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

[masterbiker49]

Forethought & planning,not in the Thai vocabulary I am afraid.Still living in the dark ages,Immigration Officers can't read & write Thai let alone ENGLISH,last trip through officer abused thai wife & myself for letting entry Immigration officer stamp wrong pages in Passports but after wifey spat dummy & talked to supervisor it was all sorted,officer f*%#ed up as original officer was right,this one was wrong.I hope his loss of face in front of other Thai's doesn,t cause other falangs problems though.Just lucky for us wifes uncle high up in Immigration dept. or we might still be there.

[ragandboneman]

Nothing to do with the revamp of the security area, that is just a convient excuse. If they had the manpower to man all the stations, ie two officers per booth there would be no queues either departing or arriving.

Funny how there are no renovations on the arrival side but still plenty of queueing ???

Regards

[OzMick]

IMHO it has nothing to do with the so called congestion at the immigration booths

They just throw the competitors of Thai Airways for much cheaper domestic flight and to neighbouring countries out.

The same time they teach some political adversaries a lesson. Just look who owns Bangkok air and the Bangkok hospital group and who owns Rama 9 hospital group. BTW Bangkok air always home base was always Swampy.

And is it not rather strange that not yet one month ago they were talking about finaly complete the BTS coming from DM who already for decades is incomplete.

Its all about big bucks.

Never forget TIT.

Bangkok Air was around long before swampy was built, based at DM.

[BoonToong]

people are so impatient.

Understandable if you are on your way to work so that you can pay the bills, feed your family etc, etc, and being late means not getting paid.

Edited March 16, 2012 by BoonToong

[Tony59329]

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in Thailand it takes 3-5 min.i think Thai immigration officers are afraid to make a mistake,or maybe their computer is outdated

Never flown into a major airport in the US, have you? I waited for at least 15 minutes in the US citizens queue at San Francisco recently

15 minutes...You were very lucky!! Many times I have had to wait in the hallway on the walk up to Immigration.

[lannarebirth]

IMHO it has nothing to do with the so called congestion at the immigration booths

They just throw the competitors of Thai Airways for much cheaper domestic flight and to neighbouring countries out.

The same time they teach some political adversaries a lesson. Just look who owns Bangkok air and the Bangkok hospital group and who owns Rama 9 hospital group. BTW Bangkok air always home base was always Swampy.

And is it not rather strange that not yet one month ago they were talking about finaly complete the BTS coming from DM who already for decades is incomplete.

Its all about big bucks.

Never forget TIT.

Bangkok Air was around long before swampy was built, based at DM.

It could just as easily have nothing at all to do with congestion or immigration bottlenecks. It could be as simple as throwing the military a bone (they own Don Mueang) to continue those "cordial relations" this government is now said to have with them.

[noisyboy]

Seems to me the problem is manifold:

1. Operating at full capacity? Not really unless opening 4 out of 10 counters could be described full capacity. And this is applicable to both Airlines check-in counters and immigration counters.
   
2. There is no pre-screening of boarding passes. While people are standing idle at the immigration queue, surely they could employ few staff who can have a quick glance to ensure that the form is filled and required information is not missing.
   
3. Why can't computerised printing of boarding pass with preliminary information filled be done at airlines check-in counters? They are presented with the passport while checking-in, they are the ones with all flight info and these two things are source of 80-90% of the information required on the boarding pass. That would help so much - though I recognize that it would not help incoming traffic unless the source airport is doing that too.
   

If Airasia is moved to DM, I would pray that happens for both Domestic and Intl. I'm screwed otherwise.

[tartempion]

I fly in from Europe and continue onto Udon thani.

My connection choices were Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai, I usually chose the best timing.

Now forget Air Asia and Nok unless I wish to travel to-from DM with the non-existing inter-airport transportation adding a one hour stress trip between airports.

Brilliant strategy.

[Crushdepth]

As always is the Nation is a very unreliable newspaper. They go to great leant to manipulate the news for political purposes. The real header should have been: PM YIngluck gives incentives to those budget airlines WILLING to fly from and to Don Mueang Airport.

Like what?

[slapout]

The proposed airport change decreed by the PM, may be premature. She may want to take into account the need for upgrade to handle the increase in flights/travelers, the repair work ongoing, etc.

You need some basic knowledge of logistics before you start a trail drive. You can order people/groups to do many things, take care of smog in north, eliminate floods, droughts, drugs, traffic accidents, inflation, farm tailgate price, bootleg car imports, corruption, etc. This government seems completly clueless in how to proceed to solving problems, Granted they probably have vast and inside knowledge of corruption, too bad they do not use the knowledge they have on topics of concern, to give some real action for the public to see and benefit from.

