National Pride Must Be Restored In Suvarnabhumi Airport, Says New Director

[chooka]

Why don't they try bulldozing the out of date eyesore and build a new modern airport. An airport where international planes actually dock at the terminal instead of the old 1920's style of stopping on the runway, then you get off and wait for a bloody bus to take you to the airport. Then you have a 2 km walk to catch a connecting bus to take you back in the direction from which you came to catch your next flight. Try building one that is user friendly and easy to navigate around and actually has toilets. She could try taking a look at other airports like chaingi which are modern, user friendly, comfortable, pleanty of ammenities and amusments for kids and adults alike whilst waiting for flights.

Swampy is so bloody old style and totaly outdated it is a total joke. If they think this rusty of shed is part of thier National pride then they really are fools. Get rid of all the hawkers and beggers that follow you around also annoying the <deleted> out of you after a long flight.

[technologybytes]

I'm not sure you can "restore" a national pride that was never there in the first place.

[technologybytes]

"Bank booths and non-aviation offices may be moved to the fourth floor to enlarge the check-in area"

Surely they mean "from the fourth floor" as the check-in was on the 4th floor last time I looked.

[atyclb]

Airport staff especially immigration should be focused on organization, efficiency, and competence rather than national pride. All the national pride in the world does not fix the aforementioned issues. If after they fix the issues then wish to attribute it to being Thai that is fine. Last time I entered KL it took 20 seconds with the immigration officer(woman)

[chooka]

Why doesn't she consult travelers and not just domestic thai travelers but international and ask thier opions and experiences in using this tin shed. Ask them what would make thier travelling experience a pleasure and what they think is wrong with the place. Maybe she thinks she knows better than them and the Thai way is the only way. Slap a few thai soaps on the T.V in international lounges and tourists will flock to thailand

[yoshiwara]

I arrived the airport 2 Fridays ago about 10-11am and after getting through passport control and security noticed that the airport aircon seemed to have lost significant control over the rising temperature inside. It was cranking up.

[sms747]

Never understood why they built the transport 'hub' about a mile away from the main building. With all that space you should be able to walk out of arrivals and get on a regular bus or van, like HK for example. But no you have to get a shuttle bus that I have yet to see any foreigner on to the hub where the buses and vans and taxis are are that do not charge 50 baht extra for nothing. Must be something to do with money!

Edited May 14, 2013 by sms747

[chooka]

Why doesn't she sign onto social forums like this one and start her own topic asking for feedback on the pros and cons of Swampy.

She could ask members how thier travelling experience could be enhanced. It's "Totally free" and she would definately get a lot of responses from the various forums and she could also get extra in budget to do so, as this forum is free, would build that extension on her home and the new merc for her 16 yr old son.

[MauriceVanTine]

Never time or money to do things correctly allways time and funds to do it over will we ever learn?

[harryfrompattaya]

'National pride' must be restored in Suvarnabhumi

That would require a "tear-down" and "rebuild" minus the corruption, graft, shoddy workmanship, and pathetic design.

imho

Stop being cheap and run the A/C you keep that airport to hot.

Buy some more seats.

Stop charging so much for water Be a sport give it away

[harryfrompattaya]

I arrived the airport 2 Fridays ago about 10-11am and after getting through passport control and security noticed that the airport aircon seemed to have lost significant control over the rising temperature inside. It was cranking up.

They run the airport are Cheap Charlies they do not to run A/C

[Emdog]

I got back from USA a week or so ago, have been using that airport since it was built. It is not perfect, granted. I don't mind the walk to immigration: after sitting on plane for 12 hours it is a good chance to stretch the legs. And get ahead of the rest of the pack. Immigration is much better than Seattle airport, much quicker. Same for baggage.

Maybe this is just one more chance to rant about Thais and Thailand. I like the airport, I have never had any problems there: baggage, finding a seat, getting a transfer.

This lady seems to know the problems, has ambition and wants to see improvement. Good for her. I hope she can make a good airport even better.

[chooka]

I arrived the airport 2 Fridays ago about 10-11am and after getting through passport control and security noticed that the airport aircon seemed to have lost significant control over the rising temperature inside. It was cranking up.

