Pm Yingluck Orders All Budget Airlines To Fly From Don Mueang Airport

[noitom]

Seems like an open invitation for friendly visitors from Iran who are in the fertilizer business as well as other undesirables circumventing child sex abuse lists. Why is something like this a pm decree anyway? Shouldn't this be the decision and announcement of the minister of transportation?

[jsgatse]

"Chumpol said news of the passenger bottleneck only reached him on Wednesday."

Hello???? That's what you want in a leader....someone with their finger on the pulse of what is happening.

[jonclark]

The root cause of this is not too few officials, but officials using as system that isn't designed to cope with the magnitude of passengers. Most if not all of Thailand's government systems rely on extensive paperwork and red tape. The system needs changing to become more efficient.

[mesquite]

Does anyone know when this change to DM is effective?

[laurentbkk]

I never queue at immigration , thanks to the special line ofr first and biz class passengers when I see the long queue at the immigration I can understand the anger of some passengers here ..I would be mad if I had to wait so long .... Major cities around the world have more than one airport and all is fine , the road between DM and Suvarnabhumi is only express/toll way ... of course depending on traffic and day of arrival..I dont think the request by arriving one hour earlier will help either .. I often saw immigration officer talk on the phone , to their colleagues , they are pretty slow in checking passport and input date in computers.... they are SLOW ....really SLOW

[airconsult]

Is it just me or, will they just divert the problem to DM? Does DM have enough immigration officers to handle air asia's load alone?

And yeah...until there's a rail link between the two, this simply won't work. Buses will never make connections in time...there is no such thing as "priority" on the highways in Thailand. Hell, a firetruck with lights and sirens can't get through. If I am flying into swampy from Chiang Mai and then have an International flight out, I can only imagine the hell trying to get from one to the other. I'd have to plan to spend the night realistically. Maybe that's the plan!? Make people stay a night in BKK to help with tourist dollars . Hmmmm...ok, guess I'll fly direct to Malaysia .

There are currently NO immigration officers at Don Mueang - that's why Orient Thai was running their domestic from Don Mueang and the Intl from Suvarnabhumi - that's what they were told to do by Immigration.

And I agree - this doesn't really help, the only major budget Intl carrier there is Air Asia, and out of the count of 80-90 flights per day, you are talking 40 international and they are small planes, low number of pax. I would say this is mis-reported, and it was a suggestion, but as they look into it they will find it's not really practical. Every year or so someone comes up with this bright idea, and it wastes everyone's time looking at it. Just finish the expansions at Suvarnabhumi and everything will be fine.

[prakhonchai nick]

A month ago -, outbound to Phnom Penh on my residents permit, the Immigration officer was so fascinated by it that he closed the booth to all people behind me. . There then followed a 10/15 minute friendly discussion as to how I managed to obtain it.

Later whilst boarding, the same Immigration office was looking for me in a fluster. He had forgotten not only to stamp me out, but had not recorded any details on the computer, and only had my picture.. Profuse apologies for bothering me followed

[abhaya]

It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[yummypizza]

It's all about processing passengers, 10000 passengers & 4 booths is going to take longer than 10000 Pax @ 16 booths,why not staff the airport appropriately?, maybe woried about not enough taxis & buses outside to handle pax coming out so fast lol...and i hate that word ....ORDERS....

[tomdfc]

We have just booked an Air Asia flight from Chiang Mai to make an international connection out of Swampy (in July). We could well be stuffed now. When is this ludicrous dictat being put into effect?

[Udox]

A perfect solution would be to pick up Don Muang airport and place it next to the terminal at Swampy, for domestic passengers (like DM used to be), but as we all know we don't live in a perfect place and swampy also is far from perfect - outbound and inbound passengers bumping into each other as they arrive/depart.-, great plan !

What constitutes a budget airline ?

Several times I have traveled on Thai because the so-called budget airlines were more expensive.

I would also stay well clear of the airlines operating out of Don Muang. Its a nightmare to get to.

