Suwannabumi

[AjarnP]

Had the misfortune to pass through our new and mighty International Airport twice over the last two days. A truly wondrous feat of construction I must say.

Just a few comments though...

Its a bit difficult to find your way around as the signage is conspicuous by its absence.

Gents toilets are WAY too insufficient. Alright if you need to sit but for a stand-up job there's nowhere near enough. The one I did find had an 'orrible pool of the stuff to stand in too. Nice touch I thought, you know, for a new building and all that.

By the way......and this is important. At this time there is only one place open in the domestic departures area where one can find a bottle of water, not Perrier mark you, not even 'mineral' water just Crystal FILTERED drinking water. It sells in this establishment which shall remain nameless (for fera of embarassing the owner) for THB 60 for a 600ml bottle. Ok I concede that it had been chilled to a perfect temperature for your Chateau Neuf Du Pape but as water goes it was warm. I suggested that they might want to sell 95 octane gasoline instead (which sells for a quarter of this price per litre) but that seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Oh yes, nearly forgot. Make sure if you're taking a taxi into town that you make sure he goes via the Motorway and not via Bang Na Trad Road and the old Expressway. Cost for the motorway route comes out at around Baht 200-220 in medium traffic and via Bang Na around 350. I was told that they are not yet charging the "Call-Up" fee of THB 50 as per the old Don Muang system but my driver insisted on it anyway. Beware!!!

Conclusion: It might be good when its finished and when they take on a cleaning crew.

Happy flying chaps and chapesses:(

Edited September 30, 2006 by AjarnP

[Limbo]

Great report AjarnP!

Thanks!

I mean if this is 75 % of what the airport is going to offer us according to its managing director, I wonder how the remaining 25 % look.

Limbo

[svenivan]

I am looking forward to read Chang35bath's report from his trip Chiang Rai - England. He left CR 28 and were going to leave Suvarnaphumi Oct 29 02.30.

[marshbags]

Anybody gone from domestric to international yet on one of the other carriers ( not Thai Airways )

Was it possible to check your luggage all the way through or was it a check out and check back in situation please.

Was it much of a job going from one area to the other if that,s the situation.

Thanks in advance.

marshbags

Edited September 30, 2006 by marshbags

[AjarnP]

I am looking forward to read Chang35bath's report from his trip Chiang Rai - England. He left CR 28 and were going to leave Suvarnaphumi Oct 29 02.30.

Hi Marsh,

From what I could tell the whole affair (don't tell the wife) takes place under one roof so moving between Domestic and International shouldn't even get you wet.

Whether or not your bags make it is in the hands of a higher power than even NBIA

Happy landings

[buddhafly]

there is an entire category of suvarnabhumi posts/threads in it's own area of the forum worth lookin at.

especially my critiques of course.

[Boxer]

there is an entire category of suvarnabhumi posts/threads in it's own area of the forum worth lookin at.

especially my critiques of course.

These pictures and Maps might also help

www.boxertravels.com/airport/index.htm

[bkkandrew]

Well, as my day of destiny awaits next Sunday (first trip to the Cobra Swamp), my typing fingers are warming....

Still would like some more eye witness accounts of taking taxis from the departure area in advance!

[Soju]

By the way......and this is important. At this time there is only one place open in the domestic departures area where one can find a bottle of water, not Perrier mark you, not even 'mineral' water just Crystal FILTERED drinking water. It sells in this establishment which shall remain nameless (for fera of embarassing the owner) for THB 60 for a 600ml bottle. Ok I concede that it had been chilled to a perfect temperature for your Chateau Neuf Du Pape but as water goes it was warm. I suggested that they might want to sell 95 octane gasoline instead (which sells for a quarter of this price per litre) but that seemed to fall on deaf ears.

The rediculous pricing of food and drink airside is typical of airports worldwide. If I don't have lounge access, I always buy any drink or food landside, regardless of the airport and would suggest the same for people at Suvarnabhumi. Don Muang had a reasonable selection of food/drink booths, but as you say they are lacking at Suvarnabhumi. There's lots of other shops at the intersection of domestic concourses A and B... a Boots, a bookstore, and other shops. But noticeably absent was food/drink shops. However, one good thing about Suvarnabhumi is the difference in entering/exiting the airside departure area. At Don Muang, the security checkpoint with the X-ray machines came first and I'm guessing it would have been very difficult to go back and try to buy something cheaper landside. Not to mention the options landside were not very good. At least at Suvarnabhumi the X-ray machines are at the actual gates, so there is nothing to prevent you from returning landside if necessary and buying drinks or snacks at one of the several Family Marts which charge normal prices. It would be a bit of a walk, but certainly doable. There were no convenience stores that I saw at the domestic terminal of Don Muang, so IMHO this part is an improvement.

[chang35baht]

I am looking forward to read Chang35bath's report from his trip Chiang Rai - England. He left CR 28 and were going to leave Suvarnaphumi Oct 29 02.30.

Hi guys, yes I did manage to get to Glasgow( Dear Svenivan, my good friend, please never ever mistake Scotland for England again ever ever. Thank you) eventually.

When arriving at the domestic part of the airport It is simply a matter of exiting the baggage area with your luggage trolley and going up, if I remember correctly, 2 floors to int. departure check in area. The bonus that the new airport has given us that the old one never had is the facility to take your trolley up or down the escalator Just like BigC only at a much better slope.

When I got to check in at around 21.15 there was an Emirates flight ahead of mine leaving at 01.25. I was given permission to check in also even though my flight wasn`t until 02.30. Great I thought. Giving me plenty time to have a few beers. Because I like a few beers don`t I Dr. Limbo.

There were 7 people aheadof me in my Q.It took me 2 and a 1/2 hours to get to the front. The baggage belts were not working, the computers were having all sorts of problems. Peopls names were not on the passenger list etc. Any way it worked out around 25 minutes per person to check in.

With my drinking time severely reduced I hurredly tried to find somewhere to partake. Back down a floor I managed to find some sort of Suchi place with a fridge . It was the only one I could find. Singh, bottle, small 140Baht So I had 2 or 3 there. Then I went airside found a bar, sawthe kilkenny faunt and thought that`s the one for me. Till I saw the price , 480 Baht for a large glass and 240 for a small. So, back on to the Singh.

It was quite funny actually because the bar staff were hopeless and they kept forgetting to write down what people had to drink so they had to take our word for the number of bottles we had. Needless to say my bin never worked out at 140 a glass.

Suitably afloat, went to check in on time for a change. The flight was delayed for nearly 2 hours due to a medical emergency on board according to the pilot. It must have been a Pee that was ill because nobody I spoke to saw anything with respect to someone being ill. It was obviously the length of time for checking in tha had delayed take off.

When I landed in Dubai instead of having a couple of hours to kill I had to run like hel_l to my gate. Man breasts bouncing all over the place( I`ve put on weight).

The flight from Dubai to Glasgow(in Scotland Sven) was really quiet. Managed to get to lay acroos 4 seats in the centre Aisle. Much better than first class.

Anyhow I think in the near future the powers that be will add a few more beerstops and toilets and everything will soon be running as smoothly as D. Muang wasn`t.

Signage needs to be improved also as Ajarnpete(oops sorry) already mentioned. The lifts are too busy to bother waitng for.

But it is an impreesive structure all round.

Sorry, Have to go. Scotland are going to get F*%£@d from France at football and I don`t want to watch it sober.

See you at Xmas guys.

P.S. What are C.R.A.P.S. fighting about these days

All the best Singh140Baht.