Huge expansion on the cards for Suvarnabhumi Airport (plus some new rail links)

[webfact]

Huge expansion on the cards for Suvarnabhumi Airport (plus some new rail links)
by Staff writer


Featured image by Al Pavangkanan and used under a Creative Commons licence

BANGKOK: -- The next tranche of construction projects scheduled for Suvarnabhumi will see the airport’s capacity increased to 60 million passengers a year, from just 45 million as of now.

2016 is set to see the Phase 2 development of the international aviation hub, with three construction projects worth a combined ฿18 billion (US$500 million) slated to begin in June, reports the Bangkok Post.

The projects include utility installations for electricity, water and air-conditioning systems, the construction of an apron, taxiways to lead to the new apron and underground work.

The proposed 960,000 square metre apron will be able to accommodate 28 jetliners, including eight A-380 super jumbo jets.

Phase 2 is comprised of an additional four construction projects for the airport – including a midfield satellite concourse building and a new tunnel linking to the planned concourse – although they will not be put out for tender until later this year.

Completion of Phase 2 is slated for 2019, according to Prasong Poontaneat, chairman of the Airports of Thailand board.

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/huge-expansion-on-the-cards-for-suvarnabhumi-airport-plus-some-new-rail-links/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-01-25

[sebastion]

Don't bother putting normal toilets in. The Chinese just stand on the toilet bowl. The Chinese like the squat style yong yongs.

[ChrisY1]

It took 10 years .....untold corruption and graft...ages to correct all the faults and dodgy equipment...and that was for the original....to say nothing about the toilets....and now they're gonna almost double the capacity of Swampy by 2019.....??

[anon467848]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

[arunsakda]

And supposedly a paltry tourist maintenance fee and the fact that "Chinese tourists don't spend money" already drove the final nail into the coffin of Thai Tourism.

What rubbish.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Searat7]

The airport is nearly 10 years old and expansion plans have been announced many times but no action. In this announcement I see no mention of a third runway which should be a key part of any major expansion.

[rubl]

Passenger movement (international, national, transit) at Suvarnabhumi was 46.4 million in FY2014 (ending Sept. 2014) and 52.3 in FY2015 (ending Sept. 2015).

I guess an expansion from maximum 45 million comes just in time

[CantSpell]

What puzzles me is the Airport link extension as reported in more details in BP...

Airport link to Don Muang is a very good idea but U-Tapao???

A Rail Link between Soi Cowboy and Walking street Pattaya would make more sense to attract quality tourists, with Rail Hostess Hooter style...

That would surely become a bread winner

[FredNL]

Are they really expecting more high quality tourists? Or are the Thai going to use the airport more?

[HerbalEd]

I'm sure there are many corruption-hungry officials and lots of others who are drooling right now.

[Colabamumbai]

Another nightmare in the making.

[Thian]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

Looking at the map the Burmese indeed must have a great coastline and the Andaman sea is much cleaner. I sure would like to go there one day but it has to be safe first and organised.

[billphillips]

I don't think they need to expand it. The Chinese will be coming by train soon.

[elgordo38]

I guess this means lean times for the rest of the country. All they are worried about is to get the tourists on the tarmac after that its every tourist for himself. Then again looking at history these are only empty words till the shovels hit the ground. My money is on the empty words.

[SOTIRIOS]

...something quite perverse about it all....

[geriatrickid]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

The reality is that Myanmar has no tourism infrastructure. It is 10 years away from anything basic.

Vietnam is still mired in bureaucracy and doesn't have the infrastructure to support a doubling of its tourism sector. It doesn't even have a service culture.

Laos? Not going to happen.

Cambodia? Easiest visas in the region but aside from that it has nothing to offer except disease, filth crime and too many pedophiles. Visitors returning from Cambodia are guaranteed a close inspection of all electronic devices.

Malaysia? It's a couple steps away from descending into civil war and the influence of religious zealots is never far from government.

