Worth it: 92 flights at Don Mueang delayed for kids to watch planes fly

[webfact]

Worth it: 92 flights at Don Mueang delayed for kids to watch planes fly
By Coconuts Bangkok



Lesson learned: Don’t book a flight on the day a bunch of kids take over the airport.

BANGKOK: -- Ninety-two flights were reportedly delayed between 20 minutes to three hours on Saturday as the sky above the airport was restricted for a military air show on Children’s Day.

"Many airlines could not answer how long the planes would be delayed!” raged celebrity fortune-teller Lak Rekanithet on Facebook. “This has affected thousands of passengers!"

Lak shared photos of a crowded Don Mueang airport where fliers faced delays of up to three hours and complained there was no prior notification.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/01/12/worth-it-92-flights-don-mueang-delayed-kids-watch-planes-fly


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-01-12

[Briggsy]

Third world planning.

[AleG]

"Many airlines could not answer how long the planes would be delayed!” raged celebrity fortune-teller Lak Rekanithet on Facebook."

He didn't see it coming? Some fortune teller...

[DM07]

It's never too early, to expose Thai- children to lethal weapons!

Something, I never understood about Children's Day in Thailand.

But then again....

[grantbkk]

Air Show at operating international airport. Priceless!

[JOC]

Passengers missing connecting flights because the junta want to indoctrinate the children!!

Excellent planning.

Hope the affected passengers are going to sue Prayut & Co!!

[PatOngo]

Ahhh, the price (cost) of popularity.

[JOC]

"Many airlines could not answer how long the planes would be delayed!” raged celebrity fortune-teller Lak Rekanithet on Facebook."

He didn't see it coming? Some fortune teller...

Exactly!!

He of all persons should keep his mouth shut.......................

[JOC]

Ahhh, the price (cost) of popularity.

Seem like the General forgot his very own 12th core value.................

12. Putting the public and national interest before personal interest.

[Bluespunk]

"Many airlines could not answer how long the planes would be delayed!” raged celebrity fortune-teller Lak Rekanithet"

Isn't that your role in society?

[brucec64]

Lesson learned: Don’t book a flight on the day a bunch of kids take over the airport.

Are they referring to children's day or to yellow shirts?

[Loles]

Such a disaster ....

[marcusd]

It seems to me ( and yes I was a big mouth supporter PREVIOUSLY) that htis NEW government SPOKE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS and it seemed so great and all they are doing now is setting Thaialnd back CENTURIES into the days Of European Feudalism.

Foreigners are getting tossed off at every point and he says YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THAILAND.

This place is more and more a joke day by day.

This, along with the drop in tourism numbers is certainly going to bode well for RETURNING tourists hahahah

Shoot yourself in the foot and eventually you lose heaps and we ill get cheaper prices. Because Thailand is heading to a banana economy!

[jybkk]

Went there with my kid. He had a blast.

Apparently it's been like that every year for the past decade, so I don't know why the airlines can't figure it out.

[Morakot]

"Many airlines could not answer how long the planes would be delayed!” raged celebrity fortune-teller Lak Rekanithet"

Isn't that your role in society?

Actually Khun Lak made a rather accurate "prediction" when he "foretold" his fellow travellers that today they will be unlucky in terms of their travels. He also correctly predicted that a man of tall to medium height, possibly wearing a uniform, will eventually rectify the travellers' misfortune.

[brucec64]

Went there with my kid. He had a blast.

Apparently it's been like that every year for the past decade, so I don't know why the airlines can't figure it out.

It probably was not much of an issue until last year, since traffic has almost quadrupled in 2014 from 2012 numbers.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Mueang_International_Airport

[draftvader]

In a moment of true stupidity on Saturday morning I suggested to my daughter that we go to Don Muang (not too far from us) to watch the planes (I meant civil planes) from the observation deck as she enjoys doing that (then catching a train 1 stop to Laksi to have lunch at Took La Dee...her choice...seriously!). Anyway, we got in the taxi and told the driver that we wanted to go to Don Muang. I questioned his logic as we headed up onto the flyover rather than turning left onto Viphavhadi. My brain went through the options and realised that he had committed to a route that meant any protestations to go where we wanted would be an additional 6-8km. Pretty furious by this point I asked him where we were going and he explained that we were going to the "show". My wife and I discussed the options and felt that we should just go with the flow. Prompt me sulking as we sat in traffic for an hour. By the time we got there it was a complete bun fight and we gave up pretty quickly. Getting a taxi back to Laksi took another hour then the taxi from Laksi back home took another 30 minutes. In all we sat in traffic for 2.5 hours to have lunch in Took La Dee and do some shopping.