[johnsonspot]

And finally Thai Airports are a pleasure compared to any US International Airport, I have stopped going to the US simply because I don't fancy being treated like a criminal or terrorist.

Maybe that says more about you than the US airports?

Also, when is the last time you had to wait at immigration to get OUT of the US? I'll give you a hint: You don't. The US only cares about you coming in to the country and, if you are a foreigner, are probably happy to see you go.

[animatic]

Swampy was poorly planned form the outset, it wasn't anything long term - it was on opportunity for the likes of DL and his cronies to get it done as quick as possible so they could get their snouts in the trough. Swampy is probably the worst modern airport that I've flown into, they haven't learnt anything from any of teh other airports such as Changi, Hong Kong or KL. I'm still trying to fathom out how BKK Airways is classed as a low-cost airline, but obviously someone from that company has upset DL and his clone is now barking out the orders. Muppets, the lot of them.

DL. = Dear Leader?

Dumb Leader?

Doomed Leader?

Dreadful Lout?

Deranged Lunatic?

Doubled Langniappe?

Defrauding at Leisure?

Despicable Larcenist?

Edited March 17, 2012 by animatic

[animatic]

I fly in from Europe and continue onto Udon thani.

My connection choices were Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai, I usually chose the best timing.

Now forget Air Asia and Nok unless I wish to travel to-from DM with the non-existing inter-airport transportation adding a one hour stress trip between airports.

Brilliant strategy.

1 hour at best of times

and at rush hour expect 2 hours,

if it rains expect 3-4 hours.

Just stellar thinking from a lady who rides in limos with TV, phones, fax and a bar.

If not in her own helicopter companies fleet.

Edited March 17, 2012 by animatic

[jimbeam1]

"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.

Exactly... Incompetence to the extreme. TIT.

jb1

[mic6ard]

Sure Mr. Minister. You dind't have a clue did ya. O'course not, you always go throught the VIP section. Forget us regular travellers.

Personally that Airport is 10 years out of date when it was finished.

[OzMick]

The proposed airport change decreed by the PM, may be premature. She may want to take into account the need for upgrade to handle the increase in flights/travelers, the repair work ongoing, etc.

You need some basic knowledge of logistics before you start a trail drive. You can order people/groups to do many things, take care of smog in north, eliminate floods, droughts, drugs, traffic accidents, inflation, farm tailgate price, bootleg car imports, corruption, etc. This government seems completly clueless in how to proceed to solving problems, Granted they probably have vast and inside knowledge of corruption, too bad they do not use the knowledge they have on topics of concern, to give some real action for the public to see and benefit from.

Anything is possible if you don't know what you're talking about.

[OzMick]

I have a flight with AA on 10/4, going north to the g/f's family. I would be quite happy if the departure is changed to DM, much easier to reach than struggling right across BKK.

[khunkeith]

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

Never flown into a major airport in the US, have you? I waited for at least 15 minutes in the US citizens queue at San Francisco recently

15 minutes...You were very lucky!! Many times I have had to wait in the hallway on the walk up to Immigration.

The problem in the US is political correctness and affirmative action. Jobs for the government require a certain number of minorities and women so they don't hire the most qualified people but people based on sex and race. The TSA is even worse than immigration in the US. The TSA goes not even run a background check on potential employees before hiring them. Seen the big and fat men and women at security? yeah, like they are going to chase down someone and over power them. On a radio advertisement in the states, the TSA was running a recruiting ad. the final statement of the ad was "senior citizens and minorities encouraged to apply". yep, that makes me feel safe.

[khunkeith]

Forethought & planning,not in the Thai vocabulary I am afraid.Still living in the dark ages,Immigration Officers can't read & write Thai let alone ENGLISH,last trip through officer abused thai wife & myself for letting entry Immigration officer stamp wrong pages in Passports but after wifey spat dummy & talked to supervisor it was all sorted,officer f*%#ed up as original officer was right,this one was wrong.I hope his loss of face in front of other Thai's doesn,t cause other falangs problems though.Just lucky for us wifes uncle high up in Immigration dept. or we might still be there.

