AoT Rushes Second Phase Of Suvarnabhumi To Accommodate More Passengers

[webfact]

AoT rushes second phase of Suvarnabhumi to accommodate more passengers

BANGKOK, 30 May 2012 (NNT) – The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is accelerating the construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport's second phase in order to accommodate the increased passenger count, which is expected to reach an annual figure of 60 million in 5 years’ time.

AoT President Anirut Thanomkulbutr has revealed that the first phase of the national airport has the capacity to hold 45 million passengers per year. However, the total passenger count in 2011 has soared to 48 million while it is expected to reach 51 million this year.

The second phase of Suvarnabhumi Airport, worth 62.5 billion baht, is scheduled to be completed by 2017. The expansion is expected to increase the airport's passenger capacity to 60 million persons per year.

Meanwhile, the AoT has recently signed a contract with EPM Consortium who will be in charge of the management of the Suvarnabhumi Airport’s second phase during 2012-2018.

-- NNT 2012-05-30

[Payboy]

The second phase of Suvarnabhumi Airport, worth 62.5 billion baht, is scheduled to be completed by 2017.

I hope the 1st phase will also be completed by then.

[hellodolly]

May be they would not need the capacity to hold that many passengers if they would enlarge on the ability to handle passengers rather than having them stand in long lines for a couple of hours.

[trainman34014]

And if they are rushing it, the normally low standard of construction is reduced to what level? Will we ever be able to walk around inside believing that the slightest tremor will not bring the roof down on our heads?

[hansgruber]

I love how I still have to leave the plane and board a bus to the terminal while the plane is parked next to a gate. Only in thailand.

Poorly designed airport.

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[OzMick]

In the meantime, provoking riots on the streets of BKK could reduce the number of arrivals significantly.

[gand]

Will they hire more passport processing agents?

[zakk9]

Now, let's see: The second phase will be completed in 2017, increasing the capacity of the airport to 60 million passengers. The number of passengers is expected to increase to 60 million within 5 years. According to my brain as well as my calculator, that's in 2017 too. How convenient.

The airport will have enough capacity for how long then? Until 2018?

Let's then have a look at Singapore and Hong Kong, both of them cities with less available area, much higher costs levels on land as well as on construction work, but less waiting for passport control and security check, in spite of very similar passenger numbers (Hong Kong currently has 15% more passengers than Swampy):

Singapore is already built for 70 million passengers and Hong Kong has a capacity of 87 million passengers once a third runway is built. Both obviously have trains for internal transportation.

[TomTao]

In the meantime, provoking riots on the streets of BKK could reduce the number of arrivals significantly.

That would allow for the extra time needed to complete the first stage as well as build the second stage, more riots, less arrivals, more time to build.

[Lite Beer]

AVIATION

Suvarnabhumi Phase II development contract signed

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- Airports of Thailand Plc today successfully had the consulting and management contract for the second phase development of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which would require a total investment of Bt62.5 billion.

AOT President Aniruth Thanomkulabutr said after the contract signing with EPM Consortium that upon completion in 2017, the expanded Suvarnahbumi Airport will be able to accommodate a total of 60 million passengers per annum. EPM Consortium’s contract is worth Bt800 million.

Last year, the airport which was opened in 2006 catered services to 48 million passengers, despite its maximum capacity of 45 million. Aniruth said that the number of passengers is expected to rise to 51 million this year and there is no end in sight.

The Suvarnabhumi Phase II project will cover four main areas.

1. It entails a secondary concorde with 216,000 square metres in usable space. It is equipped with 28 near-terminal parking bays and the remote parking bay with 960,000 square metres in space. This will also encompass a southern tunnel and passenger transportation system.

2. The construction of a new passenger terminal on the east of the airport, an airline office building and a parking building.

3. The designing and construction of infrastructure system.

4. The project management

"EPM Consortium is primarily tasked to manage the project, which includes the finalising of project details, the selection of a designing team, and the oversight on designing and construction," Aniruth said.

Under the 70-month contract, EPM will start its job from June 1.

-- The Nation 2012-05-30

[Bagwan]

They're going to build an SST with a floor area of 216K sq metres? Good luck with that. The US aeronautical industry gave up on building one which would have looked like a mosquito compared with this Thai flying mammoth.

[khunron13]

Just curious if that 62.5 billion baht is before or after the 25% markup for tea money.

[JohnAllan]

The dictionary definition of rush includes: "Move or act with urgent haste." "Deal with too quickly." "A sudden spell of hasty activity."

Whichever one we credit AOT with - and number 3 stands out - the fact remains that, after prevaricating for some forty, or so, years, they rushed the first phase, resulting in, among other issues, runway problems: it didn't get its nickname for nothing.

