.

The announcement was issued after the flood water from the north reached Rangsit and Don Muang areas. For more information, please contact : 086-3429455, 082-7005597 and 082-7877818

Passengers of the carrier can check in at the departure lounge on the fourth floor.

Earlier Nok Air has suspended using Don Mueang Airport, starting today until November 1. Its flights would be relocated to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

-- The Nation 2011-10-25

[webfact]

Don Muang Airport to close operation by 5PM today, floodwater submerged runway electricity.

15.05 Water overflowing ground floor of DM airport. Cars parked there should be moved immediately! (via @MatichonOnline )

[webfact]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

[rogerdee123]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

With a little luck, FROC will be stranded out there without any communications.

[peterdk]

Don Muang Airport to close operation by 5PM today, floodwater submerged runway electricity.

15.05 Water overflowing ground floor of DM airport. Cars parked there should be moved immediately! (via @MatichonOnline )

Meanwhile, ACM Sumet Photimanee, chairman of Airports of Thailand (AoT), on Thursday expressed confidence that Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports were well-prepared to prevent floodwater from intruding into their respective compounds.

To brace for the possibility of full-scale flooding, Don Mueang Airport authorities built an additional temporary embankment with some 10,000 sandbags.

-- The Nation 2011-10-20

( parts of article not concerning Don Muang Airport removed )

So the 10.000 sandbags didn't provide enough resistance to the millions of cubic meters of water.

I must say I am very surprised.

You should think that someone would have thought long and hard about this, before settling on 10.000 sandbags.

Post may contain irony.

[zydeco]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

[rogerdee123]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

Yes ... and straight into a refugee camp that even us fools here on TV knew would be flooded.

[EvolvingApe]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

[webfact]

Bangkok's second airport shuts as floods advance

by Anusak Konglang

BANGKOK, October 25, 2011 (AFP) - Bangkok's second airport shut down Tuesday as floodwaters advanced into the Thai capital, forcing authorities in "crisis mode" to declare a five-day public holiday in preparation for the deluge.

The cabinet ordered an October 27-31 holiday for Bangkok and 20 other provinces affected by the kingdom's worst flooding in decades, amid warnings a high tide would surge up the capital's main river and escalate the disaster.

"The government has switched to a crisis mode as a massive run-off will arrive in the capital on October 26, coinciding with a high tide on October 28," the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) said in a statement.

Ministers made the decision at a meeting in Don Mueang airport in the city's north, which handles domestic flights and has also been doubling as an evacuee shelter and a headquarters for the flood relief operation.

But as the waters that have already flooded several northern and eastern districts of Bangkok closed in, both airlines operating there, Nok Air and Orient Thai, said they were suspending all flights.

"Because a lot of water is creeping into the northern premises of the airport, it could cause planes to slide on the runways," Airports of Thailand said, adding that Don Mueang's two runways would be closed until November 1.

About 100 domestic flights normally operate from the airport each day.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is facing her first major crisis since coming to power in August, said before the cabinet meeting that the evacuees sheltering there would also have to relocate.

"We will move them to safe areas," she said.

The public holidays are designed to allow Bangkok's 12 million residents to brace for the floods now creeping towards the city centre after swamping other parts of the nation, killing some 360 people and damaging millions of homes.

"The public and private sectors have been urged to allow their flood-hit staff some time off, so that they would have a chance to look after their property and protect their homes," said the FROC statement.

Schools and government offices will be closed, while the central bank said it was still considering whether to shut down financial markets during the newly-declared public holidays.

Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra made a televised address Tuesday warning residents along the Chao Phraya river in the capital to be on "full alert" after the waterway reached record highs of of 2.30 metres on Monday.

"If the situation continues in these circumstances, the water level this weekend will hit 2.60 metres, while our average flood embankment is 2.50 metres high," he said.

In the city centre, residents were lining up to buy bottled water directly from trucks resupplying shops, after days of panic-buying emptied supermarket shelves.

Information about the floods has often been inconsistent, with politically inexperienced Yingluck apparently at odds with Bangkok's local administration, run by a rival party, and rumours of tensions with the army.

A defence official in Washington said the US navy had withdrawn several ships, including aircraft carriers, sent to help with relief efforts in Thailand after receiving "mixed" messages from the Bangkok government.

"There were two channels (in the Thai government)," the defence official told AFP. "One was saying 'Yes' and one was saying 'No.'"

But Thailand's defence minister, General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, indicated that authorities felt they were able to handle the situation themselves.

"We have not denied their assistance, but we have our own aircraft so we would rather use ours," he told reporters, adding however that he was unclear over the details of the US offer and needed to check with the air force chief.

A spokesman from the US embassy in Bangkok said one ship from the US group had docked in Thailand on October 20 and its helicopters had since been on missions coordinated with the Thai army and other US agencies.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-10-25

[cloudhopper]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

Even more stunning when the agency responsible for providing ATC and other agencies actionable info is located right there.

