Suvarnabhumi Airport Director: Floods Scare Off Foreign Tourists

[webfact]

Floods Scare Off Foreign Tourists

The director of Suvarnabhumi Airport has admitted that news reports about the flood disaster in Thailand has significantly cut down the number of visiting tourists.

The airport is aiming to distribute reports about the actual situation to foreigners in order to ease their concerns.

President of the Airports of Thailand, or AOT, Somchai Sawasdipol, who is also the acting director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, has admitted that news reports of the flood disaster in the country has significantly cut down the number of travelers coming through the airport.

Somchai reported that during the past three to four days, the average number of passengers has been around 100,000, dropping from a usual number of 130,000.

At the same time, flights have also decreased from 900 to 800 per day.

At any rate, the AOT will try to inform foreign tourists about the current flood situation.

Somchai expressed confidence that Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be flooded and tourists can still travel to the country as normal.

Moreover, Suvarnabhumi Airport has invited representatives from surrounding communities to discuss its flood prevention plan.

The communities asked the AOT to help provide them with water pumps and fuel.

In addition, they also want the airport to help dredge surrounding canals in preparation for floods.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-15

[cougar52]

At the end of the day it is not the worry of the airport is flooded or not, but what are you to do when you get here?? This with the worry of getting ripped off even more that before. It used to be only the Falang got scammed, but since the flood even the locals are fair play for the over pricing and scams. (B500 for a 2 or 300 meter trip in a row boat ) Plus the worry of disease from the polluted water. I am leaving today and not coming back until it is relativity safe.

[fredob43]

I think Thailand is lucky to get any tourist's. Having yesterday traveled through BKK the stench in many part from sewage/trash is appalling and epidemic waiting to happen?????

[ExpatOilWorker]

Average 100,000 passenger per day???

That is 36.5 million/year, but assuming he is both counting arriving and departuring passenger, it is really 18 million visitors/years.

Still far more than TAT 15 million and that include CM, Phuket and border crossings. What is not adding up?

[BlueTerrace]

Tourist numbers down?

Who'd have immagined a massive flood with bungled crisis managment, garnished with threats of dystentry and cholera, would have that effect?

Still, I'm glad the AOT will inform tourists about the flood. I'm sure another government agency issuing its own updates, predictions and solutions will help clear the air and get everything back to normal.

[SriRachaShark]

Does anyone know if parking is still a problem at Suvarnabhumi? I am due to go there later today.

Thanks

[Moruya]

Does anyone know if parking is still a problem at Suvarnabhumi? I am due to go there later today.

Thanks

If it's anything like it was on Sunday it's a disaster in itself. Car park full, cars parked in the "inner" lane nearest the building - cars parked 4 rows on the outer lane. Took my driver 45 minutes to get from short term parking to the front ot the airport.

[LuckyLew]

Why wold anyone ever travel to Thailand

The next disaster is always right around the corner

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"NEWS REPORTS" about the flooding disaster are causing tourists to say away, says the airports director?

How about, the FLOODING DISASTER is causing tourists to stay away.

It's not like the media is perpetuating a false impression that much of Thailand is flooded, there are looming health issues, and flooded and non-flooded areas alike are suffering shortages of basic essentials like bottled water.

[Disinto]

I'd like to say "thanks Captain Obvious" to the director...

[asanee]

Average 100,000 passenger per day???

That is 36.5 million/year, but assuming he is both counting arriving and departuring passenger, it is really 18 million visitors/years.

Still far more than TAT 15 million and that include CM, Phuket and border crossings. What is not adding up?

you are reinforcing my opinion that expats seem unable to think logically. THAI also travel-even by plane. And Swampy is both international and domestic. And is in fact quite a big transit-port too-these pax also count as ARR + DEP. Sometimes I really wonder why I have to respond this way in explanation............. Or only used to Bahrain, with no domestic?

