Call To Close Bangkok’s New Airport As Problems Mount

[sriracha john]

SUVARNABHUMI / AIRCRAFT NOISE

Court to rule soon on call to ban night flights

The Administrative Court is expected to rule within days on demands to suspend night flights at Suvarnabhumi airport by people living in its vicinity. Somchai Armin, who represents the 359 residents bringing the noise-abatement case, said the flights could be moved to Don Mueang airport. His clients have asked the court to bar domestic and international flights at Suvarnabhumi from 10pm to 5am so they can get a proper night's sleep. Somchai said yesterday's hearing focused on the impact the ban would have on the country and measures to alleviate the residents' plight. He expected a decision within a few days. The residents brought a case against Airports of Thailand (AoT), the Civil Aviation Department Chief, the Transport Minister, the Pollution Control Department Chief, and the Natural Resources and Environment Minister.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Nov2007_news03.php

[Naam]

Call To Close Bangkok’s New Airport As Problems Mount

yaaaaawwwwnnnnn....

[Scott]

Sadly, I do feel a lot of sympathy for the people living around the airport. I highly doubt that they anticipated such pervasive noise.

One of the roles of a gov't is to make sure that where sites like the airport are built and where residential areas are built are at a safe distance. It's called zoning and the 'new' airport should have been preventing people from buying and building homes in the vicinity many years ago. It's called planning.

This isn't about people making silly choices, it's about gov'ts that let people make silly choices. Same thing with laws about drunk driving, seat belts, helmets and a whole range of things.

I can hardly wait for them to build the nuclear plant!

[sriracha john]

the court ruling is in... and decided it wasn't in keeping with the renowned "hub" status

No ban on night flights

Court rejects petition from residents

The Central Administrative Court yesterday shot down a petition from residents living near Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport to seek a ban on night time flights to ease noise pollution.

The court dismissed the request from 359 people who demanded the year-old airport be shut from 10pm to 5am.

It said the seven-hour ban on night flights would affect 100,000 passengers and nearly 170 flights on average per day, arguing it would go against the Kingdom's commitment to becoming a major aviation hub. "It will affect Thailand's global aviation commitment, and could trigger retaliation from airliners and travellers," the court ruling said.

The plaintiffs led by former national athlete Sanan Worasuksri, 64, requested the court to have the Airports of Thailand (AOT) temporarily suspend all night time flights until it implemented measures approved by the National Environment Board (NEB) in March 2005, to evacuate those living in the area of noise levels over 40 NEF (noise exposure forecast) and to sound proof buildings in areas of noise levels between 30 and 40 NEF.

They also wanted the company to stop building the third and fourth runways until it submits an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to the NEB first.

Although their request was dismissed, the court will still proceed with the 359 plaintiffs' lawsuit to rule if five defendants - the AOT, Director-General of the Department of Civil Aviation, Transport Minister, Director-General of the Department of Pollution Control, and Natural Resources and Environment Minister respectively - had acted within the frame of the law.

Residents near the airport have demanded state compensation to help pay for the soundproofing of their homes or eventual relocation to other areas, but talks with Thailand's airport operator have made little progress.

With capacity to handle 45 million passengers a year, Suvarnabhumi opened in September 2006 hoping it would establish Bangkok as Southeast Asia's pre-eminent air hub. But the US$3 billion (Bt100 billion) facility has been plagued by problems ranging from cracks in the runways to complaints about safety and sanitation.

- The Nation

================================

former national athlete Sanan Worasuksri

was a ping-pong player who competed in the 1970's

[sriracha john]

they ain't quittin'....

Court refuses to ban flights

Residents vow to keep fighting airport noise

Area residents affected by aircraft noise from Suvarnabhumi airport have threatened to lodge a complaint with the United Nations, after their demand to suspend night flights at the airport was turned down by the Central Administrative Court yesterday. The court's decision disappointed the residents and prompted them to consider reviving their plan to release balloons to disrupt air traffic at the 155-billion-baht international airport. A team from the Lawyers Council of Thailand who represented the 359 residents said they would petition the court again to try to get the night flights at Suvarnabhumi banned. The residents had asked the court to bar domestic and international flights at Suvarnabhumi from 10pm to 5am so they can get a proper night's sleep. The court, however, refused to grant the residents' request, citing the immense economic impact and agreements with airlines.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/01Dec2007_news02.php

=============================================================

The balloon threat harkens back to the related thaivisa threads:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=140293&st=

Balloon Threat Gets AoT Jittery, Locals angry at aircraft noise plan disruption

and

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=142082&hl=

Protestors At Airport Plan To Crash Plane With Balloon?

[dekka007]

Area residents affected by aircraft noise from Suvarnabhumi airport have threatened to lodge a complaint with the United Nations

United Nations ..... <deleted>.

What they gonna do exactly. Send a noise keeping task force......

Edited December 2, 2007 by dekka007

[sriracha john]

Railway authority to extend Airport Link construction contract

Despite criticism about the current constructor of the airport link, the Railway Authority of Thailand is likely to extend the contract with the current company.

Moreover, the new contractor would likely absorb additional operation costs of around 8 billion baht for the delayed project. Therefore, he is afraid no other company would be interested in inheriting the burden.

- Thailand Outlook

Deputy rail boss must face charge

The Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) yesterday turned down a proposal by its sub-committee on the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link that a deputy governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) be exempted from charges. The fact-finding team, headed by Kaewsan Atipho, proposed that deputy governor Yutthana Thapcharoen be made a key witness in the corruption case and that he be spared the malfeasance charges the ASC would press against senior SRT officers. The ASC source said that the commitee disagreed with the sub-panel's recommendation and suggested that all officers allegedly involved in graft should face charges. The rail link, estimated to cost 26 billion baht, will run between inner Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport, and was initiated by the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Sep2007_news02.php

UPDATE

Transport Ministry Extends Airport Link Construction Period for 370 Days

The Transport Ministry allowed the contractor of the new airport electric train project to extend its construction period for a year after a delay in handover of land by the railways authority. The signing of the renewal contract is expected to be done by January next year.

Inspector of the Transport Ministry Supoj Saplom says the ministry's committee has resolved to prolong the construction period of the sky-train project between Bangkok downtown and Suvarnabhumi Airport or the Airport Rail Link for 370 days starting from August 7 this year.

The permission was granted due to the delay in handover of a construction site by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

However, the civil construction, signaling system installment and the test run are expected to be complete by November 2008 and the train service will commence one month later.

Currently, the project is 79% complete.

In January next year, Siemens company will deliver 4 electric train cars to Thailand, while the draft renewal contract will be submitted to the SRT and the Attorney-General for further consideration before signing in December or January next year.

The SRT Chief Financial Officer Arak Rartboriharn says the details of the construction payments and the time schedule of the Airport Rail Link project will be passed to Cabinet for approval on December 4.

- Thailand Outlook