Suvarnbhumi Airport - New Bangkok International Airport

[Peter_North]

Dear Bros, the Land of Smile will begin a new chapter with the new Airport storming into operation end of this month.

Does anyone know the network of Airport Express Bus Service that will bring us to the more prominent hotels in Bangkok.

Please post more information, thank you.

[kwanteen]

check this out, hope it helps....

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/

[KatoeyLover69]

Report fron Bangkok Post dated Saturday 16 September 2006 :-

Sabotage suspected in airport power cuts

Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal ordered an investigation into three electricity blackouts at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday morning which he believed were part of a coordinated attempt to derail the airport's commercial operation beginning yesterday. Airports of Thailand (AoT) also filed a complaint with police against a suspect spotted on video footage from the airport's security cameras.

''We want to know who is behind the sabotage, and what is the motive,'' Mr Pongsak said.

Security at the airport would be stepped up and people entering and leaving the airport checked.

More security cameras would be installed at the airport, especially in control rooms, he added.

The security measures also require officials entering and leaving the airport's control rooms to pass security cameras.

They are to sign their names and give phone numbers before entering and leaving the control room as well. Staff will have to wear ID badges.

The first power blackout took place at 1.02am at Thai Airways International (THAI) check-in counters, which was followed by a second at 1.08am at Bangkok Airways counters and a third at 1.10am at AIMS building.

The blackout at THAI check-in counters forced staff to process passengers manually.

The power outage caused the first commercial flight from Suvarnabhumi, bound for Phitsanulok, to be delayed for 30 minutes. Mr Pongsak said the airport's telephone cables laid in ventilation pipes had been sabotaged before. It disrupted the airport's communication system.

''To prevent further sabotage, it's better to have the airport operational as soon as possible,'' he said.

The airport's full commercial opening is scheduled for Sept 28. Yesterday's operation saw two carriers using the airport: six THAI flights, to and from Phitsanulok, and two Jetstar flights, from Suvarnabhumi to Singapore.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who was inspecting Suvarnabhumi's readiness on its first day of commercial operations yesterday, also ordered the airport's design firm, MJTA, to help prevent operational disruptions caused by any future electricity blackouts.

Mr Suriya has asked MJTA to connect all electricity systems in the airport to make it easier for officials in the electricity control room to identify spots in the airport where blackouts occur.

AoT vice-president for management Somchai Sawasdipol said the suspect appearing in the video footage from security cameras was questioned by airport security officers.

He is an AoT electrical mechanic who entered the airport's electricity control room outside his working hours, at 1am and left at 1.05am, Mr Somchai said.

However, the mechanic denied doing anything wrong.

He said he switched the cut-outs as he mistook them for switches for an air-conditioning system. AoT handed over the suspect to police.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report fron Bangkok Post dated Saturday 16 September 2006 :-

New Airport gets a mixed reception : Service is quick inside, but transport system is inconvenient, say passengers

First-time visitor Jason Tuner and his two friends were impressed with the quick service inside the new Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday, but not so impressed by the slow service once they went outside. It took more than half an hour at the airport to find a taxi to take them to the Prince Palace Hotel, where they had booked to stay in Bangkok.

Problems with unclear signs and the ill-prepared public transport system were among the complaints that departing and arriving passengers and visitors had during the opening of Suvarnabhumi for some regular flights yesterday.

Most people, however, commented on the beautiful design and size of the airport.

Mr Tuner came from Singapore with Jetstar Asia Airways and found the service from the main terminal to the bus station inconvenient.

''Everything inside [the airport] is very comfortable and very fast. But I think it should have the taxi services queuing in front of the terminal exit,'' said the American, who works for a cargo firm and plans to stay in Bangkok for three days before heading to Phuket for another two days.

''It should not be that when you have come out of the luggage claims area you have to wait for the shuttle bus to take you to the bus terminal to take a taxi into the city,'' he said.

The complaint was also made by two foreigners who were at the airport to survey the area before going back again next month to pick up friends from Japan.

One of them, Reiner Zimmermann, said shuttle buses should have big doors and slopes for passengers with big bags.

When he went to the arrival area on the second floor, he found no sign of the meeting point. When he asked the airport staff, he was told that the meeting point was one floor up.

''It does not make sense,'' he said. ''When passengers come here for the first time with no mobile phone, no contact number, how will they know where their friends are waiting?''

Threerachart Aor-samarn, 35, a disabled man flying from Phitsanulok with Thai Airways, complained about the lack of a shuttle bus service for the handicapped and small toilet signs.

''The announcements to passengers aboard the flight were also unclear and I misunderstood the fact that the plane would land at the new airport. So I told my relative to wait for me at Don Muang airport,'' he said.

Prapee Tavornrat, 45, a private company employee, complained about high taxi fares as she had to pay 500 baht to get from Bang Bua Thong in Nonthaburi to the new airport.

Taxi driver Supol Treekaew admitted losing income on his first day at the new airport. He had been waiting there since 8.30am and after two hours, he still had no passengers. He hoped that when the new airport becomes fully operational on Sept 28, passengers would use the taxi service and he would get more money.

