Suvarnabhumi Airport

Post by **arjay** » July 30, 2006, 11:33 am

Quote from the Bangkok Post:-

Carnival atmosphere on test day

Small hiccups cause minor inconvenience, but security systems at airport performed well, says Thaksin

By Post reporters

Suvarnabhumi airport resembled a shopping and entertainment hub yesterday, throwing a fun fair extravaganza to welcome passengers of the first commercial test flights and airport visitors amid some infrastructural hiccups.

More than 10,000 people packed the airport, drawn by heavily discounted merchandise on offer at shopping stalls contracted to operate in the airport.

On the other side of the departure hall, domestic passengers awaiting their first commercial flights out of the airport joined quiz games before boarding the planes with bagfuls of souvenirs and give-aways.

The airport opened its doors to the first commercial domestic test flights yesterday, starting with Thai Airways flight TG 1881 carrying passengers including caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was accompanied by many cabinet members. The flight left Don Muang at 7.45am and touched down at 8.09am.

Observers felt the foray reflected the government's efforts to rev up visitor turnout at the airport. For some, Suvarnabhumi felt more like a shopping centre than an airport.

Inside the airport terminal, staff of each domestic airline organised a variety of promotional activities and games to compete for attention with presenters handing out souvenirs and mascots to visitors.

Coffee and food outlets such as Starbucks, Coffee World and S&P restaurant distributed coupons for free drinks.

Bank counters were opened for people to change their banknotes into smaller denominations, which came with a commemorative slip many kept as a memento of the first transaction they carried out at the airport.

The centre of attention was an individual Power duty-free shop which registered brisk sales after slapping huge discounts on its merchandise.

Nichanant Kanthawanich, a 51-year-old businesswoman, said the way the shops are organised made her confuse the airport for a shopping mall. There may be too many shops, distracting passengers, which could cause them to board their flights late.

Some retailers said they still need at least three more months to fully deck out their shops, which means they will not be completed in time for the airport's official opening on Sept 28. Accompanying a flurry of excitement at the airport were glitches that needed to be fixed.

The glass elevator which directs passengers up and down the six-storey terminal still lacks a ventilator. Some banisters also have loose screws.

Shuttle bus services were still slow, keeping people waiting for half an hour. There were also complaints about clogged toilets at the airport.

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) staff said feedback will be gathered to smooth out the problems.

Thai Airways flight TG 1881 was the maiden flight carrying VIP passengers including Mr Thaksin.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Mr Thaksin said he was excited to have flown the historic flight to the airport, which took 40 years to complete.

''Admittedly, I had been quite worried until today. There were some problems during the test-run of the airport. But they involved only delays in linkup services and a few public discomforts, not the security. I feel relieved.''

He believed everything would go well when the airport opens officially on Sept 28.

A group of about 900 people named ''Love Udon Club'' travelled in 16 buses to the airport and chanted support for the prime minister. The group was led by former Thai Rak Thai MP for Udon Thani, Torpong Chaiyasarn.

Six local airlines conducted 21 flights in and out of Suvarnabhumi during the landing and other tests yesterday. The airlines were Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, One-Two-Go Airlines, Nok Air and PB Air.

AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya said all systems and facilities were ready for the test day.

To brighten up the airport at night, all 8,000 lights will be lit in the terminal and another 7,000 lights will be switched on along the runway.

During Aug 1-Sept 15, the AoT will organise free guided tours around the airport with souvenirs to be given out every day. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will provide buses to take visitors to the airport from six different routes, Mr Chotisak said.

Apinant Sumanaseranee, president of Thai Airways International, said the airline's test flights were a success and the airline would probably send its flight schedule to the airport well before its official opening.

THAI also plans to conduct international test flights _Suvarnabhumi-Hong Kong and -Singapore _ on Sept 1.

Post by **beer monkey** » August 5, 2006, 9:29 pm

An idea for Don Muang: Make it a mall.......

When flight operations cease at Don Muang Aiprort, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce plans to convert at least a portion of Don Muang International Airport's existing departure areas into a central market after the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport is opened for commercial use on September 28, Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said Saturday.

The Don Muang Airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal.

Departure areas are on the upper levels of the three terminals.

Arrivals are on the ground floor of the three terminals, while parking facilities are available for prospective shoppers.

A feasibility study has been conducted and will be soon given to Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, also a deputy prime minister, for his consideration before being submitted to the cabinet for a final approval, Mr. Preecha said.

The ministry plans to use 5,000 to 10,000 square metres of the airport's departure section for use as central market which will enable people to buy goods at fair prices, Mr. Preecha said.