And nothing has changed, nor looks likely to change, in AOT's approach to airport standards.

[JohnAllan]

Quote: Under the 70-month contract, EPM will start its job from June 1.

Unless this includes after-completion supervision of some description - which in Thailand, could relate to any aspect of the job - we are looking not at a completion date of 2017, but of April 2018.

[jacko45k]

I love how I still have to leave the plane and board a bus to the terminal while the plane is parked next to a gate. Only in thailand.

Poorly designed airport.

Sent from my HTC One X using Thaivisa Connect App

You do, I only recall that happening to me with Air Asia, and thought it more to do with them cutting charges.

[marquess]

Idiots all, to open a new airport one day and close the old one the next and whilst the old airport remains idle they plan on expanding the new one because it is or will be under capacity.

[madmitch]

And no doubt King Power have already got the duty free and space-rental concessions.

[Searat7]

A few weeks ago they were predicting completion in 2016 ! BUT there is no plan for a third runway which I think is essential for expansion. If Air Asia manangement is smart they will move to Don Muang by year end.

[jellykookabanj]

I think that the best option would be to re-open Don Muang. I found that it was easier to get to by road and rail and never experienced the sort of waiting times that are frequent at swampy.

[nottocus]

I love how I still have to leave the plane and board a bus to the terminal while the plane is parked next to a gate. Only in thailand.

Poorly designed airport.

Sent from my HTC One X using Thaivisa Connect App

You do, I only recall that happening to me with Air Asia, and thought it more to do with them cutting charges.

Last time I flew Thai to Hong Kong we had to board a bus to get to the bloody plane.

[belg]

if they would cut the crap about 60 or 90 day tourist visa's where people have to leave for nothing else than a stamp in their passport, than maybe the current airport would be enough

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[bkk_mike]

A few weeks ago they were predicting completion in 2016 ! BUT there is no plan for a third runway which I think is essential for expansion. If Air Asia manangement is smart they will move to Don Muang by year end.

Nobody is going to move to Don Muang willingly that already has people booked on flights out of Suvarnabhumi.

Don Muang is only easy to get to from Central Bangkok, and the Rangsit area.

From anywhere else, it's a pain. Whereas Suvarnabhumi has a train, is connected to the expressways and the outer ring road by an 8 lane motorway, and is on the main road between Bangkok and Pattaya.

But the real biggest issue is that there's no easy transfer between the two, so moving to Don Muang would mean giving up on getting transfer passengers.

Add in that Don Muang got flooded last year and closed for a while because of it, while Suvarnabhumi didn't, and who, in their right mind, would move to Don Muang now (unless literally forced to do so by AOT or the government....)

[EarthAlien]

What about upgrading and utliizing DonMuang BKK and extending CNX as has been mooted for years now? That way the influx of travelers and tourists to Thailand could at least be spread out and ease the burden on Suvarnabumi.

[thaiedward]

Quote: Under the 70-month contract, EPM will start its job from June 1.

Unless this includes after-completion supervision of some description - which in Thailand, could relate to any aspect of the job - we are looking not at a completion date of 2017, but of April 2018.

I love construction schedules. When a "target" date is finally hit, it's because some one has moved the target.

[oldsailor35]

May be they would not need the capacity to hold that many passengers if they would enlarge on the ability to handle passengers rather than having them stand in long lines for a couple of hours.

I am here right now waiting to board for Sydney 30/05.....Although it is very busy, heaps of Chinese, there are now 2 entry points and i virtually walked straight through. Fastest ever.

[oldsailor35]

Will they hire more passport processing agents?

They are doing that right now, had 10 doing foriegners today, another exit for Thais

[oldsailor35]

Will they hire more passport processing agents?

They are doing that right now, had 10 doing foriegners today, another exit for Thais

Forgot to mention, those 10 were at the point i used down at the bottom end of the concourse, i think they were letting more through back in the centre where the big dragon is.

[thailand49]

They screwed up the first phase and now they want to rush the second phase? By then maybe they will figure out how to rush the immigration process along so one doesn't have to wait over a hour on arrival. I wonder how much everyone made in tea money from the 1st phase and how much are they going to get from the second maybe that is why they are rushing it so the faster it is build the quicker they get their money and of course they will point their finger at everyone but themselves when all hell breaks loose when the place falls apart!

[whybother]

if they would cut the crap about 60 or 90 day tourist visa's where people have to leave for nothing else than a stamp in their passport, than maybe the current airport would be enough

Maybe if people living here on tourist visas followed the rules and got valid long term visas, they wouldn't need to leave every 90 days.