Philippines? A basket case with Cebu winning the title of highest rate of HIV infection in Asia. That says it all.

Meanwhile, the tourist numbers are growing in Thailand. They may be low end, but it is obvious that BKK cannot keep up with the traffic it has now. All that BKK will do is meet its current needs, nothing more.

[toenail]

Since the Thaksin maggots are not around to leech off government project money maybe these plans could become a reality under the military regime. Look at the progress on the Skytrain in Bangkok since Ying-bad-luck has been ousted. (I am not supporting a military regime forever, but it seems to be better than having the uneducated, bribed rural Thai citizens voting for someone because of promises and receiving a bribe.)

[Ricardo]

Great news that 28 new parking-spaces for planes will be created, but without somebody getting their fingers out, and actually starting work on the often-announced 3rd-runway, how will those aircraft land or take-off again ?

It really is needed, before either of the main runways needs major-maintenance, or subsides further into the swamp !

Swampy was planned to be the hub of aviation in S.E.Asia, but so far is only a hub of announcements, thank heavens DMK was able to be revived to cope with the rush of LCC domestic-flights & charters bringing in quality-tourists !

[pieeyed]

I would like to know who's family name is on the land title and how much per rai the extra land that will be needed?

[Ricardo]

I would like to know who's family name is on the land title and how much per rai the extra land that will be needed?

The 3rd & 4th runways, new terminals & aprons, are all within the existing airport land.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

They do indeed. And great trekking areas relatively unspoilt with tourists. Often better maintained tourist sites that are either free or charge lower entrance fees than their Thai counterparts. Lots of friendly welcoming locals that genuinely want you there.

Generally a lot less visible pollution than in Thai tourist areas, fewer crowds and hotel staff that make a genuine effort to please you. Far fewer scams and touts too.

Also, you can buy alcohol any time of day. None of this 11am-2pm and 5pm-12am nonsense.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

The reality is that Myanmar has no tourism infrastructure. It is 10 years away from anything basic.

Vietnam is still mired in bureaucracy and doesn't have the infrastructure to support a doubling of its tourism sector. It doesn't even have a service culture.

Laos? Not going to happen.

Cambodia? Easiest visas in the region but aside from that it has nothing to offer except disease, filth crime and too many pedophiles. Visitors returning from Cambodia are guaranteed a close inspection of all electronic devices.

Malaysia? It's a couple steps away from descending into civil war and the influence of religious zealots is never far from government.

Philippines? A basket case with Cebu winning the title of highest rate of HIV infection in Asia. That says it all.

Meanwhile, the tourist numbers are growing in Thailand. They may be low end, but it is obvious that BKK cannot keep up with the traffic it has now. All that BKK will do is meet its current needs, nothing more.

Myanmar is improving it's tourism infrastructure very quickly.

Case in point: Hpa-an, Kayin State. February 2013: 7 hotels. October 2013: Around 10 hotels. Now: 20-25 hotels and more on the way. Yangon: February 2013: Around 95 hotels on Agoda. Now: well over 220.

A new airport near Yangon will open in the next few years and will largely replace the current one, which itself has already seen an expansion of the current terminal that opened not long ago. I also recall expansion works that have not been completed.

Similar story in many other parts of the country.

Tourist numbers are up from barely half a million in 2011 to around 3 million now with up to 5 million expected this year and perhaps 8 million or more by 2020.

So I would not dismiss Myanmar's major potential to take away a large chunk of Thailand tourism traffic in coming years.

As for Cambodia and Laos? Well they are still minor destinations and probably always will be to some extent (especially Laos, which doesn't have any beaches) and as such will mostly remain destinations that are part of a multi country itinerary, but Vietnam and Myanmar are certainly destinations in their own right and increasing numbers of visitors are heading directly to these countries while avoiding Thailand (except for some transit visitors who head there via Thai airports). Many visitors are doing Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam AND avoiding Thailand.