Manufacturers will be allowed to display and sell their merchandises at the area, but their rights will be revoked if their goods are found to be overpriced or the quality is poor, he added. .

. (TNA)(BKKPOST) 5.8.06

Post by **Galee** » August 5, 2006, 10:41 pm

Can't see that being any consolation to the many hotels around the airport.

The closure of Don Muang will be the death knell for many of them.

Shame, as The Miracle Grand Convention is one of my favourite hotels in LOS, but there's no point travelling across BKK to stay there.

Does anybody know if new hotels are being built near Suvarnabhumi?

Gary

Post by **BKKSTAN** » August 6, 2006, 8:22 am

You can bet your biscuits that whatever happens to Don Muang will be to the benefit of Politicians deciding the matter..period!Just as the proposed development around the new airport is!The environmental impact or the interests/concerns of the general public be damned!

Post by **beer monkey** » August 8, 2006, 3:40 pm

Domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport may begin as early as Sept 15

Domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport may begin as early as September 15, nearly two weeks ahead of the scheduled official opening date, Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said Monday.

The government has announced that full commercial services at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi international airport will begin on September 28.

The Transport Ministry has told Airports of Thailand, the operator of Suvarnabhumi airport, to study the possibility of starting domestic flights at the new airport on September 15, Pongsak said.

Moving forward the start of domestic flights would help reduce potential problems which may occur from the shifting of both domestic and international services to the new airport on the same day, Pongsak added.
(bkkpost)

Post by **JimboPSM** » August 8, 2006, 5:44 pm

Moving forward the start of domestic flights would help reduce potential problems which may occur from the shifting of both domestic and international services to the new airport on the same day, Pongsak added.

...... unless you have to connect between domestic and international flights

Post by **beer monkey** » August 8, 2006, 6:05 pm

JimboPSM wrote:
Moving forward the start of domestic flights would help reduce potential problems which may occur from the shifting of both domestic and international services to the new airport on the same day, Pongsak added.
...... unless you have to connect between domestic and international flights

i am sure someone will lay on a shuttle service....

valentine · Post by **valentine** » August 9, 2006, 1:40 pm

Just a couple of pics taken on opening day.[img]http:
//upload4.postimage.org/809996/d15a4e049ae8282a8b96c57d36fb70f2.jpg[/img]

Post by **arjay** » August 9, 2006, 3:29 pm

Just a thought, but the new airport is going to bring Pattaya closer to Udon, and Udon closer to Pattaya!!

Post by **beer monkey** » August 10, 2006, 3:21 am

Union 'no' to Sept 15 airport move (The nation) 10.8.06

Thai Airways' labour union issued a statement yesterday opposing the government's plan to move the national flag carrier's domestic flights to the new airport on September 15.

The early relocation, two weeks ahead of the airport's controversial Sept 28 opening, would pose serious problems for connecting passengers as all international flights would remain at Don Muang, it said.

Virtually every domestic flight had passengers linking to outbound international services while incoming international arrivals also have passengers who need to connect to domestic flights, the union said.

This meant connecting flights would be missed and the airline would have to take responsibility for hotel and other expenses.

"If the government insists on opening the new airport for domestic service on September 15, we will ask employees not to report to work at Suvarnabhumi Airport on that date," a union official said.

The union said it would send an urgent note to Transport Ministry permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat to try to clarify the early relocation date.

"Most THAI employees learned of the plan from the news media," said another union official, who noted that the idea - unveiled by caretaker premier Thaksin Shinawatra during his weekly radio address last week - could lead to serious technical problems for THAI aircraft.

For instance, he said the maintenance staff would not be able to fix any technical problems in the THAI fleet because most spare parts would still be at Don Muang. And at present, most of the parts and equipment for repair were shared among aircraft for both domestic and international flights.

THAI would also not be able to maximise the use of its cabin crew and pilots because it would be impossible to connect transit flights between international and domestic flights when using two airports.

International passengers and related parties have also not been fully informed of the early relocation plan, he said. Most were not aware of which airport they have to go to because at present the code is only "BKK" for Bangkok.

Thus, the union had asked airline managers to urge the government to review the early relocation plan - to protect the interests of THAI and its passengers, he said.

Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapong-pisal insisted yesterday that THAI would start domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi on Sept 15, but said other airlines may move to the new airport when ready.

THAI president Apinant Sumanaseranee said the airline would only fly three domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi on Sept 15 - to Phitsanulok, Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Mai.

