Airport Impressions

[Guest]

(ozzie @ Feb. 04 2007,10:37)

(costassg @ Feb. 04 2007,18:34)

(ozzie @ Feb. 04 2007,10:31)

(costassg @ Feb. 04 2007,18:29) ozzie offline.one more to go

What make you think I am offline. Just because the forum says I am does not make it so    

welcome back

I was online the whole time but thanks for the warm welcome. Have a beer on me. I will even throw in a 500 baht long time for you in Pattaya with a soi dog of your choice.    

soi 6 hi boss 2000 jiji is the one for you.she is recomented by rob69

[Guest]

[katoeylover]

Now, what about the new airport?

[Guest]

[vangough05]

(katoeylover @ Feb. 04 2007,19:54) Now, what about the new airport?

         

Is there a new airport, shit I didn't know that. .

[Guest]

(vangough05 @ Feb. 05 2007,02:28)

(katoeylover @ Feb. 04 2007,19:54) Now, what about the new airport?

         

Is there a new airport, shit I didn't know that.   .

when you go there you will find out

[Torurot]

When I read this thread I'd like to hear about the airport, not a bun fight between Costassg & Aussie.

There are PLENTY of toilets, they are NOT hard to locate. How many toilets do you want?

There are NOT enough clocks, or flight boards, especially down by Thais "economy" lounge airside. Make sure you bring your own TV remote.

There is NO free internet airside, and what there is, is outrageously priced. Apparently there is some wireless points in places if you have a laptop. There IS free internet in all business class lounges.

If you are transiting, DO NOT go down to your departure gate before boarding time. There are NO shops/food/*anything* else once you have gone through the scanners that lead to the departure gates. NOTHING; not even soft chairs. They are all hard metal and they will not let you go back out.

[Guest]

(Torurot @ Feb. 05 2007,21:32) When I read this thread I'd like to hear about the airport, not a bun fight between Costassg & Aussie.  

Nice of you to single me out. I guess since you are a moderator you can delete anything you think is off topic in this thread. To be honest I could care less.

Just to keep this post on topic. I don't like the new airport and much prefer the old one.

[Guest]

some people like to wait at the immigration line too match,smell the polution outside when geting of the terminal to smoke a cigarete.give back don muang.

[rxpharm]

Good news for Billy! The move back to the old airport will not happen before April at the earliest.

From Bangkok Post Feb. 5/2007.

Don Muang reopening put on hold

Transport Minister Admiral Thira Haocharoen on Monday revealed the ministry would not propose a plan to transfer some non-connecting domestic flights back to former Bangkok International Airport to the cabinet for consideration at its meeting on Tuesday, citing it needed to go through some details of the plan to ensure complete transfer.

He conceded the ministry would not put the plan on the agenda at the cabinet€™s meeting because it still lacked certain data on the transfer.

€œSome delays are needed to ensure the planned transfer of the local flights back to Don Muang is clear and complete,€ he said.

He added the ministry would call state agencies concerned to meet and discuss details of the plan again.

A source said the planed transfer of the no-connecting domestic flights back to Don Muang experienced difficulties in outsourcing ground staff to work in the airport.

The lack of the staff at the airport stemmed from a termination of contracts made with various service providers when the transfer of services to the Suvarnabhumi Airport was made in September last year.

Anyhow, should the ministry propose the plan to the cabinet€™s meeting next week, there would be 45 days left for the transfer under the ministry€™s scheme to see the Don Muang reopen in the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival to accommodate an expected large number of inbound and outbound passengers. (TNA)

TIT!

[rxpharm]

However more problems reported at the new airport - this time with the boarding bridges.

From Bangkok Post dated Feb. 5/07

More problems at new airport

Passenger boarding bridges need repairs

Workers make repairs to the damaged passenger boarding bridge at Gate D5 at Suvarnabhumi airport. €” SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN





AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Suvarnabhumi airport has another flaw _ 11 passenger boarding bridges are damaged, two of them seriously, according to a source at Airports of Thailand (AoT).

Officials are looking into the cause of the problem, but cannot yet say whether it is due to substandard steel, improper installation of the airbridges or the failure of staff of Thai Airports Ground Services Co (Tags) to operate the moveable bridges properly.

Two boarding bridges were seriously damaged and the others would need minor repairs, the source said.

The bridges at gates D5 and F1 must be closed due to the serious nature of the damage and their walls must be replaced. The bridges at gates G5, G3, F5, D6, C7 and B4 are slightly damaged but still usable.

Suvarnabhumi has 51 gates and 105 passenger boarding bridges. The bridges were built by ITO Joint Venture, which is the airport contractor, and AoT contracts Tags to operate them.

The AoT had informed ITO and the company promised to repair them in a week, the source said.

An ITO source said operators compounded the damage as they continued to use the airbridges despite problems with the moveable mechanisms.

The ITO source insisted the steel used to build the airbridges met specifications and could withstand 520 kilogrammes per square metre.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um became aware of the problem during his visit to the airport last week and ordered quick repairs to minimise any impact on passengers.

Former Suvarnabhumi airport director Somchai Sawasdeepol attributed the problem to the moveable mechanisms of the boarding bridges' extendable tunnels.

