Don Muang Airport To Become Market

[george]

Don Muang Airport to become market--partly

BANGKOK: -- When flight operations cease at Don Muang Aiprort, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce plans to convert at least a portion of Don Muang International Airport's existing departure areas into a central market after the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport is opened for commercial use on September 28, Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said Saturday.

The Don Muang Airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal.

Departure areas are on the upper levels of the three terminals.

Arrivals are on the ground floor of the three terminals, while parking facilities are available for prospective shoppers.

A feasibility study has been conducted and will be soon given to Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, also a deputy prime minister, for his consideration before being submitted to the cabinet for a final approval, Mr. Preecha said.

The ministry plans to use 5,000 to 10,000 square metres of the airport's departure section for use as central market which will enable people to buy goods at fair prices, Mr. Preecha said.

Manufacturers will be allowed to display and sell their merchandises at the area, but their rights will be revoked if their goods are found to be overpriced or the quality is poor, he added.

--TNA 2006-08-05

[geoffphuket]

What an original idea...just what Bangkok needs

[drbones666]

It's so far away from the centre of town. Who is going to use it?

[wkesel]

This is Thailand with more clear thinking.

[Lacoste]

It's so far away from the centre of town. Who is going to use it?

People who dont live in the centre of town maybe?

[Sandstone Art]

It will be more interesting to see WHO has the RIGTHS to this market $$$ rental collections !

Not mentioning 'protections' , 'Coffee' or any other unseen $ exchanged hands.

[geoffphuket]

This is Thailand with more clear thinking.

Welcome to TV wkesel.

[marquess]

Don Muang Airport to become market--partly

BANGKOK: -- When flight operations cease at Don Muang Aiprort, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce plans to convert at least a portion of Don Muang International Airport's existing departure areas into a central market after the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport is opened for commercial use on September 28, Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said Saturday.

The Don Muang Airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal.

Departure areas are on the upper levels of the three terminals.

Arrivals are on the ground floor of the three terminals, while parking facilities are available for prospective shoppers.

A feasibility study has been conducted and will be soon given to Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, also a deputy prime minister, for his consideration before being submitted to the cabinet for a final approval, Mr. Preecha said.

The ministry plans to use 5,000 to 10,000 square metres of the airport's departure section for use as central market which will enable people to buy goods at fair prices, Mr. Preecha said.

Manufacturers will be allowed to display and sell their merchandises at the area, but their rights will be revoked if their goods are found to be overpriced or the quality is poor, he added.

--TNA 2006-08-05

I thought that this was only a caretaker government? Besides, why can't Thailand have two major aiports, if traffic is expected to increase over the coming years?

[Unpredictable]

How would it not be overpriced, when everything on the airport is so expensive. the restaurants etc. To rent a area itself ppl wud have to shell out so much cash that they have to keep things at higher price.

I can't wait to see it!

[Martin]

Have they done a survey to find out how many would go there and buy anything?

It doesn't seem possible that it would attract any except those who would come in cars, and it is tortuous to get there in a car (except for those who live to the north of the airport).

The idea that they floated last year of extending the skytrain to there, and then re-locating lots of the presently-scattered government offices to it, seemed to have more sense behind it.

[peterjackson]

Hey

Politicians the world over, never cease to amaze me.

Only time will tell.

Regards

Peter

[qualtrough]

The other day the Post had an editorial that called for Don Muang to be the center of the Thai aircraft and supporting services industry. Seemed like a hare-brained scheme to me when I read it.

The best way to proceed would be for the government to set a certain portion of the land over as a park or green space, and then put the remainder on the market and let the marketplace determine what should be there. The latter within some kind of appropriate zoning or planning guidelines. Given that there would be huge bucks to be made in and out of government, I am sure that is what will happen at some point.

[Moonfruit]

Accessibility to Don Muang is great, always has been if you stay off the ground streets around lower Sukhumvit. I use the airport frequently, and can drive to Don Muang from my house behind Tesco On Nut in half an hour, 90% of the time.

If Don Muang were to be made into a market area, i would probably head there myself, as i am totally over Bangkok shopping areas.

[Chang_paarp]

I can see another OTOP market coming.

Either that or rows and rows of stalls selling the same thing.

[chelford67]

Yet another example of "Thai Logic"

[egeefay]

Manufacturers will be allowed to display and sell their merchandises at the area, but their rights will be revoked if their goods are found to be overpriced or the quality is poor, he added.

--TNA 2006-08-05

Who and how is going to determine if goods are overpriced or of poor quality?

Most of the merchants in Thailand don't post prices with their goods. They just size you up when you ask "how much" and quickly calculate how much they can get you to pay.

And who sets the standards in Thailand for quality in Thailand. How can you determine that a product is of "poor quality"?

The rule of law in Thailand is "Let the buyer beware"

[ServeUncutUncle]

Maybe they are just emulating Europe's most successful Shopping Mall AKA London Heathrow

Edited August 5, 2006 by ServeUncutUncle

[bamseA]

What happend to the idea of useing it for low fare airport??

[Techno1]

Don Muang Airport to become market--partly

BANGKOK: -- When flight operations cease at Don Muang Aiprort, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce plans to convert at least a portion of Don Muang International Airport's existing departure areas into a central market after the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport is opened for commercial use on September 28, Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said Saturday.

The Don Muang Airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal.

Departure areas are on the upper levels of the three terminals.

Arrivals are on the ground floor of the three terminals, while parking facilities are available for prospective shoppers.

A feasibility study has been conducted and will be soon given to Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, also a deputy prime minister, for his consideration before being submitted to the cabinet for a final approval, Mr. Preecha said.