They run the airport are Cheap Charlies they do not to run A/C

It is extreemly hot and uncomfortable in the glass shed. Don't know why they built it that way especially in the climate Thailand has. Rip the old outdated airport out and start again with a new purpose built one. The best solution and the cheapest instead of adding bandaids. Stop worrying about face and just bulldoze the bloody dum and useless building. Worst airport in the world.

[winstonc]

why bother improving it,the rest of asean countries will be taking thailands passengers in 2015,overcrowding problem solved,,,

[whybother]

Why don't they try bulldozing the out of date eyesore and build a new modern airport. An airport where international planes actually dock at the terminal instead of the old 1920's style of stopping on the runway, then you get off and wait for a bloody bus to take you to the airport. Then you have a 2 km walk to catch a connecting bus to take you back in the direction from which you came to catch your next flight. Try building one that is user friendly and easy to navigate around and actually has toilets. She could try taking a look at other airports like chaingi which are modern, user friendly, comfortable, pleanty of ammenities and amusments for kids and adults alike whilst waiting for flights.

Swampy is so bloody old style and totaly outdated it is a total joke. If they think this rusty of shed is part of thier National pride then they really are fools. Get rid of all the hawkers and beggers that follow you around also annoying the <deleted> out of you after a long flight.

"easy to navigate"

How hard is it to navigate? It's a few straight corridors.

[RubbaJohnny]

Yet it wonall those so called awards Finest corrupt airport,best place to be held hstage by yellow shites etc

5 th best in Thailand after C Mai,Phuket,C Rai,nan and my helipad !

A grey shed

Corrupt Parking

Full of touts

The King Power scam with tourists falsely accused of theft (as if their prices weren't theft enough)

No free wifi

Piss poor signage

Runways and metro years behind thealready late opening

No express rail or dedicated link to Don Muang

Oh and insufficient toilets,

Couldnt organise upward mituration at a brasserie

Edited May 14, 2013 by RubbaJohnny

[phantomfiddler]

As a supposed "world class" airport, Savannabumi is a total disgrace ! I went through it last month and people were actually sitting on the floor due to the abysmal lack of comfortable seating, and in some areas, any seating at all. The unpadded steel monstrosities scattered at random around the airport would be more appropriate to an army barracks ! If the people whohave the power want to see a great airport they have only to spend a few hours in Changi, a haven of comfort and luxury, beating Thailand,s main airport hands down.

Edited May 14, 2013 by metisdead
Font

[pomchop]

Rather than try and reinvent the wheel why not just flat out copy the Singapore airport as much as possible now?

Thailand is not the only country that has gone out of their way to do a new design with nonsense layouts rather than just copy what has already been proven to be the best.

[MESmith]

Does Swampy still have the highest control tower?

[Sing_Sling]

Singapore this, Singapore that . . . everyone is gushing about Singapore . . . when on other threads the Chinese are pilloried from a-z, constantly.

KLIA isn't bad - but it is true that Changi is tops . . . and when it needs to be altered they just get down and do it, using local and expat talent while Thais would try and bungle their way through it using only their own ill-educated workforce

Chalk and cheese

[ginjag]

Does Swampy still have the highest control tower?

YES but the lowest control.

[geriatrickid]

I find it somewhat amusing that some of the people bashing BKK come from countries that have given us several of the world's worst airports. The reality is that BKK suffers because BKK is such a popular destination. If China had not built up Pudong and Beijing airports alot of that traffic would have gone to HKG causing similar crowding. The same for SIN with KUL and BKK. Yes I love SIN, but a connecting flight on a decent airline out of SIN can often cost 25-50% than it does from BKK. HKG was built at a great social and environmental cost, not that all the whinging westerners care. What would the reaction from pax be if their airfares suddenly matched those of SIN because AOT increased the landing fees and rents charged airlines?

Is BKK really worse than the majority of international airports in North America or the Eu? I don't think so.

The airport's designer Helmut Jahn is a German American. Write to him and tell him what you think.

