New Airport Poll

[phibunmike]

and then it will be an adequate Airport for Thailand.

My thoughts exactly.

This airport will only ever be adequate, it's not on a par with HK, KL or Changi.

Shame really, nice architectural design, but poor usage of the massive space it creates

I agree. Amazing how such a large airport can be made to feel cramped and claustrophobic. At least now though they have put a few plants in which helps a little to disguise the bare cement.

[Sing_Sling]

I've used it four times since inception and the following user-observations come to the fore:

Arrival:

* More steamlined and they've done away with those ridiculous cyclops cameras. Still waiting for the first LoS smile at immigration.

* Inadequate posting and access to taxis when arriving.

* Sub-zero temperature in the building so that even the Immigration people were wearing their jackets.

* Toilets soiled and no soap

* Departure

* Chaos. Total chaos. No lines or indicators for lining up.

* Air con? Didn't exist - everyone was dripping with sweat.

* Immigration just as slow as before, perhaps even more so.

* Domestic flights - no flight info signs, simply hand-written on pieces of paper stuck up on the wall.

* Toilets - UGH!

* Expensive shops. I miss hanging around in the Thai specialities shop and gorging myself on the samples (yes, I did buy something every time)

This is not taking into account the sinking tarmac and a whole host of other construction faults.

All in all I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't create a more 'Thai-Style' architecture and my final thought is:

Why bother having built a new one as it is as good as the old one.

[Soju]

All in all I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't create a more 'Thai-Style' architecture and my final thought is:

Why bother having built a new one as it is as good as the old one.

Because Don Muang was busting at the seams trying to keep up with the capacity. There is no space at Don Muang to expand it anymore. There was no way to add more flights and thus bring in more visitors and tourists to Bangkok without building a new airport. What style architecture, how user friendly, etc. was all secondary. Primary need was to be able to handle more flights.

[Sing_Sling]

I understand the rationale of it, but here comes the point:

Don Muang = Domestic

Suph....... = International

Makes sense, but the following doesn't:

Don Muang - shopping mall

Suph....... - Domstic and International

The inclusion of domestic flights at Suph..... allows for an 11% increase in air traffic. Hardly worth the billions spent on it, don't you think?

[Soju]

I understand the rationale of it, but here comes the point:

Don Muang = Domestic

Suph....... = International

Makes sense, but the following doesn't:

Don Muang - shopping mall

Suph....... - Domstic and International

The inclusion of domestic flights at Suph..... allows for an 11% increase in air traffic. Hardly worth the billions spent on it, don't you think?

The way I took your initial comment was why the need at all for Suvarnabhumi. There was an obvious need for a new airport and that's what they did. I understand that the original plan was to do as you say and have Don Muang be the domestic airport. So the real question you should be asking is why did they allow all flights to use the new airport rather than only international flights.

Anyways, the current state of Suvarnabhumi is not going to remain static. There are plans for a low-cost airline terminal, which will allow for more capacity at the main terminal, and room for additional runways and international terminals to be built in the future. As passenger numbers increase, the airport is able to expand to meet the new demands which Don Muang was not capable of doing. If the airport can handle the capacity of both domestic and international flights, then I see no reason why they shouldn't be at the same airport. It's much easier for passengers that way and much easier to make BKK a hub for air travel in SEA. Maybe you see things differently, but I don't see that having domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi is having any huge negative impact on the airport operations or passenger experience. Just about all the problems with the airport would still be there even if you took away all the domestic passengers.

So the billions spent on the new airport was not just to get an 11% increase in capacity. It's much more than that if you look to the future. Don Muang was a dead end. Suvarnabhumi is not.

[Sing_Sling]

So the real question you should be asking is why did they allow all flights to use the new airport rather than only international flights.

You are absolutely correct, as the new airport was built with Don Muang as a domestic airport in mind - hence the number crunching on how Suph.... would be world class.

Of course you are correct in saying that having domestic and international at the same location would make sense . . . can you imagine fighting traffic to catch a connection . . .

The problem is that it is bogged down in the same mess as before. More flights and basically the same infrastructure - in that domestic and international share the runways and terminals.

As for a budget-terminal being built . . . there may be plans, but look how long this one took to be (semi-) completed.

It's not so much the current situation that is a shambles, but the bluster by the pollies that this would be a world-class hub, capable of a huge increase in flights and passenger numbers.

Sadly this is simply not the case.

[patrickq]

Came in through Suvarnabhumi a couple of weeks ago, so the worst of teething problems had been sorted, the luggage started to come through fairly quickly, about 5 minutes after I reached belt, but then maybe this is helped by the extensive route on conveyor belts to immigration, which seems to never end. Unfortunately my 'priority labelled' bag came through virtually last, the tag had been ripped off, now whether that was in previous handling or by BKK handlers when they saw it, I don't know. So almost an hour before I could leave carousel. I had to wait for friend picking me up and so wandered around airport for some time.

Impressed by the expanse of the structure, but that was about it.

It is such a wasted opportunity, Thailand had the chance of creating the most impressive airport in the world and instead made something that is about 20 years out of date and poorly thought out. Unfortunately it is typical of the general care and attention to detail in this country - as long as the packaging looks fine who cares about the contents.

The huge metal bolts and rods inside building, exposed to view, are covered in concrete dust and filth, these of course will never be cleaned.

The building has no internal identification with Thailand, just a mass of concrete and metal, it could be anywhere in the world. What the heck were the architects thinking, obviously about doing an easy job and making as much profit as possible I guess ... or maybe they'd been instructed to produce an anonymous pile of ...

