Airport Impressions

[Guest]

Wow 30 km's from Udon Thani. Well thats enough time for a quick Now let me see if I have her mobile?

[Guest]

Yes bangkoksins I would have to agree with your comments. We should not just be satisifed with comments posted in thE Bangkok Post especially now that Taskin is out of the country. I think they have a little more courage now in regards to critisizing the old TRT party and Governemnt.

Following the money, understanding Thai politics, relationships with friends in business and corruption are all in the mix and hard to understand for outsiders like us.

But at the end of the day our own experience of the airport is the most important thing.

[TTChang]

(newcomer @ Jan. 14 2007,08:32) Pigdog comments are valid concerning Nok Air. By upgrading to Nok Plus for a few baht more you get much better seats, meal, paper and the right to change your flights at no additional cost.

The comment was made concerning Nok Air not accepting International Credit cards. This is true just simply wait until you land in Bangkok and either book at the airport on arrival or ring and book in Bangkok. Some Seven Eleven shops have Nok Air booths of some sort but I have not used them before.

I've paid cash for a Nok Air flight in the 7/11 on Soi 4, and I've used Nok Plus several times to Chiang Mai - extra baggage allowance too.

[69billy]

(newcomer @ Jan. 14 2007,09:37) Wow 30 km's from Udon Thani. Well thats enough time for a quick    Now let me see if I have her mobile?

I'm stayin in Udon...
Now I'm looking for a flight...Looks like price is going up...WestEast...asking £505...and there sayin thets with 500bt airport tax off LOS..
In Oct. I payed £425(EVA)

[rxpharm]

More news about the impending move back to Don Muang

from Bangkok Post, January 16, 2007

AVIATION / AIRPORT CONGESTION

Only three airlines set to move to Don Muang

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Only three carriers including Thai Airways International are prepared to move their non-connecting domestic operations to Don Muang Airport, raising questions whether the shift would ease crowding at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The other two airlines that are prepared to move are the budget carriers One-Two-Go and Nok Air, whereas Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways have opted to remain at the new airport.

Their willingness to move point-to-point domestic flights to the old airport is driven by a desire to relieve passengers and staff of the inconveniences and frustration they are enduring at Suvarnabhumi.

On the passenger side, the problems involve long queues for check-in, long waits for baggage and long walks to boarding gates, while airlines have been subject to flight delays due to poor traffic management and congestion.

Aviation analysts estimate anywhere from 15% to 30% of the load at Suvarnabhumi could be reduced by reopening Don Muang for commercial flights.

THAI, One-Two-Go and Nok Air are reportedly prepared to pay the additional costs in setting up separate operations at Don Muang, which was closed on Sept 28 when Suvarnabhumi opened.

However, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways prefer to stay at Suvarnabhumi due partly to the high costs of operating at two sites. They also do not want to lose connections with their international flights.

Both Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin and One-Two-Go vice-chairman Kajit Habanananda said yesterday that passengers' convenience overshadowed the incremental costs involved in setting up again at Don Muang.

"We are ready to go back to Don Muang on 30 days' notice," Mr Patee said, adding that all of Nok Air's current flights were domestic point-to-point.

Mr Kajit said One-Two-Go was prepared to absorb and costs arising from move and would not pass it on to passengers.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said that the sooner the national carrier could move its non-connecting flights to Don Muang, the better it would be for its passengers, who are mostly Thais.

Both Mr Apinan and Mr Kajit said their airlines could start their flights out of Don Muang on March 15.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways said its operations had been built around Suvarnabhumi and that Don Muang was not in its plans. M.L. Nandhika Varavarn, vice-president for corporate communication, said 90% of Bangkok Airways' passengers were foreigners who required connections with international flights.

Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said that unless Airports of Thailand Plc allowed it to also shift its international services to Don Muang, it would rather remain at Suvarnabhumi. "We cannot afford to split our operations at two sites. It doesn't make economic sense."

Instead, Mr Tassapon urged AoT to speed up consideration of a plan it had outlined earlier to build a special terminal for budget carriers at Suvarnabhumi.

Aviation analysts estimate anywhere from 15% to 30% of the load at Suvarnabhumi could be reduced by reopening Don Muang for commercial flights.

Mr Apinan said THAI could make a "significant" contribution by moving.

The national carrier operates about 300 domestic flights a week. It wants to offer certain flights on three domestic routes frequented by foreign tourists - from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi - at Suvarnabhumi to facilitate connections.
TIT

[rxpharm]

More airport news (or rumours dependin on your point of view), from Bangkok Post, January 20, 2007.