[Payboy]

Duty-free scam is still flourishing as reported in the other paper a couple of days ago.

[metisdead]

A post containing overly derogatory comments has been removed as well as the replies.

[ginjag]

I find it somewhat amusing that some of the people bashing BKK come from countries that have given us several of the world's worst airports. The reality is that BKK suffers because BKK is such a popular destination. If China had not built up Pudong and Beijing airports alot of that traffic would have gone to HKG causing similar crowding. The same for SIN with KUL and BKK. Yes I love SIN, but a connecting flight on a decent airline out of SIN can often cost 25-50% than it does from BKK. HKG was built at a great social and environmental cost, not that all the whinging westerners care. What would the reaction from pax be if their airfares suddenly matched those of SIN because AOT increased the landing fees and rents charged airlines?

Is BKK really worse than the majority of international airports in North America or the Eu? I don't think so.

The airport's designer Helmut Jahn is a German American. Write to him and tell him what you think.

Carry on being amused, "write to the German" better ask Dubai to contact to get the sorry details, get my drift ???

Air Asia didn't play a role in traffic increase ??? you are really trying to say no one ever realised that a small increase in the new airport would make it over worked and out of date, ??? and the cost of the Airport ???? with not much insight in the future capacity needed.

Better 50 per cent of good airlines transfer to DM -Kick the air force out and hey presto you have the capacity you need.

THIS should have been done without building Swampy.

[PaullyW]

I got back from USA a week or so ago, have been using that airport since it was built. It is not perfect, granted. I don't mind the walk to immigration: after sitting on plane for 12 hours it is a good chance to stretch the legs. And get ahead of the rest of the pack. Immigration is much better than Seattle airport, much quicker. Same for baggage. Maybe this is just one more chance to rant about Thais and Thailand. I like the airport, I have never had any problems there: baggage, finding a seat, getting a transfer. This lady seems to know the problems, has ambition and wants to see improvement. Good for her. I hope she can make a good airport even better.

Ahhh, I don't know. Not really sure why people think comparing Thailand's sole international airport to airports in the US -- in this way -- is reasonable.

START EDIT

A much more appropriate comparison would be Suvarnabhumi to Singapore Changi. 40 years ago, Thailand and Singapore started modern development of their countries. Lee Kwan Yew's result is SG and their airport is on display. Thailand's through-and-through corrupt society leaders built what we know as Thailand and its miserable airport. Singapore and Thailand were mean to compete with each other by now.

END EDIT

Here goes -

Thailand has 1 airport, and it's crap. The US has many. Not sure how many, but I know it's probably more than any other country in the world and probably more as a ratio to people. So, why don't you pick the nicest airport in the US and then compare? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_the_United_States

Similarly, comparing immigration times between the US and Thailand is a bit ridiculous. Does anyone here think the immigration seriousness and/or risks are the same between the US and a completely undeveloped, criminal haven/magnet like Thailand? Get real. Particularly after 9/11. The US is a target of crime unlike any other country on earth. It doesn't mean we should expect immigration to be slow in the US, and they can certainly improve at some airports, but don't disregard the additional scrutiny required.

Last, I've mentioned this before on another thread. Emerging/recently industrialised countries (like Thailand, just for sake of argument), countries whose populaces are largely new to international travel (insular countries in Asia, for example) care more about these airports representing their national face pride. Countries that are a bit more true (like the US, for example), more functional and balanced (like the US, for example), which have much more to offer as national pride than an airport, some old temples and co-opted culture from Cambodia, Laos, China, India, etc. (like the US, for example or perhaps Singapore, just as another example), and whose populaces have been long travelling the world in decent numbers (like any countries in Western Europe, Oz, for examples) care far less about making their airports shining symbols to represent that they have "arrived".

SVB is actually a very true to life representation of Thailand and Thais. It prepares for the rest of the crap-hole country where most things are done cheaply (not inexpensively as corruption costs alot) and without planning.

