Suvarnabhumi Airport sets sight to become the world's No.1 airport

[louthlincs]

I guess this guy has never been to Singapore - was there last weekend for the F1. plush carpets, the clocks made by Hublot, the immigration have sweets on the counter and welcome smiles - different class from you non-smiley swamperoo - although you are admittedly better than Manchester, by a country mile.

[Fookhaht]

The biggest mystery I contemplate is how the word "hub" escaped the mind of that Thai journalist at the Nation.

[LeeThayer]

I sense another Hub

[Rimmer]

Off topic bickering posts removed

[asdecas]

Try one of the Chinese international airports for customer satisfaction. OK, they may not be the ritziest buildings nor full of the most familiar consumer junk, but the service levels and efficiency are awesome. Just a pity that domestic Chinese flight delays have become such a pain since the country became rich....as for Swampy, well planning and construction started decades ago, and they clearly started as the meant to go on - with substandard materials and workmanship, the usual suspects weaseling in for their familiar bribes and backhanders, the same old mafias allowed to operate with impunity year after year. Number one in five years time? Don't make me laugh.

[Samaaw]

1) They could start by teaching immigration some manners

2) Teaching immigration ENGLISH

3) Teaching immigration what a VISA is - how it is used etc

4) Speed up the baggage claims area

This airport will never be world Nr 1 !! - but give them some credit, they have fantastic dreams - shame

[Fookhaht]

1) They could start by teaching immigration some manners

2) Teaching immigration ENGLISH

3) Teaching immigration what a VISA is - how it is used etc

4) Speed up the baggage claims area

This airport will never be world Nr 1 !! - but give them some credit, they have fantastic dreams - shame

It's not that they don't know English, it's that they're unwilling to use it. It's a power-thing, and very much used by "officials" in LOS.

[tomross46]

"And the arrivals experience is even worse."

and that is a complete understatement, last week 68mns in line just for passport, and the majority of the cuntoms booths not staffed, <deleted> is that all about?

You ask, what is it all about, there is a very simple answer. Money, THAI and the AOT are run by politicians, and all politicians are thinking about is, The New Bentley. or the London residence.

[yimlitnoy]

I do not know how much the rent is in Swampi but have you tried to have a decent price meal while surfing the internet? When I leave BKK, my family is not coming with me anymore because we know we will have no decent and affordable place to wait for my departure. There is always the feeling that the motto is lets cheat the foreigners, they are going anyway.

Why the Burger King are twice the prices? McDonald and others fast food chains are refusing to open shop there? Come on Thailand, have a look at Singapore and Dubai. Where are the resting area in transit with long chairs? Where are the cinemas to wait long hours in transit? Any duty free shops with prices reduced in comparison to Bangkok? Even Boots pharmacy sells everything at a higher price than BKK. We feel the influence of King Power everywhere. Jim Thomson is the only shop really cheaper from their counterpart in BKK. Why I always have that feeling of being cheated every time I go to Suvarnabhumi? (What a name...). The runway with the de-indentify Thai plane was closed for days and has forced the cancellation of so many flights.

How about being followed by taxi and hotel touts? Why that long line on arrival before immigration? Matter of fact, I was in the new Delhi international airport last week and most duty free goods were priced cheaper than in Delhi. Isn't it strange that I think of Delhi as a better airport than BKK. How one can think like that?

[Joe Mamma]

Just keep the airport safe and the planes mechanically sound, that would be #1.

[upena]

AOT remains clueless. Swampy is celebrating its 7th year anniversary

[madmitch]

By allowing King Power a double monopoly, i.e all Duty Free Shops and management of all the retail outlets, hence rents being excessively high for anyone operating there, prices of food, goods and services after immigration are extremely high.

It used to be the case in all airports but many have now seen sense and prices are similar to those in town for just about anything. Suvarnabhumi still has the old mentality that the customer can't go anywhere else so charge what you can get away with.

Getting rid of King Power would be a great start in improving the airport experience.

[Yunla]

I think love/hate on this airport is related to arriving or departing. If you are arriving here and the sun is shining and you know you can spend time in Thailand in the sun, you are quite cheerful and the airport has a fairly positive glow. But on the way out, especially on the way to cold destinations and return to work, you really start to notice the cracks in the surface, because you aren't full of that holiday spirit.

I wouldn't say its the number one, but compared to Leeds/Bradford airport where I have spent many unhappy hours, Suvarnabhumi is a jewel-encrusted palace of bliss. Schiphol airport is the cleanest and most efficient I have visited, with very good sandwiches to enjoy while you wait too. I think pride and realism are two very seperate perspectives and this article blurs them somewhat.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Yunla

[cup-O-coffee]

Any time a Thai eyes a number one spot, I get concerned about legitimate human needs not being met, and only the needs to get a number one nod being given attention to.

Their mad rush will more than likely sweep all considerations for human needs aside, as is the usual way for them.

[rosst]

Well, the only time I go near the place is if one of my cheap flights goes there, my airport of Choice is Don Meung as I like Air Asia and the proximity to the railway station to Isaan is fine. My only gripe is they stopped the online booking for the railway so I am now going to Fly in to Vientiane and go over the bridge and catch a bus.

On my way home this month and take the train to KL, it is a great trip and as a senior, I get half price in Malaysia, I like that.

[planetdweller]

It has good AC , thankfully.

[Hoov]

They better do something about the wait time for immigration on arrival. It just gets worse and worse.

[anajonb]

I, personally, can not conceive of BKK's airport beating Sinapore's, Changi, in ANY catagory! There simply IS NO COMPARISON between the two, between the way you are treated throughout the airport by all personnel, to free computer use, throughout the terminals, to very comfortable "sleeper" lounges for long layovers, to effecient and excellent access to your flight...I could go on and on, but I believe I've made my point. BKK's attempt at building a great airport, has a very, very long way to go!!