The terminal structure may be the largest in the world, but it is possibly even worse than Don Muang when you exit from arrivals. I came out of one exit (I understand there are 2, good for making sure you get missed by friends meeting you) and it was push and shove to get through, as there are shops almost opposite, so area is very congested. This wasn't at a busy time either. It beggars belief that such stupidity in design could have passed all the way through to construction.

Same goes for the toilets, only 2 or 3 cubicles in the gents I went into. I think even a design student would know better.

So, a great shame, but no great surprise. While Thailand continues to produce shoddy product, it will continue to be third rate in world markets. The great thing is that this means it will remain a fabulous country to visit or live in, as the Baht exchange rate will always provide an affordable lifestyle here :-)

[TokyoT]

Well I kind of like the interior design of the new airport the problem I have is that it is filthy. I am continually amazed at how conscious Thai people tend to be about their individual cleanliness, but how they are willing to allow their environment to be filthy. At the new airport, the inside surface of most of the outward facing glass is covered in dust/dirt, as is quite a lot of the exposed/painted steel structure. Not at all what I would expect in a “world class” airport. The fact that the airport is still basically under construction does of course add to the “dirty” look, and difficulty in keeping things clean. So there is hope that if they ever do actually finish the place they might get around to cleaning it as well.

I am certainly not over the moon with the new airport, but it works OK for me. One should expect to have “teething” problems when opening a new airport, but Thailand did very little to try and minimize such problems. If anything they made them worse by rushing thru the final stages to open the new airport buy X date. We have been waiting decades for the new airport to open, what would it have hurt to push the opening back a few more months until they were actually ready to open? IMHO certainly not a “world class” airport, and has quite a long way to go before it could possibly even be considered as such. Has a few design flaws that may keep it from ever becoming “world class”, but again it adequately services it’s purpose.

Considering how long this place has been on the drawing table, and how long it took to actually build, there is absolutely no excuse for not having a rail link completed when the airport opened for service. I am also not so sure about the taxi location issue. Was the airport designed to have remote pick-up, or was the remote pick-up idea thrown out at some later date and then changed back just prior to opening to allow the taxies to pick up right at the terminal?

I actually think the remote pick up would not be such a bad thing if implemented correctly. If the design of the airport allowed for the flow of people and to minimize possible congestion related to having the transportation remote. Like having a free automated rail link deigned to for easy movement of people with luggage to/from the terminal from the remote location. The devil is in the details and integrating the transportation system into the terminal to minimize congestion.

All in all, I think DM was better – but the new airport has the potential to some day measure up to DM.

[Soju]

"With regard to Hong Kong having a better selection of food options, I'd agree, though pricing wise I didn't see a significant difference as you did."

The food in HK airport is on a par with what you would pay outside the airport, and the range means you have lots of choices. Unlike Suvarnabhumi which is a rip off, 75 baht for a bottle of King power water!!!!

Anyway there were cheap tasty options in the old domestic terminal, personally I will miss the chinese upstairs that gave you a plate of duck and rice, soup and a drink for under 120 baht. The same in new airport would set you back something in the region of 300-400 baht.

A Mc d's meal or kfc meal is cheaper than that in HK.

There's a new Chinese cafe open on Level 3, next to the Black Canyon and Starbucks. Most of the dishes are less than 100 Baht, so you should be able to get the same thing you got at Don Muang for basically the same price. Their prices looked to be half of the Black Canyon and selection much better.

I ate at the Magic Food Place on Level 1 with my wife. For the two of us the bill came to 95 Baht and she was quite pleased. There's a place there where you can get duck and rice. I was the only Farang in the place. It was packed with Thais who looked mainly to be airport workers. Most of the standard Thai dishes cost from 25 to 35 baht here. If you're on a budget, this place is very cheap.

Edited November 4, 2006 by Soju

[baboon]

To start with, I must say the options on this poll are reall rather poor. I voted for option 2 but I do not believe Suvarnaphumi will one day up there with the best, however to call the place a disgrace is equally false. Has anyone been to Dhaka airport? Now come back and tell me how crappy Suvarnabhumi is.

For the record; I picked my Mother up from there last week. My initial impressions were as follows:

1. Plenty of toilets.

2. Arrivals area so small as to be a joke.

3. Dining not horribly expensive.

4. Beautiful building.

5. Poor signage to and inside the airport. {Taxi driver who had no problem using the meter swearing under his breath trying to find arrivals.}

6. Nowhere to have a sit down and a beer while waiting.

7. The usual annoying Taxi touts.

I dropped her off a couple of days ago and my impressions of Departures are as follows:

1. Desperate for a wee, I was running around all over the place.

2. Check in desks easy enough to find if you are not a complete retard.

3. PISS POOR SECURITY!!! A middle eastern gentleman was behaving most suspiciously on the seat near my Mother, glancing around, legs constantly twitching and generally looking dodgy. He was sitting in the same seat for 30 minutes and was not challenged.

4. Just about enough seats.

5. Fairly clean and welcoming environment.

6. Dead easy to find a METERED Taxi from Departures to take you back into town.

7. My Mother told me the Duty Free selection was awful, but that is her opinion.

All in all, I would sum up that Suvarnabhumi is not bad at all, but I do not imagine Malaysia and Singapore exactly bricking it when it comes to the new player in town.

Just my opinion based on what little I have seen.