Suvarnabhumi Airport Safe; To Shelter Flood Evacuees

[webfact]

Suvarnabhumi Airport safe; to shelter flood evacuees

BANGKOK, Oct 27 - Inbound and outbound flight services are fully functional at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand's main airport, as officials are prepared to embrace flooding with efficient flood-prevention system, the airport acting director Somchai Sawasdipol reaffirmed on Thursday.

Mr Somchai made the remarks amid fears among public that Suvarnabhumi Airport may have to suspend its flight services after Bangkok and adjacent provinces have confronted the country's worst flooding in decades.

The acting director stated the airport flood-prevention system is efficient and concerned officials keep closely monitoring the water level of nearby areas.

For the flight services, the airport will provide services as usual, Mr Somchai asserted.

The acting airport director added, as residents living near the airport, eastern part of Bangkok which is designated to be water retention area, have been hit by flood, the airport has opened its parking building to be refuge for 1,500 evacuees.

One of the airport buildings has also been reserved as temporary shelters for flood-hit airport officials with 200-person capacity.

Chief Executive of Thai AirAsia, Mr Tassapol Bijleveld, meanwhile, revealed that 15 per cent of foreign tourists, in particular Chinese tourists, who booked tickets to Thailand have cancelled their trip as they are not confident whether their trip, if continue, will be convenient or not due to flooding.

The low-cost airline CEO added the firm's officials however have closely monitored the level of water along the airport and found that it is still as same as it was two weeks ago, ruling out worries over the inundation in the airport.

For flood situation at Don Mueang Airport which earlier forced the suspension of the other two budget carriers Nok Air and Orient Thai, floodwater has now covered 85 per cent of the airport compound as flood prevention dykes in the northern part of the airport were broken, said the airport director Group Captain Kanputt Mungklasiri.

The airport runways were submerged as deep as 50 centimetres, said the director of the country's main domestic airport.

Capt Kanpatt also expressed concern that floodwater could overflow the airport's electricity distribution system and that will cause a big problem.

Don Mueang Airport houses the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC). On Tuesday all flight operations were halted for the safety of passengers and diverted the services to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

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

-- TNA 2011-10-27

[rvdk]

Very strange, no negative comments here? That is special. If there is a new story on Thaivisa most of the time I read negative comments about decisions made etc. like some are a bit frustrated here.

[thaicbr]

The only thing i find strange is the fact that they open the parking lot which is already full of cars?

where are the people going to go?

[furyrider]

Ok now I am worried

I have been following all the head lines and news on the flooding and am plaining to head to Bangkok as early as the 2nd and connect with a flight on to Udon. Now that they are saying that it should be safe with there efficient flood prevention system I am worried that I won't make it home at least through Bangkok. Does anyone know how it is to fly into Laos for an American ???

[thaicbr]

Ok now I am worried

I have been following all the head lines and news on the flooding and am plaining to head to Bangkok as early as the 2nd and connect with a flight on to Udon. Now that they are saying that it should be safe with there efficient flood prevention system I am worried that I won't make it home at least through Bangkok. Does anyone know how it is to fly into Laos for an American ???

Yep .. as soon as you go through immigration they give you a metal detecter and send you north east so you can find all the old unwanted american property dropped by plane................. LOL. just joking i do not think it's a problem.

[burgdawg]

fury rider....if you can land at Suvarnabhumi, yet planes to Ubon are NOT flying, you have many options.

One is to bus it, but the trip will be long and arduous. A typical 4 hour bus ride(say to Buriram) is turning into a 12 hour pilgrimage of cars and traffic.

I would not advise a bus ride anywhere in the Kingdom for a spell. You WILL be standing for hours.

Laos is fine. In fact, a great country. Slow like Thailand was 25 years ago.

If you can, fly into Louang Prabang (charming ancient capital), better than Vietienne. You can get visa on demand at airport.

Lao Air is the only one equipped to fly into their Kingdom.

If Ubon is closed, fly into Udon Thanis and bus down....the North-South bus lines in Isaan are not slammed as elsewheres.

Check out flights from U-Tapao airport, located 10 km east of Sattahip.

Great runways, built by US Navy in 1965. Mostly used by Russian charter flights nowadays.

You can take minivan to U-Tapao from Suvarnabhumi.

Have good trip. I understand your concerns and worries about starting your trip, only to get stranded and sent to Katmandu or some

similar forlorn place. Am in a similar situation....

[burgdawg]

..using Suvarnabhumi as a refugee shelter?

I think it is already...for backpackers who use it as their hotel!

I doubt I have yet to cruise through Suvarnbhumi without seeing many backpackers asleep, taking up 6-8 chairs as an impromptu hotel bed.

C'mon, this is theater that is getting a little too bizarre. Anyone that has coursed through Suvarnabhumi, or "Swampy" knows that their meager chairs

and places to sit there are at a premium. The places feel large because of the soaring ceilings, but that is it.

