Need Info On Bkk's New Airport

[utapaortnab]

Howdy y'all,

Well the opening (or not) of Bangkok's new airport has come home to our family to cause concern. My sister, her husband, his brother and wife are ALL coming to visit Oct 31-Nov 14.

Now, they had wanted to stay one night in Bangkok B4 travelling on up to Chiayaphum, then on to Pattaya Beach, Hua Hin and finally BKK during their two weeks "in-country".

Now, the best solution for us would be to book one nite at one of the "airport hotels" near Don Muang for their "brief nite's rest" B4 we pick them all up in a minivan and head for Chiayaphum.

But WHAT IF the new airport is officially opened prior to or on Oct 31 and becomes the landing field for their flight NW27 arriving at 2355 hrs? Can you imagine four visitors none who have ever been in ASIA ever and all four over 65 yrs. old and rarely ever having left Lafayette Indiana somehow making it from the new airport to their hotel near Don Muang.

What I need is ANY info ANY member might have that can truthfully give us an official changeover date or start date for all flights to use the new airport.

Also need to know the url addy for any/all hotels currently open at the new airport or adjoining/nearby area and the best map of the new airport area that would show the access roads into Bangkok, north to Isaan (showing how to connect to Hiway 2 headed north) and to Pattaya Beach (for my future use).

Does anyone know when the skytrain link to the new airport will be opened? I heard there is going to be a train station, like in Amsterdam, to connect north and to BKK. Any clues when that might open? Also, is there going to be a new bus station adjoining or nearby the new airport that will connect with Isaan/Pattaya/south Thailand in the works? (guess that would make too much sense).

Thanking y'all in advance,

Ken and Rattana Bower, Chiayaphum Thailand

[lomatopo]

I don't think anyone here, or anyone anywhere actually, is in a position to tell you today if the new airport will be open by 31 October 2006. It could well be that your family/friends arrive Don Muang (current/old) and depart Suvarnabhumi (new) on NW?

Some alternatives to your challenges are:

- book a reservation at the new Novotel at the new airport (Novotel Suvarnabhumi). It looks like they have a cancellable rate of 2,000 baht per night.

- book a back-up reservation at your preferred hotel near Don Muang.

then monitor the situation and cancel one of the reservations that will not be required.

Or just plan to meet them, and transport them to their destination that evening (bad for you, but no traffic). This is probably best for elderly travelers visiting Thailand for the first time?

Or book a reservation at a hotel in central Bangkok so that it doesn't matter which airport they arrive at, they'll take a taxi to the hotel.

Any number of paper and software-based maps will reveal the location of Suvarnabhumi airport and the routes best used to access te airport.

Attached is a screen shot from ThinkMagic's software map of Thailand, 2006.

The high-speed, elevated rail-link, connecting Suvarnabhumi airport with central Bangkok (Makasan/Phaya Thai) was planned for completion in 2008, but that is looking more like 2009 based on reports in the Bangkok Post.

I've not heard of any plans for regional bus terminal at/near Suvarnabhumi. It really wouldn't make any sense at all as 99.95% of the passengers are Thai, originating/terminating their journey in Bangkok. That is, they are not arriving in Thailand at the airport, and having them trudge all the way out to the airport to take a bus seems strange? Direct bus service to Pattaya from Suvarnabhumi makes sense, and I can see that being implemented. (Or having some buses from Ekkamai stop at Suvarnabhumi.)

Transportation options to/from the new airport include:

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/sr...rportlink.shtml

Transportation news for Suvannabhum Airport - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Transport Journal, January 16-22, 2006

1) Airprot express bus for the following routes

1.1) Silom - Suvannabhum

1.2) Bang Lam Phoo - Suvannabhum

1.3) Sukhumvit - Suvannabhum

1.4) Hua Lamphong - Suvannabhum

Either private concession holders or hotels can operate these express buses on the following four routes with the following conditions attached:

1) No passenger stops along the route allowed.

2) No subcontracting to other companies.

2) Transit buses - either by Transportation Co. Ltd. (for intercity services to Suvannabhum via motorways) or BMTA (within tha Bangkok vicinities). BMTA already has seven routes.

3) Airport taxi - accordign to the meter plus 50 baht surcharge in the same way as Don Muang Airport Taxi. However, all the taxis must be brand new ones.

4) Limo service - only limos with engines of at least 1900 CC and space for at least 2 big suicases and NGV engines allowed for limo service to Suvannabhum.

[britmaveric]

I'd wager against being open - more likely dec or next low season!

[oblivious]

sawadee.com has an excellent interactive map of bangkok that shows the location of many hotels. you might not get the best rate by booking through the site though, i'd suggest finding a hotel and googling it.

http://www.sawadee.com/map/bangkok.htm

[thedude]

get airport information from the travel agent/airline that they are coming in with. get the airline to give confirmation before the flight. if the actual airport arrived at is different, then you can get the airline to compensate or make good on the travel arrangements. do not rely on government press releases or media speculation, transfer the risk to your airline.

[Sing_Sling]

I'd go with Britmaveric on this. Doubt the new one will open by then as IATA has yet to give their approval for it to be open for traffic.

[bkkjosh]

I'd wager against being open - more likely dec or next low season!

Yep! me too!

[ovenman]

get airport information from the travel agent/airline that they are coming in with. get the airline to give confirmation before the flight. if the actual airport arrived at is different, then you can get the airline to compensate or make good on the travel arrangements. do not rely on government press releases or media speculation, transfer the risk to your airline.

That sounds great in theory, but knowing all of the uncertainty over the actual opening date of the new airport, why would any airline want to assume that risk?

I would book a hotel somewhat in-town and equidistant between the two airports, a hotel that offers their own airport transfer service.

[jdinasia]

As of today ... there is another "Official opening date" Sept 28 this year ....

I am taking odds still in favor of early December

[Axel]

Not sure about the year, but December 5 sounds about right.

[george]

Sep 28, 2006 is now official:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=71855

[billp]

It'll be at least another 6 months. They're still landscaping the golf course between the runways.

Sep 28, 2006 is now official:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=71855