Change to free shuttle bus route & time 5 Jan 2014

[SeaVisionBurma]

Just a heads up to anyone planning to use the shuttle from Suvanabhumi to Don Mueang - they have just changed the route today.

The staff are blaming it on the 'strike action' and are telling all pax that it will take 2 hours instead of the usual 1

I'm attaching the notice here, will post back later with a trip report and actual timing door to door.

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[SeaVisionBurma]

Route is very different, heads north on a tollway, then west across to the northern end of Don Mueang, and finally in through the air force side (going through an armed security checkpoint) and around the northern end of the runways. Great clear views across both sides of the airport as you drive in.

The good news is it was still only 1 hour (actually 55 minutes door to door). However this was 07:00 on a Sunday morning so perhaps it will take longer at peak weekday times.

I think their 2 hour estimate is being overly cautious, but from talking to the counter official and driver before we left swampy, it seems they are just wanting to take precautions in case the usual route up Viphavadi-Rangsit gets blocked by the protestor shenanigans in future.

Not sure when they changed the bus but it is not the old orange one anymore. It is a larger, newer white one with large luggage racks, and seats only in the back half of the bus.

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[ThunderDuck]

Not sure when they changed the bus but it is not the old orange one anymore. It is a larger, newer white one with large luggage racks, and seats only in the back half of the bus.

Bus had changed to the less comfortable "white cargo" version two months ago.

I was also asked to show an onward flight for the first time.

Hand written was accepted ...

[nisakiman]

Is it still leaving Suvanabhumi every hour on the hour? My flight is due in at 7 am, and it's debatable whether or not I'll make it through customs / immigration in time to make the 8 o'clock bus. My flight from DM is at 11 am, so it rather looks as if I'm screwed for the shuttle now. I hope a taxi can make the trip in reasonable time.

[SeaVisionBurma]

There is a departure at 07:30 as well as 8am

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[nisakiman]

There is a departure at 07:30 as well as 8am Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.3 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, but is there one at 8.30? Because I don't know if I'll make the 8.00 one, and the 9.00 will be too late.

[SeaVisionBurma]

There is a departure at 07:30 as well as 8am Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.3 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, but is there one at 8.30? Because I don't know if I'll make the 8.00 one, and the 9.00 will be too late.

I didn't have time to photograph the current departure board - perhaps do a search on other shuttle topics. From memory there was an 08:30 departure, but other members may be able to confirm this.

[Lakegeneve]

Route is very different, heads north on a tollway, then west across to the northern end of Don Mueang, and finally in through the air force side (going through an armed security checkpoint) and around the northern end of the runways. Great clear views across both sides of the airport as you drive in.

Your route info is vague but I am assuming that it is now taking the Eastern Ring rd tollway north.

From there it would have to exit west onto Ram Inthra rd and run all the way along it to the large Laksi monument intersection roundabout where it would have to do a right turn into Phahonyothin rd a couple of kms up to the air force gate. (Ram Inthra rd would account for most of the suggested doubling of route time as it is normally very congested)

Does that sound similar to your route? (This is actually pretty much the route of the 554 but that continues to Vihavadi before heading north)

Interesting rationale for the change.

for nisa if this is relevent;

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/en/122-transfer-bus-between-suvarnabhumi-don-muaeng

[SeaVisionBurma]

Your route info is vague but I am assuming that it is now taking the Eastern Ring rd tollway north.

From there it would have to exit west onto Ram Inthra rd and run all the way along it to the large Laksi monument intersection roundabout where it would have to do a right turn into Phahonyothin rd a couple of kms up to the air force gate. (Ram Inthra rd would account for most of the suggested doubling of route time as it is normally very congested)

Does that sound similar to your route? (This is actually pretty much the route of the 554 but that continues to Vihavadi before heading north)

Apologies for being so vague when I made the post above, I was not familiar with the route - but yes that sounds about right. It is the Eastern Ring Road.

I took a couple of screenshots on my phone's google maps app, I'll attach them below.

[nisakiman]

Thanks for the link, Lakegeneve. They only leave on the hour at that time of day, so it looks like it's a taxi ride. Presumably all the taxi drivers will be up to speed with the situation, and will know the fastest route avoiding protest problems.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Thanks for the link, Lakegeneve. They only leave on the hour at that time of day, so it looks like it's a taxi ride. Presumably all the taxi drivers will be up to speed with the situation, and will know the fastest route avoiding protest problems.

There is a 07:30 departure - this I am certain of, as I was at the airport the day before I took my shuttle to check on the times, and I watched the 07:30 bus depart, and it was listed on the board.

I'm not saying this is of help to you, as you are looking for an 08:30 departure - but it does mean the times on the AOT page have not been updated.

If you have time when you arrive, perhaps go and check first outside door 3 on Level 2. If there isn't an 08:30 departure, then as you said you can always take a cab.

[malct]

How is the route from Don Mueang to Suvanabhumi

We will be on a flight landing at 9pm at Don Mueang with a flight leaving from Suvanabhumi at 2am.

I guess there will be a transfer bus at 10pm at night and that should give us enough time with hold ups to catch our flight from Suvanabhumi.

Regarding taxi's, will that be a hour transfer with a cost of 400Baht?

