Transport Ministry Expects Suvarnabhumi Airport To Be Overcrowded In 4 Years

[whybother]

Last weekend the queue at Swampy was horrendous, about an hour, and the immigration counters running at a 40% capacity. What made it horrible was not even the waiting but the fact that the queue looked like one you find in an amusement park while waiting for a ride! What a farce!

I actually think the long single queue is much better than lots of separate queues. It's more fair to everyone, rather than choosing a queue that ends up having a few people that take 10 minutes each.

[Thai at Heart]

Last weekend the queue at Swampy was horrendous, about an hour, and the immigration counters running at a 40% capacity. What made it horrible was not even the waiting but the fact that the queue looked like one you find in an amusement park while waiting for a ride! What a farce!

I actually think the long single queue is much better than lots of separate queues. It's more fair to everyone, rather than choosing a queue that ends up having a few people that take 10 minutes each.

Well, AOT is government owned, the immigration officials are government employees, they need to be able to read a passport and make a stamp. Please don't tell me they can't have enough available staff to man every seat if necessary, every minute of every day. In this instance, just employ the people, if you don't need them at the desks, send them around helping. Simple really.

If Singapore can sort it out, what fundamentally stops it being done here? And please don't say TIT. It isn't as though they need Einstein to be able to put the correct stamp in is it?

[OZEMADE]

Most products sent by air are high-value products and income generators such as electronic and computer parts.

Not to mention hundreds of delayed shipments originally intended for sea-freight.

They must have pretty fast ships here as well, as I have sent a lot of huge parcels to OZ by by sea and paid for it to arrive there in i to 2 months, depending of the urgency of the items. I find that some of them have arrived and been delivered to Sydney in 5 to 6 days. Obviously sent by air freight.

similar to Air freight being sent to Sydney or Melbourne, it goes by road overnight. So the freight companies are pocketing part of the air freight. Goes on all the time.

[OZEMADE]

I did notice that they had traffic light on the golf course that would hold up the golfers when a plane taxied through the centre of the golf course, and yes it has a taxiway through the centre of the course.

The issue apparently is the trees are now too tall and wide and need trimming, problem solved.

I also heard on the radio yesterday that swampy are dropping the departure taxes 95% if you use the late flights to arrive and depart, also there were other benefits such as cheaper airfares etc for late night arrivals and departures. Their reasoning was that most people wanted to arrive and depart during daylight hrs.

The only thing they did not mention was are they going to run the Skytrain and busses 24 hrs, would be a big help.

Just keeping the bloody immigration and air side services open 24 hours a day would be a start. I can't remember how many times I have sat in the dam_n starbucks when I could have been curled up in a chair in the lounge on the other side. Unfortunately, immigration closes at a certain time, so you have to sit outside the security area because unfortunately, immigration need their shut eye.

I would imagine they would have to have everything open 24 hours, if it ever comes to fruition.

[Thai at Heart]

I did notice that they had traffic light on the golf course that would hold up the golfers when a plane taxied through the centre of the golf course, and yes it has a taxiway through the centre of the course.

The issue apparently is the trees are now too tall and wide and need trimming, problem solved.

I also heard on the radio yesterday that swampy are dropping the departure taxes 95% if you use the late flights to arrive and depart, also there were other benefits such as cheaper airfares etc for late night arrivals and departures. Their reasoning was that most people wanted to arrive and depart during daylight hrs.

The only thing they did not mention was are they going to run the Skytrain and busses 24 hrs, would be a big help.

Just keeping the bloody immigration and air side services open 24 hours a day would be a start. I can't remember how many times I have sat in the dam_n starbucks when I could have been curled up in a chair in the lounge on the other side. Unfortunately, immigration closes at a certain time, so you have to sit outside the security area because unfortunately, immigration need their shut eye.

I would imagine they would have to have everything open 24 hours, if it ever comes to fruition.

Well and then the fun starts. Thai check in stops at about 1am, immigration packs up at about the same time. Good luck negotiating the overtime and conditions for that one.

I was truly astonished the first time it happened, I was departing domestically at 6am, having arrived from somewhere overseas at about 11.30 pm, expecting to be able to go through and sit in the lounge waiting. Nope, out you go matey, not allowed, sit in Starbucks overnight. It was hardly worth considering to go into Bangkok for a few hours and unfortunately, my rather stingy employer at the time wouldn't extend to a night in the Novotel, so..... I got very acquainted with Caramel frappacinos...