The only saving grace (which totally made our little girl's day) was walking over Viphavhadi we passed over the railway line as a 24 carriage goods train went under. Cue happy squealing (from the daughter...not me!) and off for lunch.

Total nightmare. I told my wife to tell me to shut up when I next think I have a great idea!

[JOC]

Lesson learned: Don’t book a flight on the day a bunch of kids take over the airport.

Are they referring to children's day or to yellow shirts?

IQ wise it wouldn't make much of a difference!!

Sorry children

[DM07]

...and here is another double middlefinger to travelers from near and far!

"Ohhhhh...oi mae....bohooooooo...why , oh why are our tourist numbers down?"

[DKUNPUTAF713]

"It seems to me ( and yes I was a big mouth supporter PREVIOUSLY) that htis NEW government his JUNTA.........

Just to get your statement in its correct perspective!!

[arkom]

I took a flight up to Chiang Mai on Friday leaving from Don Muang. They were practicing pretty much all day and my flight was delayed for 2 hours!

It was pretty much chaos in the terminal, barely any room to move around or sit. And no real updates from the airlines, was just told to watch the displays to see what gate to use and if flight was delayed. I guess is what happens when you pay for budget. To make things even worse, Air Asia kept on moving gates for each flight making it more chaotic.

On top of that because of the delays, when we got to Chiang Mai there was another 2 hour wait at the airport just to get a taxi, as most of the flights for DM arrived within 5-10 mins of each other.

You would think there should've have been better planning for this, I for one won't be flying budget anymore.

[ExPratt]

The one they do for the London area is at Southend over the Estuary. So no disruption and not much chance of a Military plane looping the loop barreling through a housing estate

[ExPratt]

Double post

[DKUNPUTAF713]

"It seems to me ( and yes I was a big mouth supporter PREVIOUSLY) that htis NEW government his NEW JUNTA......"

Just to put your statement in a correct perspective!

[chainarong]

Perhaps when they receive the delay bill for connecting flights, loss of slot times at other airports and placing flight crews on longer hours ,they may decide next year to take the kids and do it in China, immature and inappropriate for any major airport to even think of this sort of stupidness.

[iReason]

Passengers missing connecting flights because the junta want to indoctrinate the children!!

Excellent planning.

Hope the affected passengers are going to sue Prayut & Co!!

What a difference a day makes...

JOC, on 11 Jan 2015 - 10:29, said:

What a miserable grumpy old bunch Thaivisa posters are!!

Yesterday was childrens day, and I bet all the kids, who attended had a jolly good day!!

Well done to the organizers to put in the effort to make it a memorable day for the children!!

Not a fan of Prayut, but nice to see, that he has a softer side. Remember this was about childrens day, so leave the political rhetoric out for just one day.

The military hardware was only a small part of the celebrations and of course you have to concentrate on them to find an excuse to spew your venom!!

[willyumiii]

A couple of thoughts on this...

"No prior notification" This is Thailand, we live for the moment and never plan ahead.

It is kind of nice to make children the priority, but this is entertainment.

If you can delay so many flights for the sake of entertainment, why can't they delay flights twice a year ( New Years and Songkran ) for , the sake of passenger safety?

They have expressed much concern lately about the danger of a hot air balloon causing a jet to crashand it hasn't happened yet

Even when prohibited, all Thais will not stop launching balloons on these holidays.

It makes sense not to fly on these occasions and only at night when the balloons are launched..

If you can do it for fun, why not do it to save lives too?

There could be ample prior notification too!

[GinBoy2]

Having been one of those affected, I for one was not amused. Plane boarded on time, then we were told we were delayed 90 minutes. Wouldn't let us back into the terminal, just sat there

[dcutman]

I hear next years children's day is going to be at Swampy. Its supposed to be even a better cockup show than this years disaster event.

Does the Thai Air Force have an airport not attached to an international airport sending and receiving scheduled flights?

[Disparate Dan]

Nothing new here. I recall about 4-5 years ago being held up on an incoming to SVG on Thai Airways on Jan 10 - stacked over BKK for more than one hour - flight deck told us it was because there "was an air show at the airport for children's day". Could see many other planes in the stack above and below us. TIT. It's good for the environment............