So IF the airlines do go back there - will they re-introduce the airport link and airport taxis again.

What a bloody mess !

[easybullet3]

That's all not the problem,if I travel to other countries like UAE,Malaysia,Singapore or back to Europe,the passport control takes 1-2minutes per person,sometimes less than that,here in Thailand it takes 3-5 min.i think Thai immigration officers are afraid to make a mistake,or maybe their computer is outdated

agree > the arrival (and departure) process takes a little bit too long. (but that is not a problem. they are doing their job) if you went to America (as a visitor) you will know it takes MORE than 5 minutes (after all the questions they ask you!)

the MAIN problem is that there are not enough immigration officers on duty. EVERY DESK should have someone working in it! (if the other two gates are closed, then where are all the staff from these two gates?) why aren't they working in the 1 open gate? there shouldn't be any empty desks.

and of course.. what kind of a person closes 2 out of 3 gates at the same time!! isn't it more practical to close 1 gate at a time, and then this problem would be avoided! I guess that they saw it was cheaper to close both gates at the same time (because the work will be completed faster) so they chose to save money (without considering any of the passengers and problems that it will cause).

who makes these decisions?

Edited March 16, 2012 by easybullet3

[airconsult]

Bangkok Airways = Low cost? This will really screw their expansion plans, as they seem to be popular choice for international passengers transiting at BKK. Whose idea was this? Boss of Thai Air?

And at the moment, international arriving & departing passengers don't join the long immigration queues at Swampy. I pass through immigration on the way out at CNX & use the transit area immigration on arrival.

Exactly! I'm very glad someone has pointed out that you can transit-corridor at Suvarnabhumi IF your baggage is checked through to your final destination. This fixation people have with Don Mueang is annoying sometimes. When Suvarnabhumi was under construction and there were some major delays occurring, AOT asked some major engineering and design firms about possible modifications to the Intl at Don Mueang - the answer was always - "Hmm, cheaper to burn it down and start again......"

[scorecard]

Quote "People familiar with the problem doubt whether the long-planned move of low-cost services to Don Mueang will ease the current crisis at Suvarnabhumi, where renovation work has cut the capacity of immigration checkpoints by two-thirds."

Cut by two thirds. Whoever approved this plan should be dismissed along with the minister concerned who cannot escape at least severe criticism for this situation.

Singapore Changi airport regularly adjusts the 'internal infrastructure' as needed but without any effect on it's overall operations.

If Changi can do it so can any airport.

Surely it is possible (at swampy) to temporarily set up some passport desks in a temporary location, on another floor perhaps, or bus people for some flights to another nearby building and return them after their passports have been stamped to the airside shopping / gate areas.

I have no doubt whatever that it could be done, but it won't be done, because it would need some thinking just a little bit out of the box.

[masuk]

"An Immigration Police source said increasing checkpoint staff was not the answer. "All checkpoints are being manned to full capacity. The problem is not shortage of personnel," the source said."

That is certainly not my observation on the 10 times I have been through the airport in the past 2 months......On those 10 occasions I have always seen empty booths.

Methinks someone is telling porkies :-)

have to agree there.

I've been in and out numerous times in the past 6 months, and often the desks are only 50% manned.

[gudtymchuk]

What a joke. A brand new airport being "renovated" already? Hmm, another sweetheart deal to pad the pockets of a contractor? What is is, in typical THAI STYLE, one hand has no clue what the other hand is doing....

[MAN2SIN2BKK]

Does this mean that ALL budget airlines including foreign are being transferred to Don Mueang or just the Thai ones? When will this happen?

[vahack]

people are so impatient.

[scorecard]

A perfect solution would be to pick up Don Muang airport and place it next to the terminal at Swampy, for domestic passengers (like DM used to be), but as we all know we don't live in a perfect place and swampy also is far from perfect - outbound and inbound passengers bumping into each other as they arrive/depart.-, great plan !

What constitutes a budget airline ?

Several times I have traveled on Thai because the so-called budget airlines were more expensive.