[ikwiljou]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

You live here 10 years already so you should know I suppose. BTW 10 years on a tourist visa and now changing to EDU visa? Chok dee to all in Bangkok.

[jayceenik]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

My retirement visa must be renewed by 11NOV latest.

I'm planning to go to Chaeng Wattana Immigration tomorrow morning to get it done.

I can reach MoChit with the BTS from Sukhumvit but once there I can only hope that I can make it farther to CW.

Anyway I'll post here what I find at MoChit.

[renaissanc]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

With a little luck, FROC will be stranded out there without any communications.

That gave me a good laugh! Thank you!

[robokop]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

My retirement visa must be renewed by 11NOV latest.

I'm planning to go to Chaeng Wattana Immigration tomorrow morning to get it done.

I can reach MoChit with the BTS from Sukhumvit but once there I can only hope that I can make it farther to CW.

Anyway I'll post here what I find at MoChit.

My retirement visa is due for renewaL Dec 28, but I can get it renewed anytime in November wqhic will be good till Dec 28, 2012.

Why is yours different or did you wait till the minute?

[Lite Beer]

Don Mueang Airport halts all flight services at 5pm

BANGKOK, Oct 25 – Don Mueang Airport, Thailand’s main domestic airport which also houses the government's flood crisis centre, will suspend all flight operations at 5pm today for the safety of passengers, according to Group Captain Kanputt Mungklasiri, director of Don Mueang Airport.

The airport director denied reports that the runway has been flooded, saying the flight suspension is a precautionary and preventative measure done for safety reasons.

Normally, 160 daily flights operate from the former main international airport by Nok Air and Orient Thai Airlines.

Thailand’s budget carrier Nok Air announced suspension of all flight services as water has flowed into the northern tier of the airport and has now nearly reached the areas where the airport’s electronic control system is housed.

Nok Air halted flight operations since noon, with flights diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport, according to Patee Sarasin, Nok Air chief executive officer.

Mr Patee said the airline expected to resume operating flights on Nov 1, explaining that the company was uncertain whether Suvarnabhumi Airport will be flooded. The airline has opted to wait and see what the situation will be at both Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports.

Owing to the suspension, Mr Patee said, Nok Air passengers could reschedule their tickets.

Orient Thai Airlines began diverting all domestic flights from Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3pm.

Meanwhile, national flag carrier Thai Airways (THAI) is still operating normally at Suvarnabhumi airport but is closely monitoring the flood situation, according to Samat Poom-on, director of THAI’s Crisis Management & Operations Centre (CMOC).

Initially, the company has prepared six optional airports and two emergency airports for further consideration if the situation worsens.

Previously, the airline moved some additional equipment for on-ground services to U-Tapao Airport in the eastern province of Chon Buri. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-10-25

[spacemand]

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

You get what you pay for on an discount airline.

[aurelius]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

My retirement visa must be renewed by 11NOV latest.

I'm planning to go to Chaeng Wattana Immigration tomorrow morning to get it done.

I can reach MoChit with the BTS from Sukhumvit but once there I can only hope that I can make it farther to CW.

Anyway I'll post here what I find at MoChit.

I was there today - went via the tollway, down onto CW road, and then returned to the city via the CW expressway. Didn't see a single DROP of water.

[LTGTR]

Wasn't there a flood control hqtrs there at the airport?Excellent planning.

Don Muang Airport to close operation by 5PM today, floodwater submerged runway electricity.

15.05 Water overflowing ground floor of DM airport. Cars parked there should be moved immediately! (via @MatichonOnline )

[LTGTR]

Yes because those 10k sandbags were stacked one on top of the other........

Don Muang Airport to close operation by 5PM today, floodwater submerged runway electricity.

15.05 Water overflowing ground floor of DM airport. Cars parked there should be moved immediately! (via @MatichonOnline )

Meanwhile, ACM Sumet Photimanee, chairman of Airports of Thailand (AoT), on Thursday expressed confidence that Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports were well-prepared to prevent floodwater from intruding into their respective compounds.

To brace for the possibility of full-scale flooding, Don Mueang Airport authorities built an additional temporary embankment with some 10,000 sandbags.

-- The Nation 2011-10-20

( parts of article not concerning Don Muang Airport removed )

So the 10.000 sandbags didn't provide enough resistance to the millions of cubic meters of water.

I must say I am very surprised.

You should think that someone would have thought long and hard about this, before settling on 10.000 sandbags.

Post may contain irony.

[LTGTR]

"But Thailand's defence minister, General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, indicated that authorities felt they were able to handle the situation themselves.

"We have not denied their assistance, but we have our own aircraft so we would rather use ours," he told reporters, adding however that he was unclear over the details of the US offer and needed to check with the air force chief.

