Why I like Suvarnabhumi Airport

[IMA_FARANG]

Much better than that new monstrosity in KL

KL airport is much better than JFK.

------------------------

JFK is in New York City ...... which is not designed for human beings anyhow.

[lazygourmet]

I miss Don Muang...

Completely broke and sleeping under the stairs, for 48hrs while waiting my last haul back to Europe, after one year of travels around the world was quite an experience.

I was nineteen and that was thirty years ago...

[siam2007]

I actually like the ONE-Terminal-concept, as there are plenty of moving walkways to take you to anywhere if you are too lazy / tired to walk. I do NOT like Airports with "Skytrains" between terminals as it is a nuisance if you have a lot of luggage, and more often than not, those trains are overcrowded and don't run as frequent as they should. This includes "world-class-airports" such as HKG and Singapore, but same goes for KL, Frankfurt and the likes.....

the Taxi disaster though, which is getting a lot worse and not better, makes me almost vomit when I am thinking of my next arrival at Swampy.

Even I have used Swampy more than 100 times and have a certain knowledge of the Thai language.

it is one main reason why I prefer to fly OUT OF Swampy, but rather arrive at DON MUEANG on the way back to my cute little Monster Krungthep....

[SoiBiker]

the Taxi disaster though, which is getting a lot worse and not better, makes me almost vomit when I am thinking of my next arrival at Swampy.

Last time I arrived and got a taxi it was absolutely fine - the new system seems to be working pretty well.

[kkerry]

I'm convinced there are two types of people who use a taxi at Suvarnabhumi.

The first group seem to always encounter huge lines and old taxis driven by unpleasant drivers who refuse to use the meter.

The other group rarely have a problem and generally reach their destination trouble free.

I am in the second group, oh lucky me

[tw25rw]

I'm convinced there are two types of people who use a taxi at Suvarnabhumi.

The first group seem to always encounter huge lines and old taxis driven by unpleasant drivers who refuse to use the meter.

The other group rarely have a problem and generally reach their destination trouble free.

I am in the second group, oh lucky me

I find the same. And the only time I had trouble was also the only time I thought I'd be clever and pick one up at departures.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And the only time I had trouble was also the only time I thought I'd be clever and pick one up at departures.

I did the same on my most recent arrival in late Dec., and found the airport folks seem to have installed new rotating metal access gates that are basically aimed at preventing you from walking from the terminal side across to the far side of the road where the departing taxis have stopped on the departures level.

The metal turnstyle gates only rotate one way for incoming passengers and they've also inatalled horizonal metal bars about 3-4 feet off the ground in those turnstyes -- tall enough to allow a baggage cart to fit underneath, but short enough to make it very difficult for anyone to walk underneath them, especially if pushing a luggage trolley.

I did manage to make it across, with some effort and assistance from a nearby airport staffer who helped rescue my baggage trolley. And I also was able to get a meter taxi without having to wait the queue or pay the taxi counter fee.

Edited January 20, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Jay Sata]

Let's not forget the crap internet.

You arrive at a foreign airport and want to get online to maybe book a hotel or taxi.

Easy in KL or Singapore.

A nightmare in BKK.

[josephbloggs]

Let's not forget the crap internet.

You arrive at a foreign airport and want to get online to maybe book a hotel or taxi.

Easy in KL or Singapore.

A nightmare in BKK.

Try it in London or the US.

Why do people expect everything to provided free for them immediately?

There are plenty of hotel and taxi booking services in the airport. There are also booths selling SIM cards for local providers with data service and they are very cheap. This is what I would expect to do at a foreign airport. Why do you expect it to be free and given to you on a plate as soon as you land? That is not how the world works, sorry.

[Ricardo]

I actually like the ONE-Terminal-concept, as there are plenty of moving walkways to take you to anywhere if you are too lazy / tired to walk. I do NOT like Airports with "Skytrains" between terminals as it is a nuisance if you have a lot of luggage, and more often than not, those trains are overcrowded and don't run as frequent as they should. This includes "world-class-airports" such as HKG and Singapore, but same goes for KL, Frankfurt and the likes.....

the Taxi disaster though, which is getting a lot worse and not better, makes me almost vomit when I am thinking of my next arrival at Swampy.

Even I have used Swampy more than 100 times and have a certain knowledge of the Thai language.

it is one main reason why I prefer to fly OUT OF Swampy, but rather arrive at DON MUEANG on the way back to my cute little Monster Krungthep....

"as there are plenty of moving walkways to take you to anywhere if you are too lazy / tired to walk"

I walk with a stick these days, and find the 1.2 km trek from Domestic-Arrivals along levels 3 or 4 (through King-Power-Land) to be a needless pain-in-the-ass, if only one could access Level-2 where the moving-walkways run ! I can see them running both ways, from level-3, but can't reach them !

But I guess that it makes more sense, to the AAT at least, to try to force us to buy from their tenants ?

[copa8]

Let's not forget the crap internet.

You arrive at a foreign airport and want to get online to maybe book a hotel or taxi.

Easy in KL or Singapore.

A nightmare in BKK.

If it's a nightmare in BKK, then I don't know what to call it in NYC. Best you never land in JFK.

[tartempion]

It's an airport. I go there to catch a plane, not to enjoy myself. It serves its purpose perfectly well.

Not so, need to travel to the other airport 40kms away to connect domestically, that's a pain in the *ss.

There are nicer airports on the planet.

[BKKdreaming]

I like the open area , some airports seem so closed in ,

I like you can get food / drinks at 7-11 or Family mart at pretty normal prices , and if I was stuck there a long time there is a food court downstairs for the workers.....and Sim cards plus someone to set it up for you,.....

I like the Thai Gold card lounge and the food is good and free

I hate having to walk thru a shopping center to get to my gate , But LAX has almost the same thing......

Arriving ,

I hate landing and having to take a bus to the terminal ,

I hate the death march after a very long flight to Immigration......

Not a very long list , its an Airport not a 5 star hotel and I do not expect much

[Jay Sata]

The whole place appears to have been designed for King Power to peddle their overpriced so called duty free.

The lack of moving walk ways to the gates means a long hike.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Jay Sata