Edited May 14, 2013 by PaullyW

[hellodolly]

I find it somewhat amusing that some of the people bashing BKK come from countries that have given us several of the world's worst airports. The reality is that BKK suffers because BKK is such a popular destination. If China had not built up Pudong and Beijing airports alot of that traffic would have gone to HKG causing similar crowding. The same for SIN with KUL and BKK. Yes I love SIN, but a connecting flight on a decent airline out of SIN can often cost 25-50% than it does from BKK. HKG was built at a great social and environmental cost, not that all the whinging westerners care. What would the reaction from pax be if their airfares suddenly matched those of SIN because AOT increased the landing fees and rents charged airlines?

Is BKK really worse than the majority of international airports in North America or the Eu? I don't think so.

The airport's designer Helmut Jahn is a German American. Write to him and tell him what you think.

I take it that you don't like Swampy either. You have a list of why others are better and seem to know the prices of all the flights in to and out of all of them.

I find it easier to say it sucks.

[whybother]

Ahhh, I don't know. Not really sure why people think comparing Thailand's sole international airport to airports in the US -- in this way -- is reasonable.

Here goes -

Thailand has 1 airport, and it's crap. The US has many.

<snip>

Last I checked, Bangkok has TWO airports. Bangkok IS in Thailand, isn't it?

Have you ever compared the size of the US to Thailand? What about the economic level of the people? Do you think the size and the number of people with money might have an effect on the number of airports?

Edited May 14, 2013 by whybother

[PaullyW]

Ahhh, I don't know. Not really sure why people think comparing Thailand's sole international airport to airports in the US -- in this way -- is reasonable.

Here goes -

Thailand has 1 airport, and it's crap. The US has many.

<snip>

Last I checked, Bangkok has TWO airports. Bangkok IS in Thailand, isn't it?

Have you ever compared the size of the US to Thailand? What about the economic level of the people? Do you think the size and the number of people with money might have an effect on the number of airports?

Sorry, yes, 2. My understanding is that DM has been a domestic airport until just recently.

And, yes the US is about 6 - 7 times bigger than Thailand. Singapore is smaller as is Hong Kong...

The economic development of the people? No, I don't weigh that at all here. Why would it make sense to factor this in? Is the Thai government too poor to build an international airport to a competitive international standard? Anyway, China built what I think is a beautiful airport at Beijing (not perfect, but magnitudes better than SVN).

Yes, the number of travellers would effect the number of needed airports. But, not sure what your point is here. They have only 1 airport 2 airports, so shouldn't they be near perfect? They put all their best effort and brightest people into it.

Edited May 14, 2013 by PaullyW

[whybother]

Ahhh, I don't know. Not really sure why people think comparing Thailand's sole international airport to airports in the US -- in this way -- is reasonable.

Here goes -

Thailand has 1 airport, and it's crap. The US has many.

<snip>

Last I checked, Bangkok has TWO airports. Bangkok IS in Thailand, isn't it?

Have you ever compared the size of the US to Thailand? What about the economic level of the people? Do you think the size and the number of people with money might have an effect on the number of airports?

Sorry, yes, 2. My understanding is that DM has been a domestic airport until just recently.

And, yes the US is about 6 - 7 times bigger than Thailand. Singapore is smaller as is Hong Kong...

The economic development of the people? No, I don't weigh that at all here. Why would it make sense to factor this in? Is the Thai government too poor to build an international airport to a competitive international standard? Anyway, China built what I think is a beautiful airport at Beijing (not perfect, but magnitudes better than SVN).

Yes, the number of travellers would effect the number of needed airports. But, not sure what your point is here. They have only 1 airport 2 airports, so shouldn't they be near perfect? They put all their best effort and brightest people into it.

What about Chiang Mai international airport, and Phuket, and Samui ... and others?

US population is about 6 times more than Thailand. The size (area) of the US is about 20 times that of Thailand. A lot more reason for people to travel by air rather than car.

"Economic level of the PEOPLE". Americans can more afford to travel by air, and with the distances, are more likely to.

Suvarnabhumi is built to a competitive international standard. It has been near the top of international airports since it was opened. Certainly it's not perfect, but compare it to everything else that happens (or doesn't) in Thailand, and it's not doing too bad.