Don Muang Or Suvarnabhumi?

[Soju]

I realize everyone has serious doubts about the September 28 opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport, myself included, but I'm scheduled to fly in on that date and I'm trying to make up my mind if that's a good idea or not, on the off chance that the airport does open on schedule.

The problem is, I'm scheduled to arrive at 12:35 AM, but the first flights into Suvarnabhumi are set for 3:00 AM. That means I'll be one of the last flights into Don Muang. At first I thought that was good and that everything would be fine, but in thinking more about it, I'm thinking it's a fiasco waiting to happen. Everyone is going to be moving to the new airport that night and if they just have a skeleton crew remaining, there may be long delays at immigration, baggage, etc. Not to mention there might not be enough taxis for the last passengers arriving. I'm sure at least some taxi drivers will avoid Don Muang on that night, not wanting to be stuck waiting without any more passengers arriving, plus they'll want to try to make a killing over at the new airport.

What do you think? should I stick being the last into Don Muang? Or should I delay my flight one more day and arrive at Suvarnabhumi and risk another kind of fiasco?

[Jockstar]

Don Muang. I really dont think the new one will open on time. As for taxis. This is Bangkok. To many taxis in my opinion. The other airport is ######inging far away. I live in Lad Prao so Don Muang suits me fine. 100 baht one way on the meter. Going to the other one.Nearer 300 for sure.

[Gazza]

I'd say that probably there'd be more problems the first few days at Suvibumi(?) than problems the last few days at Don Muang. Because the majority of airport staff at DM still lives in DM. How many are going to be late because they've got stuck in traffic or underestimated the distance to Suvvanabummi(sp).

And how many airport staff and airline crew won't be able get the taxi driver to understand that they want to go Suwannaboomy when they can't even spell the word let alone pronounce it?

It's taken me about 17 years just to get half the 'Don Muang' pronunciation correct. The 'Don' part was the easiest.

Edited July 3, 2006 by Gazza