[Lakegeneve]

Your route info is vague but I am assuming that it is now taking the Eastern Ring rd tollway north.

From there it would have to exit west onto Ram Inthra rd and run all the way along it to the large Laksi monument intersection roundabout where it would have to do a right turn into Phahonyothin rd a couple of kms up to the air force gate. (Ram Inthra rd would account for most of the suggested doubling of route time as it is normally very congested)

Does that sound similar to your route? (This is actually pretty much the route of the 554 but that continues to Vihavadi before heading north)

Apologies for being so vague when I made the post above, I was not familiar with the route - but yes that sounds about right. It is the Eastern Ring Road.

I took a couple of screenshots on my phone's google maps app, I'll attach them below.

Screenshot_2014-01-05-07-22-38.png

Screenshot_2014-01-05-07-33-51.png

Screenshot_2014-01-05-07-40-40.png

Screenshot_2014-01-05-07-44-27.png

Well those do help to make it clear.

However, what is a surprise is that the bus took the Eastern even further north past Ram Inthra rd and took Lam Lukkka rd which is even more congested during the day having less lanes and in a worse condition (Note: the BTS will eventually be extended along this rd). Lam Lukka west all the way to Phahonyothin at Saphan Mai and then south before entering the Air Force gate.

Interesting route choice....the Eastern does make for a fast journey north. However, Lam Lukka rd during the day is a mess.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Well those do help to make it clear.

However, what is a surprise is that the bus took the Eastern even further north past Ram Inthra rd and took Lam Lukkka rd which is even more congested during the day having less lanes and in a worse condition (Note: the BTS will eventually be extended along this rd). Lam Lukka west all the way to Phahonyothin at Saphan Mai and then south before entering the Air Force gate.

Interesting route choice....the Eastern does make for a fast journey north. However, Lam Lukka rd during the day is a mess.

Thanks for your input on this (I follow your SRT info religiously in the Airport Link etc threads)

As mentioned previously - I am not familiar with the route. One thing that crossed my mind on the journey (once we got off the tollway ring road) was that it was peaceful and quick early on a Sunday morning - but that it would probably be very slow going in peak traffic. Very much a local arterial road which would choke up quickly in heavy traffic.

With that in mind, they were wise to make it clear before I got on (both verbally and with the notices I posted above) that it can take 2 hours.

I wonder if they will change the route back once the protests end, or whether it is cheaper in tolls for them going this way and they will keep the new route permanently.

[SeaVisionBurma]

How is the route from Don Mueang to Suvanabhumi

We will be on a flight landing at 9pm at Don Mueang with a flight leaving from Suvanabhumi at 2am.

I guess there will be a transfer bus at 10pm at night and that should give us enough time with hold ups to catch our flight from Suvanabhumi.

Regarding taxi's, will that be a hour transfer with a cost of 400Baht?

On a night transfer at that time I would think the 10pm bus would get you in to Suvanabhumi with plenty of time to spare to get a 2am flight.

I have caught the DMK-BKK shuttle at that time of night previously and it took less than an hour.

Given our discussion above, the new route should be fine at that time.

Taxi using toll roads would be around 400-450 baht at most including the toll fees - someone else who has done it by taxi recently should be able to confirm this.

[Lakegeneve]

Well those do help to make it clear.

However, what is a surprise is that the bus took the Eastern even further north past Ram Inthra rd and took Lam Lukkka rd which is even more congested during the day having less lanes and in a worse condition (Note: the BTS will eventually be extended along this rd). Lam Lukka west all the way to Phahonyothin at Saphan Mai and then south before entering the Air Force gate.

Interesting route choice....the Eastern does make for a fast journey north. However, Lam Lukka rd during the day is a mess.

Thanks for your input on this (I follow your SRT info religiously in the Airport Link etc threads)

As mentioned previously - I am not familiar with the route. One thing that crossed my mind on the journey (once we got off the tollway ring road) was that it was peaceful and quick early on a Sunday morning - but that it would probably be very slow going in peak traffic. Very much a local arterial road which would choke up quickly in heavy traffic.

With that in mind, they were wise to make it clear before I got on (both verbally and with the notices I posted above) that it can take 2 hours.

I wonder if they will change the route back once the protests end, or whether it is cheaper in tolls for them going this way and they will keep the new route permanently.

It does seems weird to me, Lam Lukka rd is full of many small car repair shops, small factories and businesses with the consequential large number of related vehicles using it. Often they park on the rd thus blocking one of the two (each way lanes). It also has a major design flaw and congestion point where it meets Phahonyothin near Sai Mai.

I think that if this is going to be the route that will be continued to be used the advice to allow 2 hrs is reasonable and just travelling down Lam Lukka during the day/peak could approach an hour. Let's see what trip reports others post. (the airport bus 555 from Vihavadi rd outside the terminal would probably be quicker)

On the one hand the foresight by the AOT & BMTA to adjust the route prior to the 13th is positive. However, the actual route seems a little strange so there may be other reasons for it. The bus could actually use both expressways the whole journey but the BMTA/AOT probably doesn't want to pay the extra 85 baht for the DM Tollway!

It should be noted that the PRDC have promised to allow buses to pass through blocked intersections but of course just getting to an intersection would be a slow journey given other blocked traffic.