More woes at troubled new airport

Runway subsidence claims, probe ordered

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen has ordered an investigation into a report of land subsidence and cracks on a runway at Suvarnabhumi airport. But the airport's director Somchai Sawasdeepol denied there was any subsidence in the runway now in use although he agreed experts must find the cause of problems on taxiways.

Adm Theera said he ordered agencies to conduct an investigation immediately after receiving the report.

According to sources at the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), AoT board member Tortrakul Yomnak reported slight subsidence on a runway at Suvarnabhumi during a meeting yesterday on the re-use of Don Muang airport.

Adm Theera and his deputy, Sansern Wongcha-um, immediately met with Mr Tortrakul and Yodyiem Theptharanont, another AoT board member, to discuss what they saw as a serious problem.

The sources quoted Mr Tortrakul as saying the subsidence had been spotted at the ''takeoff'' area. He advised closure of the runway for repairs but warned that the problem may recur.

Mr Sansern confirmed that Mr Tortrakul had made the clarification. Mr Sansern said this concerned the area where airplanes waited before taking off, and said he would inspect the runway himself next week.

According to an AoT source, cracks were found at the takeoff area of the western runway. As an immediate solution, pilots were advised to shift their takeoff area. The western runway would be closed for repairs and the eastern runway would be used instead, the source said.

A contractor who asked not to be named said excessive underground water which had caused taxiways to swell up and crack could also pose problems to the runways at Suvarnabhumi airport.

A runway with soaked foundations could gradually subside due to the heavy weight of landing flights.

During the floods last year, contractors warned AoT of possible problems with the runway, the source said.

Contractors sought permission to pump excessive water out of the airport right away but AoT did not grant it for fear of causing trouble to communities around the airport.

The AoT source said it had asked a Japanese contractor to repair the crack but the contractor refused, saying the damage was not its fault.

AoT would tell the contractor to repair the runway and later claim the cost from its insurer, the source said.

Mr Somchai, director of Suvarnabhumi airport, said contractors had reported on the level of water in ditches around runways during last year's floods.

Mr Somchai denied any of the runways in use were subsiding. As for the water seeping underground, he said specialists must be hired to test both runways and taxiways.

Meanwhile, yesterday's meeting on the possible re-use of Don Muang airport was inconclusive.

Adm Theera said he would consult his deputy and a proposal should be submitted to the cabinet in the next few weeks.

Sources said most airlines want Don Muang to serve only non-connecting domestic flights. Most low-cost airlines prefer Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi but Thai AirAsia said it might have to invest in a separate terminal for no-frills service at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Demand for the re-use of Don Muang, currently serving only chartered flights, is gaining momentum due to congestion and problems with taxiways and runways at Suvarnabhumi.

Don Muang airport director Pinit Saraithong said the return of non-connecting domestic flights would bring annual traffic to five million passengers.

The old airport should earn 50 million baht a month from the return of regular flights to the airport, he said

TIT

[69billy]

Just booked with WestEast..LON-BKK-LON ...EVA AIR...£490..and from there with NokAir plus...BKK-Udon-BKK 3,937bt...
Lets hope they don't move before March....

[Guest]

(newcomer @ Jan. 14 2007,02:45) Sorry got a bit of the topic there. This is the new Udon Airport. Very nice as long as the planes arrive and depart on time. Luggage allowance on Air Asia is 15 kg per person and they enforce it. Be ready to pay the extra.

new udon airport or suvarnabhumi?

[rxpharm]

Yes cosstassg, that is Suvarnabhumi and NOT the Udon Airport!

Some more news, this time from the Nation newspaper Jan. 21/07 about cracks in the runway. Perhaps the problems are not just a political propaganda, but real! It would be difficult to make up imaginary cracks when people can go out and physically see them.

Runway cracks widen at Suvarnabhumi

Cracks in the runways at Suvarnabhumi Airport runways have expanded and may affect passenger safety, according to the head of a panel looking into the construction of the multibillion-baht facility.

"The cracks in the runway

and taxiways are truly an urgent matter that could become cri-tical, particularly to the safety of passengers, if nothing is solved," said Prapan Koonmee, chair-

man of the National Legislative Assembly's Suvarnabhumi Airport subcommittee.

Prapan and his panel visited the airport yesterday to inspect the construction-related problems, as well as alleged irregularities in the space allocated to duty-free shops.

The panel found several

cracks on the runways and taxiways as well as in the terminal buildings and floors, which they believe are a result of construction flaws.

"If the airport had been operational for two or three years we could put it down to heavy use. But the current situation shows the problems at Suvarnabhumi are likely to come from its construction," said Prapan.