Having "evacuees" stay at the parking structure is even funnier. Camp out in the back of kuhn Somchai's Isuzu's pickup truck?

Won't he be thrilled?

A sea of homeless folks infusing the parking structure is a particularly Tai idea: half baked and not thought through. Comic relief.

Ya gotta love Tais as their world view is not 4-6 months down the line, but more like 13 seconds.

Ever say "preung nee" to a Tai? That means "tomorrow" and they get unhinged if you even suggest that all cannot happen NOW.

Their timeline horizon of 13 seconds is exactly why this flood took place. A unique inability to peer into the future and use anything resembling linear logic

to extend and pretend into the future.

"Extend and pretend" is a peculiar American logic. Maybe we can learn something from the Tais: act all perplexed when the obvious unfolds.

Chok dee to all.....

[falangjim]

Ok now I am worried

I have been following all the head lines and news on the flooding and am plaining to head to Bangkok as early as the 2nd and connect with a flight on to Udon. Now that they are saying that it should be safe with there efficient flood prevention system I am worried that I won't make it home at least through Bangkok. Does anyone know how it is to fly into Laos for an American ???

What are you worried about? No flights are cancelled. Why do you want to enter the country through Laos? Get off your plane at Suvanabum and take a flight or cab it to Udon.

[chooka]

Ok now I am worried

I have been following all the head lines and news on the flooding and am plaining to head to Bangkok as early as the 2nd and connect with a flight on to Udon. Now that they are saying that it should be safe with there efficient flood prevention system I am worried that I won't make it home at least through Bangkok. Does anyone know how it is to fly into Laos for an American ???

It's the same as for all other nationalities, no special treatment I am sorry.

[shunima]

..using Suvarnabhumi as a refugee shelter?

I think it is already...for backpackers who use it as their hotel!

I doubt I have yet to cruise through Suvarnbhumi without seeing many backpackers asleep, taking up 6-8 chairs as an impromptu hotel bed.

C'mon, this is theater that is getting a little too bizarre. Anyone that has coursed through Suvarnabhumi, or "Swampy" knows that their meager chairs

and places to sit there are at a premium. The places feel large because of the soaring ceilings, but that is it.

Having "evacuees" stay at the parking structure is even funnier. Camp out in the back of kuhn Somchai's Isuzu's pickup truck?

Won't he be thrilled?

A sea of homeless folks infusing the parking structure is a particularly Tai idea: half baked and not thought through. Comic relief.

Ya gotta love Tais as their world view is not 4-6 months down the line, but more like 13 seconds.

Ever say "preung nee" to a Tai? That means "tomorrow" and they get unhinged if you even suggest that all cannot happen NOW.

Their timeline horizon of 13 seconds is exactly why this flood took place. A unique inability to peer into the future and use anything resembling linear logic

to extend and pretend into the future.

"Extend and pretend" is a peculiar American logic. Maybe we can learn something from the Tais: act all perplexed when the obvious unfolds.

Chok dee to all.....

Booohooo... somebody got pissed because he couldn't get a seat at the airport.

Whatever it takes to make this situation better... I'm happy to stand for a while. BTW... you should complain about the Airport hotel rates. For 5000-6000 THB for a room I would choose the chairs at any time and I'm far too old for that sweet little backpacker thingie.

[UdonDenver]

Ok now I am worried

I have been following all the head lines and news on the flooding and am plaining to head to Bangkok as early as the 2nd and connect with a flight on to Udon. Now that they are saying that it should be safe with there efficient flood prevention system I am worried that I won't make it home at least through Bangkok. Does anyone know how it is to fly into Laos for an American ???

Note and watch closely the developments over 30 OCT - 31 OCT as this will present seasonal high tides that will conflict with the flood drainage efforts in Bangkok. I am in Udon Thani now and it is sunny and dry and all flights are running normally out of UTH. I think one reply confused your "Udon" reference with "Ubon". If during your stay in Udon Thani, Suvarabhumi becomes unserviceable, you can fly to Chiang Mai or Phuket from Udon Thani and try to matriculate outward via those international connections. I moved up my departure from 31 OCT to 29 OCT and hope to get out of BKK then. Overcautious I'm sure but I need to play it safe on my job front.

[Sparky2205]

My wife was at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday inquiring about getting on an earlier flight. The place was absolutely packed she was telling me, standing room only is definitely the case. Word of advice for people travelling at this time is make sure you are there double the time you expect to get through. Normally I would arrive 2 hours before I am due to fly, my wife will be going there a good 4-5 hours beforehand. Better to be safe than missing a flight due to constraints, confusion and queues.

I know you may be standing around during a long period of time, but definitely no complaints if you are able to fly. During these tough times people need to remain patient.