A passenger boarding bridge consists of three extendable and retractable tunnels. The moveable mechanisms, especially the wheels and rails, might have been packed too tightly and operating them might have cracked the bridges, especially the middle tunnel. Those cracks finally rust due to oxidation.

According to the source, AoT informed ITO of the problem late in December and officially asked the company to repair the bridges on Jan 22.

ITO proposed checking all passenger boarding bridges and to later check them every three to six months to ensure their smooth operation.

Apart from problems with the passenger boarding bridges, the four-month-old Suvarnabhumi airport has cracked runways as well as cracked and uneven taxiways.

The premature damage will probably result in some domestic flights being moved back to Don Muang airport. The Transport Ministry's recommendation will be tabled for cabinet approval tomorrow.

TIT!

[Guest]

they work it out soon inafe

[donnnnnny]

TIT
cracks in taxi ways on runway?? sounds like some thai cunt has cut corners on vital work and pocketed the difference
typical of this third world hole with wonderfull food and ladyboys

[Road Runner]

(rxpharm @ Feb. 05 2007,15:57) Suvarnabhumi airport has another flaw _ 11 passenger boarding bridges are damaged, two of them seriously, according to a source at Airports of Thailand (AoT).

Officials are looking into the cause of the problem, but cannot yet say whether it is due to substandard steel, improper installation of the airbridges or the failure of staff of Thai Airports Ground Services Co (Tags) to operate the moveable bridges properly.

From experience I would go with the third choice - operator error

The design of those things has been refined over the years and they are similar in design and safety standards all round the world.

However as much as the designers try to make things idiot proof - there will always be some idiot who manages to beat the system


RR.

[rxpharm]

Surprise move by the gov't, Don Muang will reopen for both domestic and international flights - Bkk will have two international airports and plans to build the 16 billion Baht expansion at Suvarnabumi seem to be scrapped.

From The Nation, Feb. 6/07.

SUVARNABHUMI CRISIS
Don Muang to be 2nd international airport

THAI to decide whether to return to old airport for some overseas routes, Air Asia agrees to move

Thai Airways Inter-national (THAI) is considering moving some international flights back to Don Muang, while Thai AirAsia will operate all 80 daily flights out of there, following the Cabinet's surprise decision yesterday to reopen the old airport for both domestic and international flights.

Nok Air and One-Two-Go also said they would base their flights at the old airport.

The decision to turn Don Muang into Bangkok's second international airport came as a major surprise to THAI.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni yesterday said the airline needed to reassess its operating plan.

"We're reviewing the situation, as we need to know how to deploy our fleet with two airports

in operation," said Apinan, adding that some international flights should return to Don Muang.

The new plan should be completed within the first quarter.

Earlier, after Airports of Thailand (AOT), operator of both the old and the new airports, proposed using Don Muang only for non-transit domestic flights, THAI announced its plan to move most of its domestic flights to Don Muang, except those from Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi, which carry a large number of connecting passengers.

The decision delighted Thai AirAsia. CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said the budget airline was ready to move all 80 flights - domestic and international - from Suvarnabhu-mi Airport to Don Muang.

"We will soon visit Don Muang to check equipment and know the exact location of our base," Tassapon said.

Thai AirAsia was the first airline to propose reopening the old airport, citing the much higher operating costs at Suvarnabhumi, which required higher fees to cover its Bt150-billion cost.

The proposal was made following rumours in the Thaksin era that Don Muang would be reserved as the operating base of Thai AirAsia, which is partially owned by Shin Corp, the flagship business of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai AirAsia earlier opposed the reopening of Don Muang for only domestic flights, citing that it would cause trouble for connecting flights.

The Cabinet yesterday resolved to reopen Don Muang, which had been used for 91 years before the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport last September 28 for both domestic and international flights. The decision came amid growing problems at the scandal-ridden new airport.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont attributed the decision to the growing number of

passengers that Suvarnabhumi alone could not serve. He also reportedly said Don Muang's reopening would benefit the country, because the old airport was still in good condition, and runway repairs at Suvarnabhumi could be carried out smoothly.

"I consulted the transport minister [Theera Haocharoen], and he said there should be no problem, because some cities abroad also have two international airports," he said.

He also said that once Don Muang reopened, AOT's plan to build a new passenger building and two more runways at Suvarnabhumi would be shelved, in order to save the national budget. AOT earlier estimated it would need additional Bt16 billion for the project.

Among major world cities that operate more than one international airport are New York, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Milan, Rome and Paris.

Surayud also reportedly told the Cabinet that Suvarnabhumi's problems should be addressed by a national committee, to be established later. The committee would be tasked with investigating the problems, even after the present government ends its term.

"The chairman and board members will be neutral people who will win public recognition. I will consult with the transport minister on the proper individuals," he reportedly told the Cabinet.

Currently, there are a variety of committees looking into the scandals, which have already been highly publicised and could ruin the country's image among travellers.

Meanwhile, the Thai News Agency reported that the Airport Operations Committee (AOC), which represents more than 65 airlines, yesterday voiced opposition to the use of dual airports for Bangkok and warned that doing so would sow confusion among passengers.

AOC chairwoman Sopin Daengthes said due to a lack of transport links between the two airports, passengers would have difficulty getting from one to the other.

She said a study by the International Air Transport Association showed a single airport would be more efficient in terms of management.

Suchat Sritama,

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

TIT!