[TPI]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

The reality is that Myanmar has no tourism infrastructure. It is 10 years away from anything basic.

Vietnam is still mired in bureaucracy and doesn't have the infrastructure to support a doubling of its tourism sector. It doesn't even have a service culture.

Laos? Not going to happen.

Cambodia? Easiest visas in the region but aside from that it has nothing to offer except disease, filth crime and too many pedophiles. Visitors returning from Cambodia are guaranteed a close inspection of all electronic devices.

Malaysia? It's a couple steps away from descending into civil war and the influence of religious zealots is never far from government.

Philippines? A basket case with Cebu winning the title of highest rate of HIV infection in Asia. That says it all.

Meanwhile, the tourist numbers are growing in Thailand. They may be low end, but it is obvious that BKK cannot keep up with the traffic it has now. All that BKK will do is meet its current needs, nothing more.

Myanmar is improving it's tourism infrastructure very quickly.

Case in point: Hpa-an, Kayin State. February 2013: 7 hotels. October 2013: Around 10 hotels. Now: 20-25 hotels and more on the way. Yangon: February 2013: Around 95 hotels on Agoda. Now: well over 220.

A new airport near Yangon will open in the next few years and will largely replace the current one, which itself has already seen an expansion of the current terminal that opened not long ago. I also recall expansion works that have not been completed.

Similar story in many other parts of the country.

Tourist numbers are up from barely half a million in 2011 to around 3 million now with up to 5 million expected this year and perhaps 8 million or more by 2020.

So I would not dismiss Myanmar's major potential to take away a large chunk of Thailand tourism traffic in coming years.

As for Cambodia and Laos? Well they are still minor destinations and probably always will be to some extent (especially Laos, which doesn't have any beaches) and as such will mostly remain destinations that are part of a multi country itinerary, but Vietnam and Myanmar are certainly destinations in their own right and increasing numbers of visitors are heading directly to these countries while avoiding Thailand (except for some transit visitors who head there via Thai airports). Many visitors are doing Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam AND avoiding Thailand.

None of my travelling friends like to come here now, when we have reunions we meet in Vietnam or Cambodia. In Thailand the problems just kept building up, poor to non existant service, surly staff in provincial towns, nothing in English or any attempt to make things a little easier!

[thaibeachlovers]

Thailand just take it for granted that tourism will grow every year exponentially. Sooner or later the 'bell curve effect' will happen, and numbers will drop off..

Once some of Thailand's neighbors get their acts together, they will take away a lot of tourists from Thailand. E.g. I've heard from Burmese friends that Myanmar have some some fantastic unspoiled beaches..

You only have to fly over Burma's coastline ( as I have done ) to realise that Burma has far more wonderful beaches than Thailand. If they ever get their act together they'll take all Thailand's beach loving tourists. Their main advantage of course is that the beaches are unspoiled, unlike Thai beaches where all the once good ones have been concreted over. I hope they open up before I die, as I'd like to enjoy a beach like Thailand used to have 25 years ago again.

[English patriot]

It's big now so they will we'd to upgrade the flow through as chaos at times particular if you on a connecting flight.

[thaibeachlovers]

What puzzles me is the Airport link extension as reported in more details in BP...

Airport link to Don Muang is a very good idea but U-Tapao???

A Rail Link between Soi Cowboy and Walking street Pattaya would make more sense to attract quality tourists, with Rail Hostess Hooter style...

That would surely become a bread winner

You must have missed the huge expansion in people along the eastern coast. A train to U Tapao would also serve the towns on the way, providing a much needed public service not met by the buses.

[thaibeachlovers]

It's big now so they will we'd to upgrade the flow through as chaos at times particular if you on a connecting flight.

I found transit to be very confusing. I guess they went for style over substance when designing the place. After it opened, I wrote a piece that was extremely critical of the design and construction, though I did admit that the terminal looked spectacular from outside at night.