[dogeatdog]

Well, the only time I go near the place is if one of my cheap flights goes there, my airport of Choice is Don Meung as I like Air Asia and the proximity to the railway station to Isaan is fine.  My only gripe is they stopped the online booking for the railway so I am now going to Fly in to Vientiane and go over the bridge and catch a bus.

 

On my way home this month and take the train to KL, it is a great trip and as a senior, I get half price in Malaysia, I like that.

You make another good idea for improvements here.

Yes indeed srt stopped online rail bookings back in January this year. I was hopping that I would start again. Its stopped in the past before and restarted again, so fingers crossed.

However the train tickets you can reserve by phone and collect from any station in theory.

But the problem is you have to collect within 24 hrs of reservation this is not convenient especially in peek season when you may be required to book days in advance to get a seat or sleeper car.

Why cant srt make sales at the airport??

Foreigners can pre book there tickets via email, phone, internet or just in person and just collect and pay at the airports.

Would be a welcomed addition to services at both airports.

[samtam]

There was a full page ad in BP yesterday commemorating the anniversary with a few milestone awards, including "the best toilet(sic)" from BMA Hygeine Department, (or something like that). You couldn't make it up if you tried really hard.

[Fookhaht]

It has good AC , thankfully.

It's uneven, the closer you get to the gates. On my last two trips to Swampy, I distinctly remember sweating in uncomfortably higher temps as I went through several areas that were hubs/intersections to several gate walk ways. I pulled layered clothing off and on, just trying to stay in sync with the changing temps. But got down to the last layer in some areas, and still hot. I'm not overweight, by the way.

[Businessman]

I have to agree with most posters, the taxi situation is a big black mark on the overall airports.

I come off a 19hr international flight and herded out the doors to the taxi stand. First I am blasted with hot humid air. I start to perspire. Now I stand in line sucking in exhaust fumes for 10 minutes. Then the little mafia mama finally accepts me at her desk. No kind words, usually no words at all. I speak my address in Thai. She rips a piece of paper and hands it to me. Now I follow the badly dressed driver with even worse body odor to his dilapidated taxi all the while toting my entire family's baggage. He removes the bungee cord holding the lid of his trunk closed. To proudly show that 30% of the baggage space is occupied with a CNG tank. I ram bags in while he stands watching. Finally I give up and ask for a bigger cab. Suddenly he grows 2 arms and can lift bags. He rams 2 in the front passenger seat and 2 in the trunk and the remainder are allocated to our laps. And now the trip begins. He asks where we're going... just a minute what exactly did that little mafia mama write on his piece of paper? So we tell him again. The car is scraping bottom cos the shocks are shot. The radio plays something that sounds like the wailing of a sick cat, and the stench has us all breathing through our mouths. He gets on the motorway, is the car going to make it? He accelerates and a hub-hub noise emanates from the rear wheels. It feels fast, it can't be can it? This old car can't go that fast can it? I glance at the speedo... ah good it tells be beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are travelling at exactly 0 km/hr. We're safe. We speed past every other vehicle within 2 to 3 cm of their bumper all the while the hub-hub noise competes with the wailing cat and odors abound.

Arrive home. What a pleasant drive. I pay the fare and the 50 thb and an extra 100 hoping it goes to new shocks.

Is this world class service? Apparently to some posters there's nothing wrong with it. But I can say without hesitation that the whole taxi experience from the airport could stand a lot of improvement.

[jacko45k]

As an Airport its Ok, the Train from Central Bangkok is a big Bonus..

But the actual Airport itself is nothing Special....

Much prefer Hong Kong Airport, Cleaner,More Organised,Free unlimited Wi-Fi...

Dubai blows it out of the water for 'wow factor'...

But it is so crowded.

[Time Traveller]

The world's number one, based on what? The number of Ghosts living there?

If they can't even work out the way this is to be measured, then they can give up any dreams they have of being number one in anything. Perhaps better they aim towards something they can actually achieve, like the world's most Thai airport.

[Frank James]

Sad to say, even with all of its problems, Thailand's main airport is still miles better than any US airport I have suffered in. However, KL's airports and Incheon Korea are much more attractive and user friendly.

[bri1guy]

Number one in Thailand maybe, but the region or the World, no way. To many other airports that no how to operate better.

NUMBER # 1 IN ASIA possibly

[finnomick]

.....and pigs may yet fly. I wonder if they'll have their own runway too ?

[Minpin]

Go to Wikipedia and read about Incheon.

Fastest departure processing in the world at 19 minutes average. World average 60 minutes

Fastest arrival proceedure in the world at 12 minutes average. World average 45 minutes.

That alone would be enough for me at Swampy. In-out as quick as possible. If I need to shop I will do it downtown Bangkok.

Swampy has a long way to go regarding this one fact if they want to be number one.

When Swampy opened baggage averaged 1 hour to arrive after flight. So only a slight improvment since 2006.

Is it true that the design was first offered to Hong Kong then Incheon. I seem to remember being told that

[klubex99]

Those all-important words - 'number one'

Why is this country so obsessed with its own self importance?

Have they been to any other major airports in the world?

It doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of even getting into the top 10 let alone the top spot.

They actually went down from 25 to 38 in skytrak top 100 airports for 2013.

Swampy is just a standard airport.

When are they going to get their heads out of their <deleted> and realize that Thailand is just a tourist destination brought about by its beaches and sex trade.

[phitsanulokjohn]

Dear Khun Pongsak Semson,soon your alarm clock will go off,it'll be then, you'll realise you're only dreaming.