bust Posted February 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 I seem to recall the civil works began around '95-'96. So the project was well underway before Thaksin was elected in 2001? Please feel free to correct me if my dates are wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Everyone bitches that the airport is too far away, but it didn't take that much longer to get to Sukhumvit, or cost that much more either...did the departure tax go up yet? It will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 It's been an on again - off again thing. I'll have to check, but I believe the decision to build at Cobra Swamp was made in the mid 1960s. That's when land purchases started. But different PMs had different ideas. I recall that Chawalit when he was a deputy PM wanted to build the airport near Nakorn Pathom instead. That delayed things. Then when Chawalit was PM, had had the idea of building the airport on the coast south of Bangkok. That would have been some time in the '90s and delayed things further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Depends where you live. It used to cost me about 120 baht to take a taxi to Don Muang. It would cost about 280 to 300 for Swampypoom. In terms of time it's not much different though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Panadol, this airport has taken 20 years to build, those BEFORE Thaksin started the project, thaksin mearly ended it correct, and the result is laughable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lembeh Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 >Reading this thread is like eavesdropping on fifth grader girls when they complain about the tuckshop not having the lollies they like! Nah. Not into lollies, but I *am* into travelling, and the new airport is a disaster (actually "cluster f*ck is more appropriate). There is almost *nothing* "right" about the new airport. The *runways* are cracking for gods sake. Whatever else it should do, and airport is supposed to be able to land planes (and get them to take off again if you are lucky). What is it going to take? A splattered fully laden 777 ? Some of the shite you see is almost (if it was not so tragic) funny. "the planes can "avoid" the cracked bits when landing" (wtf??). One offical said something along the lines of "its probably the weight of the aircraft that is making the run ways crack" (double wtf!!). And if there are *visible* problems with the runways - what the hell makes any one put *any* greater confidence in the terminal building itself?? What is it - the largest single space terminal or some such. Given the "expertise" in building the runways - one can rightly wait to see how long it is before the whole damn airport sstarts to crack. Can you say "major disaster"? Been *inside* recently? Those canvas "thingys" are already going grey. Give it a year or some more, and they will be black. Loverly. Seen that the glass the airport is made out of mostly is practically uncleanable? Thats also going to be fun. Transportation to from the airport SUCK. They are only now putting in rail/sky train links -that just beggars the imagination. What, they buit an airport -and did not think about *how* people were going to get to and from it? Genius. Remember the scandal on the taxi's (or rather that there would be *no* taxi's at the terminal - no now they have wooden desks out on the pavement, and lines snaking over the pavement of people trying to get taxis. Fucking genius. Go look at the transportation links at Singapore airport. Orderly taxi queues *inside* in the aircon - rail links - well sign posted etc etc.. But, the biggest, the single biggest unforgivable sin - is that the "new" airport is at something like 85% capacity - already!!! Thailand WILL end up with two airports (DM and S) cause they have no farking choice!!! My only hope is for for once, for ONCE they will bite the bullet. Close the new airport. Make REAL repairs and refurbishment (unfinished concrete is just so farking passe) - get the rail links and road transport sorted. get the baggage handing sorted and fix the farking DOORS and when it is all in place - re-open. However, 50 baht says they will find some half arse solution - and then fark that up as well..... -j- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Depends where you live. It used to cost me about 120 baht to take a taxi to Don Muang. It would cost about 280 to 300 for Swampypoom. In terms of time it's not much different though. For me, the taxi was a bit more, and I seem to recall an extra toll. Maybe 70 Bht total? The return from the hotel cost the same as before (500bht)...not sure who eats the difference. Taxis outside were quoting the same 300bht they did before...same guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Agree with just about everything you say josh, particularly the grey sales, URGH The 85% capacity I can forgive a little as I was told they are still extending it with a cross runway. However one thing people forget is it is elderly and family unfriendly. The amount of walking is amazing, coming back from China last week at midnight, no one was leaving, yet the moving walkways where all moving against the flow of traffic, ie into the building! In the arrival departure areas the biggest single problem is the STOOPID escalators, WHAT THE FUCK, lets make them 100 metres LONG and then make you turn around and walk back. WHY No other airport in the world relys upon people arriving and leaving to change floors, this one does WHY Simple so that Taxis can;t drop you off at arrivals (Departures only) AND the departures hall is two above the taxis HMMMMMMMM Who has the limo concession is my question!! DOG I've Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianTroy Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 But, the biggest, the single biggest unforgivable sin - is that the "new" airport is at something like 85% capacity - already!!! Thailand WILL end up with two airports (DM and S) cause they have no farking choice!!! According to the informations they have given on a German news show 3 days ago it is at 75% capacity right now. If you put it in context it doesn't seem so bad at all, they have said that 11% of all passengers are domestic travelers (excluding another 10% domestic connection flights) and there isn't a problem with the quantity of gates just a problem with the check in counters. If the airport would be overloaded with passengers it would just mean that they had to stand longer in line as it was planned, which is something you experience on many airports (I remember being 2 hours in line on a singapore airlines counter at JFK) However, the plan is to outsource the domestic flights to DM except those which are connecting flights. It would make perfect sense to transfer the connecting flights to DM as well (i.E. Frankfurt - Bangkok - Chiang Mai) If my numbers are correct the new airport would be at 54% of it's capacity right now! In this case there would b enough toilets and time to create new ones, enough taxies, enough of everything and since the airport is only at 50% of it's capacity they should be able to close one runway and fix it without having too many delays! Just an idea, after all I don't understand the criticism about the airport, the shopping mall is before you check in, and inside there are plenty of opportunities to have a drink or to get some food + the regular duty free shops and the lounges are major big! I never had problems to navigate at the airport. Not sure it will crack because this part of the airport was under weekly control of the architect Helmut Jahn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lembeh Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 >show 3 days ago it is at 75% capacity right now Yeah. And please remember that this airport was supposed to be able to fill the air transportation needs for -what - the next 30 years??? Its WAY under capacity, especially for somewhere that is predicting significant growth in tourism - and wants to be a regional transportation hub! >However, the plan is to outsource the domestic flights to DM except those which are connecting flights Yeah. But again the *plan* was to close DM entirely and for the new airport to handle all the traffic - and the increase over the next 30 years or so. Whatever face you put on it - it was screwed, and as I said, DM may *have* to be re-opened just cause the new airport is too small!! >and inside there are plenty of opportunities to have a drink or to get some food + the regular duty free shops and the lounges are major big Great. Until you go through the (hand) baggage screen and then you have F*ck all. At least in the old airport, in the new wings (F, if I recall corrrectly) you could get a coffee etc.... -j- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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