Thaksin said yesterday that the early relocation plan would help the new airport reduce the chaos expected on September 28 when international and domestic services both begin operations.

sounds like fun.

Post by **beer monkey** » August 10, 2006, 3:48 am

Is anyone on the forum Due to arrive or Depart on any of these dates that are mentioned.?
Or would you like to be. ???

Post by **JimboPSM** » August 10, 2006, 3:56 am

Currently debating whether to book LHR-BKK departing 27th Sept arriving 28th or to leave it a week to let them get over teething problems

Post by **BKKSTAN** » August 10, 2006, 10:01 am

At this moment,I hate the idea of changing airports

I don't know whether is will be a good or bad thing.I have very little interest in Pattaya,I am not sure of the best way to go to the new airport,I hate the idea of having to learn all the ins and outs of it,I am comfortable with Don Muang after many years of learning to avoid it's''pitfalls''!My objective is to get in and out of an airport as fast as possible while avoiding the ''scams''!

Post by **arjay** » August 10, 2006, 10:40 am

A quote from Bangkok Post:-

A PB Air pilot panicked while descending into Suvarnabhumi airport for a test flight on July 29 when a warning signal flashed up saying he was landing on ground where no airport existed. On the same flight, the pilot also observed that a 12-storey building at individual Mongkut's Institute of Technology, Lat Krabang campus, with a telecom antenna on top, could present an obstacle for landings and take-offs, particularly for pilots unfamiliar with the area.

Jimbo asked, quote:

Currently debating whether to book LHR-BKK departing 27th Sept arriving 28th or to leave it a week to let them get over teething problems

Jimbo, I think I would leave it a week to let them get over the teething problems.

Post by **beer monkey** » August 12, 2006, 5:01 pm

After weekend, Suvarnabhumi lockdown

Heightened security concerns due to a foiled terror plot in the United Kingdom earlier this week have caused Thai aviation officials to halt tours of the not yet opened Suvarnabhumi International Airport terminals - starting next Tuesday (August 15).

Public tours of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport terminals, which have drawn a large crowds daily, will continue through the current security emergency, apparently because it is a holiday weekend.

But starting next Tuesday, sharp, they will be cancelled. Authorities claim that is because of tightened security measures following the arrests of suspected terrorists who intended to blow up as many as a dozen aircraft departing UK airports for the United States.

Airports of Thailand President Chotisak Asapaviriya said his agency would not allow visitors inside the new airport terminals starting on Tuesday. He described this as part of a plan to tighten security measures following the reported arrest of at least 24 suspects so far in connection with the terror plot.

But AoT would permit visitors to continue to tour the new Bangkok airport grounds on its buses, he said, adding that this permission would last until September 15 when the airport is scheduled to open for domestic flights.

The tightening of security measures at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been adopted and included the use of military units mobilised to help secure Don Muang International Airport and major provincial airports at the request of AoT. - (TNA)

Post by **beer monkey** » August 15, 2006, 10:15 pm

individual Power takes a big bite out of airport retailers

Duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi Airport are showcased on July 29, the day six airlines conducted their inaugural flights to the airport.

Retailers planning to open outlets at Suvarnabhumi Airport have been forced to adjust their price and product strategies in response to a profit-sharing agreement with franchise-holder individual Power.

They will be charged up to 20 per cent of their sales per month by individual Power for leases to operate their outlets. As a result, they expect a marked reduction in profits.

This is proving a headache to retailers of affordably priced products that are subject to government price controls, as they cannot raise their prices to compensate as the luxury-brand shops with high profit margins can.

Of the 20 per cent, 5 per cent will go to individual Power for management fees and the rest to Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT).

Airport director Somchai Sawasdeepon said individual Power had been awarded the right to manage 20,000 square metres of retail space with the guarantee that it pays AOT a minimum of Bt1.341 billion per annum. individual Power also has to ensure that items sold in the retail area - which does not include duty-free - are not priced more than 25 per cent above prices quoted outside the airport.

Kannika Chinprasithchai, the marketing manager for Black Canyon (Thailand) Co Ltd, operator of Black Canyon coffee

houses and restaurants, said

the company had opened three 100-square-metre restaurants

at the new airport under

different brands, including Black Canyon.

However, she admitted that

the operational costs at Suvarna-bhumi outlets were many times higher than in normal stores.

"We are reviewing the product mix and pricing strategy for our Suvarnabhumi outlets to ensure our restaurants survive amid the high-cost structure," said Kannika, adding that all products and packages would be of premium quality in order to justify the higher prices.