When my Thai wife came with me to the states and had an immigration visa, we went through primary immigration and they told her she had to go to the "B" room for further processing. When we went to the room, there were 2 immigration officers working the desk and about 25 people waiting. I went to one of the officers and asked him why we were being detained. He was quite rude and told me to wait our turn. I told him I just wanted a simple answer to a simple question, why were we being detained. I told me to sit down and wait. I told him I wanted to speak to his supervisor and he told me to sit down and wait again. I had to get more forceful with my tone and insisted on him calling his supervisor. The supervisor came over, and I asked him the same question. He took my wifes passport, looked at the visa and told me "sorry, you had to wait, your wife should not have been told to come here, the officer made a mistake" and we were off. I looked at the first man and told him in a loud voice "see how easy that was" and glared at me because his supervisor overrode him and, the people waiting in line all were smiling at us and chuckling.

[theanimaster]

Hmmm... maybe the problem will be solved if only they get some public servants off their lazy asses and have ten people manning ten counters, rather than the usual two people?

dam_n, that's rocket science.

No, actually, perhaps it WOULD be easier to have all the airplanes diverted... probably needing additional ground and maintenance crews etc. etc. that's definitely cheaper.

Not.

[PoodMaiDai]

A crackdown on airlines?

[johnsonspot]

I looked at the first man and told him in a loud voice "see how easy that was" and glared at me because his supervisor overrode him and, the people waiting in line all were smiling at us and chuckling.

Yeah, you're a freakin' hero.

[hands22]

I think the biggest question on many tourists' mind is-

Is it faster and easier to get to downtown Bangkok from DM than Swampy? If the answer is yes, then I think many tourists would not mind flying in to DM again.

[bigbamboo]

What happened to:

THAI Begins Flights From Don Muang To Suvarnabhumi

http://notthenation....o-suvarnabhumi/

I was sure that article would be dated April 1st!

[bigbamboo]

Hmmm... maybe the problem will be solved if only they get some public servants off their lazy asses and have ten people manning ten counters, rather than the usual two people?

dam_n, that's rocket science.

No, actually, perhaps it WOULD be easier to have all the airplanes diverted... probably needing additional ground and maintenance crews etc. etc. that's definitely cheaper.

Not.

Is Swampy Immigration what they mean by an inactive post?

[khunkeith]

I looked at the first man and told him in a loud voice "see how easy that was" and glared at me because his supervisor overrode him and, the people waiting in line all were smiling at us and chuckling.

Yeah, you're a freakin' hero.

you deal with the crap in your way and I will deal with it in my way. Knuckle under if that is your choice.

[PattayaParent]

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

Never flown into a major airport in the US, have you? I waited for at least 15 minutes in the US citizens queue at San Francisco recently

I once waited 2 hours at LAX off a flight from Hawaii !!!!!

But what happens when DM floods again this year like it did just a few months ago?

And just a few days ago they were saying it was a shortage of immigration officers, how will moving international flights to DM solve that problem???

Edited March 19, 2012 by PattayaParent

[12DrinkMore]

The solution is to send Immigration Police and AoT officials to a major international airport like Doha or JFK, or Joburg to understand the work ethic required to process passengers in 1 to 2 min. Why cant Suwannaphum handle the current volume of passenger traffic! It was designed to.

Try reading the article before hitting the keyboard.

Currently, Suvarnabhumi has annual traffic of 48 million passengers, in excess of its capacity of 45 million

I make that to be a 6% overload.

Although I have to admit that on the few times I have been through the airport there seems to be huge amount of vacant space, I wonder where the actual bottleneck lies?

And, indeed, why there are now renovations just a couple of years after the place has been opened.

Edited March 21, 2012 by 12DrinkMore

[theblether]

This idea is a disaster........the volume of traffic around swampy is going to go through the roof, the level of inconvenience for travellers has gone up multi-fold, and there are going to be far more missed flights and connections.

Sometimes these idiots that complain that something must be done don't realize that the solution is worse than the problem.

This is a backward step.

ps Immigration at Heathrow has buckled under the pressure of numbers, and British passengers now fear flying to the US as immigration is notorious. This is not a Swampy only problem.

[animatic]

This idea is a disaster........the volume of traffic around swampy is going to go through the roof, the level of inconvenience for travellers has gone up multi-fold, and there are going to be far more missed flights and connections.

Sometimes these idiots that complain that something must be done don't realize that the solution is worse than the problem.

This is a backward step.

ps Immigration at Heathrow has buckled under the pressure of numbers, and British passengers now fear flying to the US as immigration is notorious. This is not a Swampy only problem.

Don Muang would be an excellent freight primarily airport, with limited people services

and that would free up a lot of Swampy for passengers.

Why they never have even broached this idea is hard to imagine.