No taxis at new airport?

The following letter to the Bangkok Post was published on August 15:


No taxis at new airport

According to the Airports of Thailand Plc, there will be no taxis at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Passengers upon arrival (with their luggage) must take a shuttle bus some 3km to the public taxi stand next to the public bus station. What a welcome to Thailand!

Paul Cheesman
Has anybody here heard of that before? Is it really true? If so, it's a huge inconvenience!

It also sounds like buses to Bangkok and Pattaya are also a 3km shuttle bus ride away.

Heard the same thing. Apparantly, the PR people think it will look cleaner this way. In my opinion, IT STINKS! I miss the old airport already.

[wowpow]

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/52

Anyone understand the map?

[TrongpaiExpat]

From the site: "Airport Express provides air-conditioned bus service between Suvarnabhumi Airport and first-class Bangkok hotels. "

I guess that leaves out the Rose and the BBB inn.

No word on any prices, sur-charges or fees at all on this site other than the shuttle bus being free, so that means there will be a wait, unless they have a huge fleet of them.

I heard someone tell that hotel limos and private limos will be able to meet passengers at the Arrivals Hall. Another reason to stay at a decent hotel like Tarntawan or take a service like Image.

[Jetsam]

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/52

Anyone understand the map?

What I understand about the map is that it's indeed very far from the bus terminal to the taxi stand http://images.fok.nl/s/nopompom.gif

[Sen Yai]

A quick look at some of the other options available on the Suvanabhumi Airport (http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/55) website reveals that whilst public taxis may not be allowed to pick up at 2nd floor arrivals, they will of course be allowed to drop-off at 4th floor departures.

So, to get a cab into town, just pop up to the 4th floor. Problem solved - situation normal :cyclopsani:

[Doug]

It looks to me that taxis bring passengers to the airport can drive up to the doors. Maybe a solution when arriving would be to go to the departures level and grab a taxi that is droping off passengers.

[TrongpaiExpat]

It looks to me that taxis bring passengers to the airport can drive up to the doors. Maybe a solution when arriving would be to go to the departures level and grab a taxi that is droping off passengers.

That's what many do at Don Maung now, to save time and the 50B surcharge but so many know that trick, it's sometimes too crowded. Security keeps the empty taxies moving and I have seen security chase off those trying to catch a taxi.

You can also go on the street from both terminals but seems that will not be an option at the new digs.

[llz]

This document gives some more information but still nothing about prices and time tables.
It appears that taxis dropping off passengers at departure will be required to "leave immediately with no exception" (see page 17) but this is probably what they already are supposed to do at Don Muang ...
Suvannabhumi_Transportation_Guidelines (PDF document) (http://www.2bangkok.com/06/Suvannabhumi_Transportation_Guidelines.pdf)

That's ludicrous that taxis can't pick up passengers at the arrival area! Only in Thailand.

And, they think that will be part of making it a world class airport, the #1 in S.E. Asia? I think not...

[Monty-old]

If You Book And stay at MONTY'S B & B.
I will make sure you are PICKED up at the NEW Airport, and delivered safe & sound To Monty's B& B.
The cost Will be From 1200 bht to 1500 bht Per Person,
depending on what time & what car or mini bus picks you up, Mini BUS service is for 4 0r more Passangers And the price is reduced to 700 bht Per Person.
And you Can bring your HANG BAGS, At this time.
www, beauzo.com OR www.suneeplaza.com (http://www.suneeplaza.com) FOR MORE INFO.

[llz]

That's ludicrous that taxis can't pick up passengers at the arrival area! Only in Thailand.

In fact overpriced limousines will be able to pick up passengers at arrivals, but not metered taxis ... As if someone who has shares in the limousine companies wanted to avoid competition ...

The new taxi arrangement sucks... having to take a bus to take a taxi? Furgget it...