[toenail]

I wonder if the original plan for the new airport was suppose to be larger but it was gradually "down sized"? I remember when I arrived here 8 years ago, there was a 2 page ad in Time Magazine (paid advertisement) bragging how the new airport would be the "hub" of Asia and how much larger it would be... When I compare the restrooms at the airport where you have just two urinals and 2-4 toilets for the men's restroom, then see where the restrooms in the new airports in Seol, Hong Kong, and Beijing I wonder if cuts were made? But I have learned "this is Thailand" where building codes, building plans, even laws made by the government are not to be taken seriously, can be altered - just a guide line.

[Thai at Heart]

I wonder if the original plan for the new airport was suppose to be larger but it was gradually "down sized"? I remember when I arrived here 8 years ago, there was a 2 page ad in Time Magazine (paid advertisement) bragging how the new airport would be the "hub" of Asia and how much larger it would be... When I compare the restrooms at the airport where you have just two urinals and 2-4 toilets for the men's restroom, then see where the restrooms in the new airports in Seol, Hong Kong, and Beijing I wonder if cuts were made? But I have learned "this is Thailand" where building codes, building plans, even laws made by the government are not to be taken seriously, can be altered - just a guide line.

Indeed it is gargantuan like the tardis, with not even one comfortable seat in side.

[Lannig]

Last time I flew from Suwa I had the pleasure of being able to use the fast track lane for passport and security checks thanks to my frequent flyer card of the company I was flying on. I was really astonished by the unholy mess of long and winding temporary corridors we had to go through, made of half-painted wood boards with rough edges and even some plastic films. Even the floor wasn't cleaned up and we had to walk on various construction leftovers. Well, I'm not a rich businessman so that wasn't quite as much a shock to me as it seemed to be to some of the business and first class travelers going though this with me. I can imagine what kind of impression these wealthy, high-fare paying passengers have had of the so-called "hub of Asia".

Immigration queues are not -by far- Suwa's main problem at this time... The whole airport sucks, it looks old already, it's impractical, poorly connected and the runways are crumbling down. Even high fare-paying passengers don't get decent facilities.

[hellodolly]

I wonder if the original plan for the new airport was suppose to be larger but it was gradually "down sized"? I remember when I arrived here 8 years ago, there was a 2 page ad in Time Magazine (paid advertisement) bragging how the new airport would be the "hub" of Asia and how much larger it would be... When I compare the restrooms at the airport where you have just two urinals and 2-4 toilets for the men's restroom, then see where the restrooms in the new airports in Seol, Hong Kong, and Beijing I wonder if cuts were made? But I have learned "this is Thailand" where building codes, building plans, even laws made by the government are not to be taken seriously, can be altered - just a guide line.

You are correct the original plans had to be down sized after certain people got their share of the allotted money.

[BKS22]

This topic has been beaten to death. They made their bed.....

Sadly I'm sure we'll have to hear about this for the next 4yrs until the situation reaches critical mass. Then in Thai style...they'll rush to address the matter and contract out another poorly designed airport or expansion to be built.

[notmyself]

All smoking rooms have a sign stating max 8 people and all also have 9 seats inside.

[waza]

I wonder if the original plan for the new airport was suppose to be larger but it was gradually "down sized"? I remember when I arrived here 8 years ago, there was a 2 page ad in Time Magazine (paid advertisement) bragging how the new airport would be the "hub" of Asia and how much larger it would be... When I compare the restrooms at the airport where you have just two urinals and 2-4 toilets for the men's restroom, then see where the restrooms in the new airports in Seol, Hong Kong, and Beijing I wonder if cuts were made? But I have learned "this is Thailand" where building codes, building plans, even laws made by the government are not to be taken seriously, can be altered - just a guide line.

Are some of the toilets entrances still built over by the King duty free shops?

[moe666]

I donot get it I guess, I have been flying in and out of swampy since it opened and the longest I ever waited was about an hour because of a couple of 747s with chinese tourist on board and none could read english or thai of course they couldn't fill in the arrival card. In the last month departed twice and arrived twice with no more than a 15 min. wait in immigration.

having been on this forum many years there is definantly a need by a few here to slam all things thai without much thought. it must be a sad day as one gets up and starts to think about all of the bad things in Thailand that one can complain about. Good luck to you and I hope eventually you will have a good day. Go ahead and slam me its ok better people have taken the pi-- out of me.

[PoodMaiDai]

Once again, excellent planning!

[hstamm]

So all those years waiting for a new airport for that kind of results ? is that a joke ? thought BKK airport would be the first HUB in Asia ? LOL Anyway maybe its time to think to expend the actual airport , new runaway (good quality this time) ... and human size terminal which now allow you to walk few miles from the aircraft to the immigration. Maybe time to ask some professional some helps , advises even from foreigners.

Advice from foreigners?

Better not as the Airport was designed by Murphy/Jahn Architects. LOL