Don Mueang

[arsenal]

Worth knowing if you're traveling to or from DM and if you are, it's not good news.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1356387/don-mueang-users-warned-of-traffic-congestion

[Oliver]

I have three trips booked over the next few months, all from DM. Great news; thanks. I just hope that the ever-resourceful taxi-drivers will quickly find a new route. Or that Air Asia transfers to Swampy...which seems unlikley!

[a447]

If Air Asia moved to swampy it's fares would go through the roof.

So very unlikely.

[arsenal]

Yea, sorry to be the bearer of bad news Oliver but forewarned is forearmed.

[joe552]

My only real memories of DM are back in the days of my first visits to Thailand, and saying goodbye to my little man in the upstairs bar (and of course, handing over whatever Thai cash I had left in my pocket - except for the departure tax, and the price of a few beers). They had a smoking area just outside the terminal, with seats, and I'd get a couple of cans of beer and just bask in the sun, remembering all the good times I'd just had. Ah, happy days!

[christianpfc]

You can get to Don Mueang by train, takes about 1 hour and is very cheap, between 5 and 20 THB depending on class of train. Not suitable if you have a lot of luggage.

[joe552]

Not for my benefit, christian, but where in BKK does the train leave from? Or if you're in one of your TEFL moods - from where in BKK does the train leave?

[newalaan2]

I have three trips booked over the next few months, all from DM. Great news; thanks. I just hope that the ever-resourceful taxi-drivers will quickly find a new route. Or that Air Asia transfers to Swampy...which seems unlikley!

Oliver......I assume these Air Asia flights are for beyond the Thailand borders? The reason I ask is all the recent internal Thai flights I have checked out to Phuket (Sept 17) Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai for Feb 18 have been cheaper/same-as from Suvarnabhumi with smilethaiair (Thaiair subsidiary) compared to Air Asia/Nok Air from Don Muang.

[sglad]

Oliver......I assume these Air Asia flights are for beyond the Thailand borders? The reason I ask is all the recent internal Thai flights I have checked out to Phuket (Sept 17) Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai for Feb 18 have been cheaper/same-as from Suvarnabhumi with smilethaiair (Thaiair subsidiary) compared to Air Asia/Nok Air from Don Muang.

No, I think Air Asia and a few other budget airlines operate exclusively out of Don Mueang be it for domestic or international routes.

I read somewhere that Smile took over TG's domestic flights originally operating out of Suwannaphum and it wouldn't be convenient for TG's international passengers to have to change airports to make their connecting domestic flights now. They're basically taking care of their own and they can do it because they are the same company and being the national airline, I assume TG has special privileges at Suwannaphum.

[newalaan2]

No, I think Air Asia and a few other budget airlines operate exclusively out of Don Mueang be it for domestic or international routes.

I read somewhere that Smile took over TG's domestic flights originally operating out of Suwannaphum and it wouldn't be convenient for TG's international passengers to have to change airports to make their connecting domestic flights now. They're basically taking care of their own and they can do it because they are the same company and being the national airline, I assume TG has special privileges at Suwannaphum.

You may have misread my post slightly, I wasn't suggesting Air Asia/Nok fly out of Suvarnabhumi, I said that I assumed Oliver's flights from Don Munag to be international (beyond Thailand's borders).......but if the flights were internal then when checking dates for my own flights I found that thaisamileair flying from Suvarnabhumi was cheaper/same-as AirAsia/Nok flying internal from Don Muang. So if suvarnabhumi was easier to get to, one might be unlikely to lose out on internal flight costs using smilethaiair.

Correct regarding Thaiair and smilethaiair, but what I expected when checking flights is that they would probably be more expensive flying out of Suvarnabhumi compared to those from Don Muang. But found my recent check on flights to Khon Kaen to be more expensive from Don Muang on the other carriers. (depending on dates of course).

[sglad]

You may have misread my post slightly...

I probably did and thanks for elaborating on your earlier post. I think I understand you now.

[paulo15]

Not for my benefit, christian, but where in BKK does the train leave from? Or if you're in one of your TEFL moods - from where in BKK does the train leave?

If I may jump in... the train leaves from Hua Lamphong station, Bangkok's main station, it's a cheap but a slow ride. At Don Muaeng station you can take the stairs up to the walkway to access the terminal. You can reach Hua Lamphong on the MRT.
You can also take the MRT to Chatuchat Park or the BTS to Mo Chit and wait there for the A1 bus which leaves every 15 mins and goes directly to the terminal. The bus costs 30B and uses the express way so should avoid some of the roadworks. Again not suitable with lots of luggage.
Cheers

[pong]

If Air Asia moved to swampy it's fares would go through the roof. So very unlikely.

There is in fact another interesting move: as both BKK and DMK are classed as over-saturated, AA (code FK) offered to switch to the empty CARGO halls just south of DMK-Terminals and rebuild these at their own cost into their very own private terminal. Guess what? The AOT refused (my dirty mind says they do not want less sales from their milky cow, that duty free empire KINGs).
Interestingly too: lately a few other low-budget airlines have chosen BKK=swampy as their hub, notably ThaiVietJet (sexy stewards-esses, I

[gerefan2]

BKK=swampy as their hub, notably ThaiVietJet (sexy stewards-esses, I

I think your post has been cut short....but on that note does anyone know why EVA Air have NO male cabin attendants?

[arsenal]

Haha. No male cabin attendants on Eva, outrageous. That's how I spend the first hour of any flight, deciding who's got the firmest arse. Jet Airways cabin boys look like make models. Makes the flight fly by.

[justaguy]

If I may jump in... the train leaves from Hua Lamphong station, Bangkok's main station, it's a cheap but a slow ride. At Don Muaeng station you can take the stairs up to the walkway to access the terminal. You can reach Hua Lamphong on the MRT.
You can also take the MRT to Chatuchat Park or the BTS to Mo Chit and wait there for the A1 bus which leaves every 15 mins and goes directly to the terminal. The bus costs 30B and uses the express way so should avoid some of the roadworks. Again not suitable with lots of luggage.
Cheers

And to further explain, the train to DMK also stops at Bang Sue, which is directly linked to Bang Sue MRT thereby skipping most of the route through the inner city.

I am contemplating taking the train for a flight to KOP next monday, but maybe I just take my chances.

[Oliver]

Although I remain a regular on EVA, despite the absence of male trolley-dollies pointed -out by Arsenal, and enjoy the perks of being a Frequent Flyer (if that deserves capital letters), I was disappointed a few years ago when they abandoned the practice of lining the attendants up at the conclusion of the flight so that they could bow to us. It always provoked a round of applause from us. I found it charming.

[gerefan2]

Although I remain a regular on EVA, despite the absence of male trolley-dollies pointed -out by Arsenal, .

Oi Oi ...point of order. See post #14

Never mind a line of hostess bowing as you leave the aircraft...Some here would prefer to see a row of Stewards bending over...

[justaguy]

By the way, I took a taxi from Sukhumvit to Don Mueang last monday around 13:00 and did not had any delay getting there.

[Oliver]

Reassuring....but have the road-works began yet?

[justaguy]

Reassuring....but have the road-works began yet?

I was under the impression that the works had started already, to be honest, I did not check it visually.