He added the runway and taxiway cracks had spread and as much as 100,000 square metres of tarmac would be affected if nothing were done.

"It is crucial that the involved parties find the causes and solutions to this matter," said Prapan.

He claimed debris from a cracked runway overseas had caused an aircraft accident that killed 130 people.

The subcommittee will conclude its investigation in two to three weeks and then report to the government.

It will ask parties involved in the airport's construction to give evidence on Friday.

TIT!

[rxpharm]

More news about the taxiway and runway cracks from Bangkok Post, Jan. 22/07.

SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT / PROBLEMS WITH RUNWAYS, TAXIWAYS

Sub-standard work likely cause of cracks, wavy surfaces

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

The head of the inquiry into the construction of Suvarnabhumi airport suspects the cracked and uneven surfaces of runways and taxiways stems from substandard construction.

Praphan Khoonmee, head of the inquiry sub-committee set up by the Suvarnabhumi airport committee of the National Legislative Assembly, and panel members yesterday inspected runways and taxiways where surface cracks are mushrooming.

They found many surface cracks at holding areas for both the western and eastern runways.

The cracks are fine, short and longitudinal and believed caused by the weight of aircraft waiting to take off.

Many parts of the taxiways are uneven and cracked. Most of the flaws are waves in the pavement. The cracks are about a palm wide, a few centimetres deep and less than a metre long at each spot.

Mr Praphan said he heard from staff of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) that the problem began only two weeks after Suvarnabhumi opened on Sept 28. It had spread to more than 100 spots with the combined area of taxiway damage more than 100,000 square metres.

The problem surfacing just two weeks after the opening indicated it probably resulted from poor construction, he said.

The actual cause of the damage had yet to be determined. That might prohibit the Civil Aviation Department from issuing the airport a permanent licence, he said.

Somjet Tinapong, an adviser to the inquiry and former managing director of New Bangkok International Airport Co, which supervised the airport's construction, said the cracks on the eastern runway were very fine, but those on the western runway were bigger and could affect safety.

Underground water had not been drained properly before construction in areas that join taxiways and the passenger terminal.

Kusol Chumpolrat, AoT's director for airports and buildings, admitted that unless the real cause was discovered, the problem could recur.

Suvarnabhumi airport director Somchai Sawasdeepol said engineers from the Highways Department, the Asian Institute of Technology and other institutions should have answers in the next few weeks.

Veerasak Pinthong, construction manager of Obayashi Co, which built the runways, insisted they had strictly followed the design and that core sampling had not revealed any water seeping into the foundations under the runway.

TIT!

[Snick]

I spoke to an acquaintance, Thai, who works at the new airport.
She said it is full of problems, I don't know all the details but I get the feeling it is even worse than had been reported.
She is certain that the old airport will be re-opening in March.

My impression is that they need to cut the usage of the new airport down, so they can start fixing things. I wouldn't be suprised if they close "half" the new airport to fix it, then do the other "half".

[kahuna]

I went thought so fast on my way in last week, I didn't have a chance to see all the flaws...and I didn't think the walk to immigration was all that long...I musta been on the road 30 minutes after I landed...My opinion is favorable thus far...

[rxpharm]

(kahuna @ Jan. 22 2007,13:27) I went thought so fast on my way in last week, I didn't have a chance to see all the flaws...and I didn't think the walk to immigration was all that long...I musta been on the road 30 minutes after I landed...My opinion is favorable thus far...

It's the stuff you cannot see that may be dangerous. Here is a photo from the Bangkok Post that was added to the article I put up yesterday.

This is one of the patches on the taxiways at the new airport. Just imagine several of these on a main runway. Here's hoping they can correct the problems - but certainly if it is as widespread as initially reported, it will take a while.

TIT!

[Stewart]

she is certain that the old airport will be re-opening in March.

I bloody hope so after this morning Arrived at 6h10am for 8am flight to be confronted by the most ginormous queue I have ever seen for check in on TG. Luckily I am a gold card member, so I did not have to wait in it, but lots of people were going to miss their flights, that's for sure.

Actually what happened was that flights took off late. I waited until the end of the rush to take the bus out to the plane, and was the last person on the last bus. Got to the plane and it was only 20% full.....asked stewardess if I could stretch out over 4 seats for a nap, and was told "no, plane full, but people still at check in queue.....probably take off half an hour late"...

...and it's only open 3 fucking months!

[Stewart]

I have another long weekend off work this coming weekend, and I looked at my telephone this afternoon and could not force myself to call my travel agent and book the flight to Bangkok ....I never thought I would hear myself say that