[jalansanitwong]

Our street in Thonburi is now completely dry leaving behind a dreadful black sludge.I'm trying to locate a hose so i can wash it all away. Its a real health hazard. Thais dont understand its more serious than the floods proper. Alot of bangkok will look like this soon. Who is going to clean up all the sludge ? Where does the TAT get their tourist figures from ? Every time i visit someone in a luxury hotel the place doesnt look busy expect for maybe the Oriental which is always busy due to being very expensive and many guests not paying for the room. (quangos,corporate accounts etc ). 100,000 people a day at Ol swampy?. I think theyre counting every 'pots and pan's monger with a nose bleed crossing over the land borders with laos cambodia Burma and Malaysia.

Edited November 15, 2011 by jalansanitwong

[Hurricane51]

"The airport is aiming to distribute reports about the actual situation to foreigners in order to ease their concerns."

I think most of the citizenry would be interested to know what the actual situation is as well.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Average 100,000 passenger per day???

That is 36.5 million/year, but assuming he is both counting arriving and departuring passenger, it is really 18 million visitors/years.

Still far more than TAT 15 million and that include CM, Phuket and border crossings. What is not adding up?

you are reinforcing my opinion that expats seem unable to think logically. THAI also travel-even by plane. And Swampy is both international and domestic. And is in fact quite a big transit-port too-these pax also count as ARR + DEP. Sometimes I really wonder why I have to respond this way in explanation............. Or only used to Bahrain, with no domestic?

I bow in the dust for your higher power of thinking.

No kidding, thanks for the explanation. I totally overlooked domestic travel. Bummer.

[pisico]

Our street in Thonburi is now completely dry leaving behind a dreadful black sludge.I'm trying to locate a hose so i can wash it all away. Its a real health hazard. Thais dont understand its more serious than the floods proper. Alot of bangkok will look like this soon. Who is going to clean up all the sludge ? Where does the TAT get their tourist figures from ? Every time i visit someone in a luxury hotel the place doesnt look busy expect for maybe the Oriental which is always busy due to being very expensive and many guests not paying for the room. (quangos,corporate accounts etc ). 100,000 people a day at Ol swampy?. I think theyre counting every 'pots and pan's monger with a nose bleed crossing over the land borders with laos cambodia Burma and Malaysia.

Lucky you! My mate and I own a couple of "rooms" in Pinklao and we are yet to see the sludge on the street.

In front of Pata is easily 50cm to a good 1 meter of water. The nearest patch of dry ground is in front of Tesco Pinklao.

Who is going to clean up all the sludge? The same that normally washes all the BMA buses in Thailand: the rain. Oh, I forgot: right before Songkran they will clean up some of them. Some store owners will do some scrubbing that is for sure.

TIT. It has been like this since my first trip in 1995. It will continue like this for sure: no preparedness, no national flood prevention and/or nationwide flood control system but, for sure, more wats will be built. That ought to take care of the floods.

[eslbill]

Hi, I have just had a text from ThaiVisa. If you are going to Suwarnabhumi today, there may be many trying to remove their

parked cars from the bridges nearby. They will be getting towed soon but I think not for a week.

Have a good journey.

Does anyone know if parking is still a problem at Suvarnabhumi? I am due to go there later today.

Thanks

[frank2611]

I think that the area around Siam to Soi 23 is never a problem. Also out to Silom and down to Victory Monument. Am I correct. Is this the area they wanted to save.

[Sydebolle]

Does this not come as a complete surprise to all of us?

[mushepea]

i went thru the airport yesterday at 4pm on my way to bkk from pattaya. it was very quiet, nobody queuing at immigration. a welcome & needed change.

pattaya seemed quieter than normal, esp considering its high season now.

[sparebox2]

RT @RichardBarrow: Owners of cars parked along roads in Suvarnabhumi must remove them by 20 Nov or they will be towed /via @ThaiPBS

RT @tonravee: Suvarnabhumi will remove flood-escaped cars that block traffic inside airport Nov 20_more info: 021329511-12

Maybe, just MAYBE, the govt (FROC) knew something that we are not suppose to know (yet).

I better change my ticket to fly out before 20-Nov.