I would also stay well clear of the airlines operating out of Don Muang. Its a nightmare to get to.

So IF the airlines do go back there - will they re-introduce the airport link and airport taxis again.

What a bloody mess !

Maybe a nightmare to get to for you, but very convenient for others. From my office it's an easy 10 minute drive.

The airport link bus never stopped operating from DM.

The sirport taxis never stopped operating from DM.

[phuketrichard]

How will this help ?? Its IMMIGRATION that has the problem. NO one flying Domestic goes thru Immigration

[finnomick1]

Just why do the Thais make such a fuss about people LEAVING the country ? Is it just in case they miss out an an overstay fine ? And as for the elected voice of the people moving domestic traffic back to DM., this will just put everyone back to the old system of confusion, chaos and frustration especially while there is no quick direct link -- unless you can afford the airport hopper flight that is. T.I.T

[Wiggy]

Simply stupid idea. By sending budget/domestic airlines to DM the immigration traffic at Swampy will INCREASE, as passengers who would normally be in transit at Swampy will now need to clear immigration there before going to DM. Currently they clear immigration in Chiang Mai, Phuket etc. (and vice versa) Doh!!

[belg]

why not build another airport in a 30 km range... just an idea and plenty of tea money to be made by the usual suspects

[lebelge]

Moving the budget airlines will not sort out the problems, need to open the checkins earlier than they do, last time I fly through Suvarnabhumi, last month, I was there three hours before, had to wait over 1:30 to check in then the immegration was packed took for ever to get through, then ended up making a mad ruch to get to the gate.......

[Payboy]

That's all not the problem,if I travel to other countries like UAE,Malaysia,Singapore or back to Europe,the passport control takes 1-2minutes per person,sometimes less than that,here in Thailand it takes 3-5 min.i think Thai immigration officers are afraid to make a mistake,or maybe their computer is outdated

One finger typing is difficult.

[Gweiloman]

Fortunately, out of 50 posts, there's only one criticising YL / PTP / Thaksin, as this current <deleted> up has nothing to do with the government per se, but with civil servants.

Fact of the matter is that much as I like the Thais, they cant organise a piss up in a brewery, and probably never will. For starters, the language is too complicated for them, with too many nuances. Secondly, even if an underling does not understand a specific set of instructions, they will never say so and just go ahead and execute what they think are the right set of instructions. Thirdly, because of their "krenjai" culture, a subordinate will never point out to the superior, even if the latter's idea is completely ridiculous or unfeasible.

This, is Thailand.

[RichardinBKK]

Are there any rail links planned between the two airports?

Exactly what is needed, but would not be cost effective to build.

Express bus service with priority on the roads.

Flite connections need to be easy and fast.

The Airport express going to Phaya Thai is being extended to go north to Don Meaung.

"Express bus service with priority on the roads"

OK, I have to admit that this comment could only be written by either a madman, or someone who has never been outside of their hotel on Soi 4.

Really?????? Firetrucks and ambulances sit stuck in traffic, and they think an airport bus full of foreigners is getting its own lane?

I am weeping i am laughing so hard...

[whybother]

What happened to:

THAI Begins Flights From Don Muang To Suvarnabhumi

http://notthenation.com/2011/03/thai-begins-flights-from-don-muang-to-suvarnabhumi/

[jacko45k]

Have the guys who were building Thrappaya Rd in Pattaya moved on to the airport?

[madmitch]

I think it's The Nation that has included Bangkok Air on this list. They are certainly not a low-cost carrier.

Overtime of 100,000 baht per day for officials?

Many people currently use Air Asia as a connecting airline and as others have said, it appears the only winners in this case are Thai Airways, if everything in the article is to be believed. Oh, and the taxi drivers!

There's no timescale mentioned and I personally hope they can find another way around this. The foreign budget airline mentioned by another poster would be better all round but of course there's not so many flights. There will be contract issues involved and surely the government cannot just force airlines out if they have bindiong contracts to be allowed to fly into Suvarnabhumi.