"It will be a challenge to develop a menu that will suit foreign travellers visiting outlets at the international terminal and Thai travellers at the domestic terminal."

She said it would be quite difficult to operate Black Canyon restaurants at the new airport, as everything was based on a high-cost structure.

"What we have done is to choose a product mix that meets the requirements of specific consumers at the airport while keeping an eye on our costs and expenses," she said.

"We are interested in this airport project as it is an international project and will help us explore our reputation at an international level. It also advertises our brand to an international audience."

Executives of Jim Thompson, a high-end silk-producer and distributor, said that although the company planned to open a huge shop at Suvarnabhumi, it did not expect to have a big profit margin because its gross sales would have to be shared roughly half and half with the airport franchise-owner.

Despite this problem, Jim Thompson felt the need to trade at the airport in order to gain maximum exposure to tourists. Suvarnabhumi will be able to handle 45 million passengers in its first year of operation.

Arporn Supmonchai, head of marketing at DHC (Thailand) Co Ltd, said the company would open its first Asian airport outlet at Suvarnabhumi. The three-square-metre corner outlet will sell 51 facial and skin-care products in the tax-free area of the domestic terminal.

"The opening of our outlet at Suvarnabhumi goes along with our strategy to expand our customer base through different retail channels," said Arporn, adding that convenience-sized DHC products had been available at premium supermarkets such as Tops, Isetan and UFM Fuji for the past two months.

DHC's latest retail outlet will be officially opened at individual Power's duty-free complex in Soi Rangnam on Friday.

"We are generally perceived by consumers as an Asian brand. With our new outlet at Suvarnabhumi, we want to create an image of DHC as an international brand," said Arporn.

DHC's outlet at Suvarnabhumi is expected to generate sales of more than Bt30 million a year.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation

Post by **beer monkey** » August 15, 2006, 10:31 pm

Delay airport opening, Banharn says

Chat Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa called on the government yesterday to reconsider its plan to open the new airport by September 28, saying ground transport links were inadequate.

Banharn said the opening date should be pushed back to the end of the year - or early next year.

"The sky will not fall and the land will not subside if Suvarnabhumi Airport does not open on September 28," he said.

He said the government should not force airlines to hastily move to the new airport before ground transport links and other facilities are properly established.

"Officials of Thai Airways International have complained about difficulties of commuting to work and passengers will have no easy access to the airport because of incomplete train tracks," he said.
(The Nation)

He said the government could rely on Bangkok Airport at Don Muang while making Suvarnabhumi fully ready for service.

"The hasty opening of Suvarnabhumi will likely lower the government's popularity if passengers find the new airport causes them inconvenience," he said.

nabhumi will likely lower the government's popularity if passengers find the new airport causes them inconvenience," he said.

Post by **Galee** » August 19, 2006, 2:54 am

I can see this is going to be a bundle of laughs.

Some of you might not know but the new airport has NO taxi ranks. They kind of forgot I think. There will now be an Airport Shuttle service which will take you 3km to the nearest taxi meter rank.

Post by **arjay** » August 19, 2006, 9:11 am

Also, as a Thai told me yesterday, the new airport is a lot further from central Bangkok, Sukumvit and the like, so taxi or mini-bus transfers are likley to be more expensive.

Post by **beer monkey** » August 19, 2006, 4:37 pm

The new Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is due to replace the overloaded and unexpandable Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang), was scheduled to open in June 2006. However, this date has been delayed until 28th September 2006 for testing and validation by ICAO.

The airport was due to open in late 2005, but a series of budget overruns, construction flaws, political interference and allegations of corruption have caused problems for the project.

Finally after much speculation the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, announced that the airport would be open by September 2006 at the latest. Symbolic first test flights involving two Thai Airways aircraft were held on 29 September 2005, which was a previously announced deadline for opening.

At one point, in September 2004, Thaksin Shinawatra and several of his cabinet ministers even spent the night in tents at the construction site in a move aimed at embarrassing construction crews into speeding up their work.

The 'New Bangkok International Airport' (NBIA) company was formed in 1996 but due to political and economic chaos it took six years for construction to start. In 2005, the construction supervision and management was transferred to the Airports of Thailand PLC, while the NBIA company was dissolved.
..............................................................................................................
The new airport is located on a boggy, 3,100ha site in the Samut Prakarn province of Thailand at Nong Ngu Hao (translated as cobra swamp), 30km east of Bangkok.
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Construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport began in January 2002. The name Suvarnabhumi (pronounced su-wan-na-poom) was chosen by His Majesty an individual Adulyadej and means 'the golden land', specifically referring to continental Indochina.