[MILT]

At the end of the day it is not the worry of the airport is flooded or not, but what are you to do when you get here?? This with the worry of getting ripped off even more that before. It used to be only the Falang got scammed, but since the flood even the locals are fair play for the over pricing and scams. (B500 for a 2 or 300 meter trip in a row boat ) Plus the worry of disease from the polluted water. I am leaving today and not coming back until it is relativity safe.

By BY

[sparebox2]

Average 100,000 passenger per day???

That is 36.5 million/year, but assuming he is both counting arriving and departuring passenger, it is really 18 million visitors/years.

Still far more than TAT 15 million and that include CM, Phuket and border crossings. What is not adding up?

you are reinforcing my opinion that expats seem unable to think logically. THAI also travel-even by plane. And Swampy is both international and domestic. And is in fact quite a big transit-port too-these pax also count as ARR + DEP. Sometimes I really wonder why I have to respond this way in explanation............. Or only used to Bahrain, with no domestic?

I bow in the dust for your higher power of thinking.

No kidding, thanks for the explanation. I totally overlooked domestic travel. Bummer.

I wonder if Singapore have domestic route.

Does Singapore - Christmas Island count?

[starguard69]

FLOODS SCARE OFF TOURISTS!!!!

Took them all this time to figure this out.....

[spidermike007]

Mr. Somchai obviously received the fax from the AOT, that requested that he quote arrivals at 100,000 per day, and 800 flights. Well, I have been through Suvarnabhumi lately, and it was a ghost town. Even the immigration clerk remarked that they had nothing to do. These blatant lies are one of the reasons Thailand is going backwards. The flooding is the least of their problems. The lack of transparency, and these continued fabrications, is one reason why Thailand is ranked 152, out of 178 countries, in the journalists without borders survey. They are ranked below Yemen, and Kazakhstan, when it comes to press freedom. So, of course these kinds of problems persist. There is no accountability within Thailand. Do or say anything, to accomplish an objective, is the government mantra. Unfortunately, those of us with eyes and ears know better. Do not believe the nonsense. It is only that.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Tourist numbers down?

Who'd have immagined a massive flood with bungled crisis managment, garnished with threats of dystentry and cholera, would have that effect?

Still, I'm glad the AOT will inform tourists about the flood. I'm sure another government agency issuing its own updates, predictions and solutions will help clear the air and get everything back to normal.

"The director of Suvarnabhumi Airport has admitted that news reports about the flood disaster in Thailand has significantly cut down the number of visiting tourists".

He must have spent an endless amount of hours "number crunching" with only his cocoa to keep him company to come up with this astounding piece of analysis!!!!! His breathtaking (and painstaking) work will surely help his progression up the career ladder!!

Just how did he unravel all of the determining factors that had an impact on the passenger and flight numbers falling, it beats me!!! This man's a genius.

I would put him up there with Einstein and his laws of relativity - even his formula resembles Einstein's, let me show you:

Floods = less planes X less passengers (big time).

He will make a Thai Professor in no time if he keeps his unarguable expertise and quality of work up to this standard!!!:jap:.

[Logarhythm]

Let's not forget that there is still some possibility that "Ole Swampy" may yet flood.

[Markaew]

I'd like to say "thanks Captain Obvious" to the director...

He certainly got his money's worth from the degree he bought.

[newermonkey]

What a stupid headline -

"Floods Scare Off Foreign Tourists"

Tourists are not cats! They are not "scared" they are just being normal, who wants to go on holiday to a place that has any problems, and the floods do cause problems, there are so many options and alternatives for tourists these days.

I am surprised tourists come here at all sometimes when one reads about the - Jet ski scams, tourists getting drugged and robbed, people dropping down dead when staying at certain hotels, the price of taxis in Phuket, the rip offs in Pattaya, etc etc... The internet along with the news and international media is a great educator and countries and tourism boards cannot fool the general public any more. :jap:

Edited November 15, 2011 by newermonkey

[animatic]

Hardly a surprise.

[Aachen]

<br />B500 for a 2 or 300 meter trip in a row boat

<br /><br /><br />

But this is the normal price for a Tuk Tuk in Phuket for the same distance or less. :-)