The ministry plans to use 5,000 to 10,000 square metres of the airport's departure section for use as central market which will enable people to buy goods at fair prices, Mr. Preecha said.

Manufacturers will be allowed to display and sell their merchandises at the area, but their rights will be revoked if their goods are found to be overpriced or the quality is poor, he added.

--TNA 2006-08-05

[brahmburgers]

Nobody asked me Dept; I had stated on my website that the Don Muang space should be set aside for something inspiring and different. Perchance a park? no way jose, Thailand is abysmal for parks. Bkk has one small park and a muddy river. There is no such thing as a decent park in any Thai town or city. Also worth considering for Don Muang: a museum with an emphasis on alternative energy and environmental husbandry coupled with features to encourage budding inventors. Can't happen. The caretaker gov't who, by law, are not supposed to enact any new legislation have decided on ......a giant market - a decision expected from the money worshiping TRT heads who are completely devoid of any creative and uplifting concepts. What a let down.

[Johpa]

Accessibility to Don Muang is great, always has been if you stay off the ground streets around lower Sukhumvit. I use the airport frequently, and can drive to Don Muang from my house behind Tesco On Nut in half an hour, 90% of the time.

If Don Muang were to be made into a market area, i would probably head there myself, as i am totally over Bangkok shopping areas.

Well isn't that one of the reason a new Airport was opened? I mean after all that money recently spent on new terminals and new elevated roadways, the sucessful result was that Don Muang is a fairly accessible airport from a major city, especially when compared to other major city's airports around the globe. Where was the new major contract money going to be conjured up for further improvements at Don Muang?

And wasn't Don Muang already turned into a marketplace? At least the primary transit hall had had much of the passenger seating removed and replaced by a never ending row of tacky over-priced souvenir shops operqted by a monopoly that was of couse beholden to the Air Force, oops, pardon me, Airport Authority.

[ratcatcher]

Nobody asked me Dept; I had stated on my website that the Don Muang space should be set aside for something inspiring and different. Perchance a park? no way jose, Thailand is abysmal for parks. Bkk has one small park and a muddy river. There is no such thing as a decent park in any Thai town or city. Also worth considering for Don Muang: a museum with an emphasis on alternative energy and environmental husbandry coupled with features to encourage budding inventors. Can't happen. The caretaker gov't who, by law, are not supposed to enact any new legislation have decided on ......a giant market - a decision expected from the money worshiping TRT heads who are completely devoid of any creative and uplifting concepts. What a let down.

Perfect. I couldn't have said it better myself. "Completely devoid of any creative and uplifting concepts" That folks is the TRT , a few months away from coming back to perfect the banal society they have created.

"Inspiring", "Different" , these are words that are alien to the Thaksin cretins. Money is the name of the game. All else is superfluous. Even Chuwit ,like him or not, created a park on the space he "created " (by demolition) near Soi 10 Sukumvit.

Edited August 5, 2006 by ratcatcher

[massein]

Yet another example of "Thai Logic"

Trust me , 2 years from now, it will still be and airport, the new one is the hair brained ideal

since Thailand is going to be the commerical hub of almost everthing accordind to PM Taksin

[Zoltan]

Why waste the building instead of tearing it down... great idea try it and see if it works.. it might turn into a great place to shop.

[backflip]

The new home of Suan Lum night market!

[Martin]

In answer to: "What happend to the idea of useing it for low fare airport?? ", I would guess that they have taken a look at the way air travel will contract, now that oil prices are on the evermore up-and-up.

So the new airport alone leaves Bangkok over-supplied, compared to demand, with air porterage facilities.

I had a glimpse of the future on the last day of December in 1999.

TG910 was delayed for about four hours after one of the engines on the originally-rostered 747 wouldn't start up satisfactorily, and we had to transfer to a standby.

Consequently we got to Heathrow at about 11:00, and no other aircraft were coming in or going out as nobody wanted to fly that day. We were the only group of passengers to be dealt with by Immigration, so they had only kept a couple of officers on duty, and kept one carousel in operation for our baggage .

The 'busyness' reminded me of the passenger throughput of Heathrow around 1955, when the fare to fly across the Atlantic was about six months wages for the average worker. As move forward, we will be back to that around 2040, it appears.

Airports will have the same strange 'feel' of cathedrals with only twenty people attending the service of worship.

[yankeechief]

Just what they need another market! Things are get worse here anyway as far tourism numbers go, let them drown in thier own success and failures. Seen it in many other countries in the region.

[lecter]

what a negative bunch. It's their Airport, they can do what they want with it.

A big market right there might be OK. There's a lot of people out that way and the access is quite good off the Freeway and Viphavadee rangsit. Would it be viable? Hm, another interesting question, with Jay Jay going through massive changes and additions.

Time will tell....

It's not doomsday, people should relax.

:-)

[astral]

I thought that this was only a caretaker government? Besides, why can't Thailand have two major aiports, if traffic is expected to increase over the coming years?

They are takign care of their own interests.

Two airports would be like London, with Heathrow and Gatwick.

A logisitical disaster if you arrive at one and have to reach the other for your connecting flight.

They should have planned for Suvarnhabumi to take all the traffic.

[martinhuahin]

I think they'll follow the Brits lead on the millenium Dome in London.

Leave it empty for seven years, and then take back handers from millionaire U.S. casino developers.....

As Mr. Prescott has recently been caught in the Blair government.

Oh sorry I almost forgot, they wouldn't allow a casino in LOS HMMMMmmmm but backhanders from developers?? Who knows in 7 years time Bangkok might need a 2nd airport, and they could "sell" the rights to develop don muang all over again!