New Airport in Bangkok

[falang_y2k]

Would our friends on the ground know what the revised date that the new international airport will be open serving nearby Bangkok? Any idea what the taxi fare might be to Sukhumvit? Will the Skytrain service the new airport? Thank you in advance.

[Snick]

Hold you breath

The latest statemnent is September, but that a joke. They have not even been certified for internation operations yet.

My guess is they will try and have a 'soft' opening this fall, handling a few domestic routes. And will try and have International support next year. Thats assuming there are no major problems discovered, and thats a huge assumption.

The Skytrain will not extend to the airport, a new light rail will...when its completed. No dates yet, they are still putting up the concrete pylons for the rails.

The new airport is further away than the old, expect taxi fares to be higher.

ps.. Everything here is conjecture and tea leaf reading. Its impossible to get real facts about the state of things.

[Road Runner]

(Snick @ May 29 2006,05:03) Hold you breath

Hello Snick,

I think you mean don't hold your breath  

As Snick says it's further from the city but the traffic is better for most of the distance so I expect the travel time will be about the same.

My bet for the rail link is early-mid 2008 - reading the tea leaves  

It's likely the airport tax will be higher at the new airport - probably 1000 Baht.  This is to pay for the cost over-runs and bribes  

RR.

[PigDogg]

(Road Runner @ May 29 2006,18:12) It's likely the airport tax will be higher at the new airport - probably 1000 Baht.  This is to pay for the cost over-runs and bribes  

So it doesn't include a BBBJ?

[Stewart]

The latest statemnent is September,

Notice they did not say which year!

[Snick]

(Stewart @ May 30 2006,20:46)

The latest statemnent is September,

Notice they did not say which year!

They did say the year would be 2549...they did not specify Buddhist calender or Western !

[rob69in]

Having just flown TG, LHR - BKK - MNL return, to complete my "Tour of Duty" the inflight magazine actually says August 2006 as I recal.

[Guest]

The metered taxi fare from the Sukhumvit area to Suvarnabhumi Airport with no traffic is approx. 285 baht.

[jellybean]

(d996633 @ May 30 2006,15:44) The metered taxi fare from the Sukhumvit area to Suvarnabhumi Airport with no traffic is approx. 285 baht.

and the chances of no traffic are ??

[Guest]

Don't hold your breath for a September opening

Flying from SIN last month I noticed the BKK approach controller had given us a heading passing directly over the new airport, and so a close look

Terminal done - seems a very impressive building on the order of Inchon / Changi / Hong Kong

Runways, and taxiways all in - however, some question about quality of construction and thus load-bearing capacity meeting international standards (the airport is built on a notorious swamp)

Only concrete pylons and partial pavement built for the roads approaching and departing - thus the land approaches look to be months away from completion

Still no word on successful completion of tests for baggage-handling and security systems

Snick is probably right - a 'soft' opening to save face in September but full operations not until next year

Not that the airline employees at Don Muang mind the delay - none of them are looking forward to the increased distance to work each day

For myself, I am not looking forward to either the increased price or time getting to / from the new airport until the Makkasan rail link tothe city is complete

All in all, a classic Thai debacle

[Snick]

(thick81 @ Jun. 03 2006,11:56) All in all, a classic Thai debacle

What do you mean !! its a Thai Success.

Somebody (or in this case his wife), made a Billion Dollars selling the land. Someone else made 10s of Million off the security hardware, someone else made millions off the building (by using inferior concrete).

And they will all have the money safetly stowed away and be out of government by the time the airport opens and the problems emerge.

Now that is a true success story.

[donnnnnny]

Funny thing . MInt was going on about the new airport and how it was built on a swamp and it was snake infested and the people that used to live there were not being compensated for the swamp.??? Mr taksin big money can do anything

[bangkoksins]

The real question, which nobody really knows the answer to, is what will become of Don Muang. It cannot be used for domestic as it is too far from the new airport etc.

[Snick]

There is no answer.

They have not decided what to do with the old airport, The government would like to see everyone move to the new airport, and then use DM for millitary and/or charter flights. But the discount airlines want to stay in DM, since the new airport is more expensive.

I hope they keep DM for domestic and regional flights, and use the new airport for international...but who knows.

I also don't trust the September date, I still think its just a face saving gesture with limited service.

[bangkoksins]

Well they can't use DM for domestic flights as it is too far from the new airport. Perhaps it will become like Paris and their two airports.

The new airport is great for thos going to Pattaya.