That would be those same choppers that crash on a regulaer basis without the stress of complications I suppose.

[LTGTR]

What a moronic statemant.

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

You get what you pay for on an discount airline.

[rogerdee123]

I'm wondering if anyone reading the comments on this knows if the immigration office at Chang Wattana is open. I could assume it's going to be closed due to it's location near Don Muang, or at least not possible for me to find transportation to since I live in the southeast part of town, but logic doesn't seem to get me very far around here lol. I'm changing from tourist to student visa and get paperwork from my school, assuming (again) that I can manage to get to campus in Bang Na tomorrow (Wed Oct 26th. Bangna Trad rd km 26) I know it's unlikely all things will work in my favor, the roads between me and campus were all but impassable last week. Thanks for any info that can be provided. If you don't know it's not a big deal, I'll call Assumptions office in the morning and immigration to get their advice. I could easily wait a week to get this processed anyway (but having lived here almost 10 yrs, I doubt flooding will subside by then anyway.)

My retirement visa must be renewed by 11NOV latest.

I'm planning to go to Chaeng Wattana Immigration tomorrow morning to get it done.

I can reach MoChit with the BTS from Sukhumvit but once there I can only hope that I can make it farther to CW.

Anyway I'll post here what I find at MoChit.

I was there today - went via the tollway, down onto CW road, and then returned to the city via the CW expressway. Didn't see a single DROP of water.

really? not even one drop?

[rogerdee123]

What a moronic statemant.

Passengers on flights landed @ Don Mueang airport have been stranded inside the terminal (via BKK Post) /via@AndersInNon

Stunning, when you think about it. The airline flew people straight into a refugee camp and left them without so much as a bag of peanuts.

You get what you pay for on an discount airline.

Yeah you're right ... probably they were given a bag of peanuts ... or a bag of Mr. Green's nuts or whatever those things are called.

[timberboy]

A defence official in Washington said the US navy had withdrawn several ships, including aircraft carriers, sent to help with relief efforts in Thailand after receiving "mixed" messages from the Bangkok government."There were two channels (in the Thai government)," the defence official told AFP. "One was saying 'Yes' and one was saying 'No.'"But Thailand's defence minister, General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, indicated that authorities felt they were able to handle the situation themselves."We have not denied their assistance, but we have our own aircraft so we would rather use ours," he told reporters, adding however that he was unclear over the details of the US offer and needed to check with the air force chief.A spokesman from the US embassy in Bangkok said one ship from the US group had docked in Thailand on October 20 and its helicopters had since been on missions coordinated with the Thai army and other US agencies.SO, the Thai Army did coordinate with the US military to get aid, but it seems that someone in the government rejected that idea. So sad .

[eq2]

I was at don muang today and Nok Air gave passengers free food and water as they waited for a bus to swampy airport. Nok air staff came on the bus and assisted people upon arrival. Pretty good service for a budget ariline if you ask me..

[rogerdee123]

I was at don muang today and Nok Air gave passengers free food and water as they waited for a bus to swampy airport. Nok air staff came on the bus and assisted people upon arrival. Pretty good service for a budget ariline if you ask me..

No Knock Nok Now

[jayceenik]

I went to immigration at ChaengWattana this morning.

MoChit to CW by the DonMuang highway and return to MoChit by the CW expressway.

No sign of flooding.

The CW government building is on slightly higher ground and hundreds of cars have been safe-parked everywhere possible in that area.

The CW expressway is a long safe-parking too. Sometimes cars are double parked thus slowing traffic.

You wonder how all those drivers are coping without their cars!

I had a long slow day at immigration.

They open at 8.30, i was there at 8.45 and got queue nr 26. Not bad but it took two hours before I finally got my retirement visa renewed.

Then some 30 minutes to have it photocopied downstairs because of a very long queue. The usual photocopy shop was closed. Had to do it at a small picture taking/photocopy place.

The local Kasikorn Bank manager saw an opportunity to make a quick Baht for his bank and came to the queue to propose that we photocopy our documents at his bank not far from there.

5 baht/page but he saved a lot of us some time.

When I got back to the immigration for my re-entry visa I got queue nr 292!

Finally I was out shortly after 2PM.

A long day.

As usual the immigration officers were friendly and courteous.

[katana]

Pics and video of flooding at Don Meuang Airport yesterday.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/eco/211855

Video: http://77.nationchannel.com/video/182451/

Edited October 26, 2011 by katana

[rogerdee123]

Pics and video of flooding at Don Meuang Airport yesterday.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/eco/211855

Video: http://77.nationchannel.com/video/182451/

Nice pics ! Put a Thai girl in a pink outfit in the foreground holding an orchid and you've got a cover for a "Sawadee" magazine.