He complained about the fixed price for passengers going to Bangkok. The price is too cheap and so is the fare for Pattaya which is fixed at only 1,050 baht, whereas he used to charge passengers about 1,500 baht, he said.

But Uthai Pummakot, another taxi driver who queued at the public transport terminal, was lucky. He had surveyed the entrance to the airport since the night before and had passengers to go to Pattaya after waiting for more than two hours.

Besides the passengers arriving at the airport yesterday, many parents were there simply to get used to the new airport before picking up their children coming back from overseas next month.

Rossarin Vaitayanon, 78, said she and her friend hired a taxi to go to the airport and wait for her to return for about 800 baht from Bang Na.

She said the sign at the entrance on the Bang Na-Trat highway was not clear and other signs leading to the airport were too small. ''I expected to see many airplanes parked at the gates but none were parked there,'' she said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by kwanteen

check this out, hope it helps....

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/

I did a check on this link before seeking help from this forum.

As you can see http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/55 there is no mention of which bus number, which route and which hotels.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by Peter_North

...check on this link before seeking help from this forum.
no mention of which bus number, which route and which hotels.

Neither see info on approx distance/time or fares for taxis -or did I miss it?. For example to major places like sukh, pratunam, ratchada etc.

My vested interest's pratunam... Centre Point Petburi. Wonder how long's the ride (perhaps go via tollway connecting bangna area?) and the metered fare's ranging.

[taka77]

No shit mate .......... i flying into BKK on wed morning at the new airport .......... means no taxi to BKK city???

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by taka77

No shit mate .......... i flying into BKK on wed morning at the new airport .......... means no taxi to BKK city???

There are taxis but you will have to carry your luggage up to your shuttle bus which will make a 15-min journey to the gazetted taxi stand.

It's a stupid arrangement.

And I suspect when you return, the taxi will not be able to drop you off at the airport terminal.

[taka77]

Originally Posted by Peter_North

There are taxis but you will have to carry your luggage up to your shuttle bus which will make a 15-min journey to the gazetted taxi stand.

It's a stupid arrangement.

And I suspect when you return, the taxi will not be able to drop you off at the airport terminal.

Oic ok thanks bro ........... will take note .......... if really no choice then ask hotel to send limo ........ cheers.

[Super4V1Blue]

yes bros its true, i actually came back from BKK on 16 sept which is when jet star first operated at the new airport. My fren n i did not have dinner as we thought we might be able to get a bite there but to our disappointment they have nothing there at all..

No shops, no eatery nothing. I wonder wats the rush in opening the new airport....... luckily i n my fren had booked a taxi when we were in BKK city to got to the new airport orelse damn we sure will be stuck there.......cos i think currently very few taxi drivers know how to go to the new airport n trust me its really damn far from BKK city.......its a stupid long route to get to the departure hall u actually have to travel 1 big round to get to the new airport

[Hakoshu]

Graphic Guide

http://by117fd.bay117.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg?&msg=A249F4D4-383F-4D65-A88D-E5E1DD8F999B&start=0&len=2332735&curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&a=f1915e807a7a088b430aab7965263e0d39e d0bcb22452d03bf08cb719c9e537c&mimepart=6

[KatoeyLover69]

Report fron Bangkok Post dated Thursday 21 September 2006 :-

Airport's opening still on for next Thursday ( 28.9.2006 )

The new Suvarnabhumi airport's official opening will take place next Thursday as scheduled despite the Thaksin government's downfall, officials said yesterday. In a meeting with the agencies concerned yesterday, transport permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat said that the airport's commercial opening would go ahead as planned.

All airlines have been instructed to relocate their operations from Don Muang airport to Suvarnabhumi and their winter flight schedules have been set, he said.

Setting a new opening date would cause chaos for airlines all over the world that plan to use the new international airport in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, Mr Wanchai said.

Airlines must be informed at least 180 days in advance if the opening date is to be changed, he added.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, general manager of Suvarnabhumi, said the airport is now ready for full operation. There have been flights in and out of Suvarnabhumi since its soft opening last Friday, and their operators have no plans to switch back to Don Muang, he said.

Flight Officer Apinan Sumanaseni, president of Thai Airways International, said no scheduled THAI flights to Suvarnabhumi will be cancelled.

The national airline will resume moving its equipment from Don Muang to the new airport today, he added.

Thai AirAsia also said its scheduled flights to Suvarnabhumi will remain unchanged, while Bangkok Airways said it will go ahead with its plan to start flying out of the new airport today.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[WorldSexGuide]

Departure tax from the new airport also increase. Now it's 700B.

[Gentle Beast]

Hi all,

If this helps, the pronunciation for the new airport is

SUWAN-NOPPUN

[eueu]

More officially:

Official nameSuvarnabhumi Airport. The name Suvarnabhumi was chosen by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej which means "The Golden Land", specifically referring to the continental Indochina. "Golden Peninsula"or "Golden Land" is a traditional name for the Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Burma region

How is it pronounced
"su-wan-na-poom"