Has anyone noticed that all the metered taxis at Don Muang are disappearing? Have had to go up to the Departures Level to grab taxis lately

The addition of buses to Pattaya at the new airport is a welcome improvement over Don Muang, but to get to them there's that dang schlepping your luggage on a 3 km shuttle bus ride again! Same-same for a rental car, it looks like, too.

Why not take the bus to the 'first class hotel' nearest The Rose, SureIsWrong or where ever you are staying? For instance, the Montien (You can walk to the Rose or Tarntawan from there) or Dusit, get off the bus and get a taxi?
As soon as the powers that be find out people are doing that there will be cabs galore. (But, if we're careful, it may take them five or six years to figure it out.)

There seems to be a catch in the link quoted above.


1> Public taxis serving Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport must be less than 5 years old.


2> Public taxi drivers must be certified by Airports of Thailand.


This could mean that just going into the street somewhre in Bangkok, hailing a passing taxi, and saying "airport" will run into problems. I think a lot of the taxis in Bangkok are older then 5 years, judging by their condition, and I wonder how many drivers will be certified bu AOT. More protectionism?

[Sen Yai]

.......and given that if a taxi driver does take you to the airport, he will then have to sit in a compound containing up to 400 cars to wait for a return fare from the few who bother to ride the 3km shuttle, many drivers may refuse to take you anyway!

Im sure Thai taxi drivers will find a way. lets hope so anyways - i have a bus allergy!

I can't believe how stupid this all is.

I assume that the 5 years or less age of Taxis allowed to use the new airport will NOT apply to the Taxis bringing you to the airport - only to the ones awaiting you at the new Transportation Centre which one reaches by Shuttle Bus....? If not , does one have to ask the age of the taxi before getting into it for the ride to the new airport? It could also result in such older taxis not even taking you there since they will not be allowed to pick up for a return trip! It will cut out some of the wrecks I have travelled in - so it could be a good thing. One shudders to think about other problems that will inevitably arise with the "breaking in" of the new airport. Glad I don't arrive until December. By then perhaps all the "kinks" will have been worked out..... ?

Just for my own sanity, I hope you posters are wrong about the taxis at the new airport.
But I guess it must be true.

Will some commonsense prevail?

Even worse, I fly in very early October, when things will still be in the 'sorting out' phase.
Hoping for an opening delay!
Frankly, I never thought Don Muang was so bad. Been in heaps worse airports (in so-called wealthier countries).

[bao-bao]

I can't imagine there not being taxi service allowed to and from the new airport. The airport folks will sort it out somehow... especially if there's a baht to be made for them on the deal.

I'm more concerned about the "curse of the lowest bidder" problems with the REST of the place - runways, luggage routing, unhappy workers, etc. Once I'm on the ground and have my bags the rest is all just part of the adventure![/i]

I can't imagine there not being taxi service allowed to and from the new airport. The airport folks will sort it out somehow... especially if there's a baht to be made for them on the deal.Oh, methinks there already has been baht made.

Did you know that the expensive Airport Taxi concessions, the ones who physically grab you as you make your way to the metered taxi queue at Don Muang, THEY will operate from curbside. Only the "proletariat taxis" -- the metered ones that we all prefer to use -- they are banished to a staging area 3km away.

Do you think that perhaps, possibly, unspeakably, money passed hands to arrange such a situation that benefits the expensive Airport Taxi concessionaires?

[llz]

Sure .. and I hope tourists will not hesitate to vote with their feet and NOT use the limousines but use the shuttle to get into a normal taxi ... for the baht, and for wanting to show these greedy businessmen that we will not accept anything (same as for the purposed price hike for visiting national parks which should be raised to 400 THB (!!!) from September)
:cussing:

I had a look at the layout and transportation plan for the new airport.
Taxis are DEFINITELY only available after taking that cursed shuttlebus.
"Limos" accessable directly.
Thats the way it is. As designed. Do not expect any change.
Welcome to Thailand.

Welcome to " Thailand Unforgettable "!!!

I actually don't think this will be that bad, though it will be rather bad if you have lots of luggage (which I usually do). I think I miss the old airport already. If we want Singapore, we can go to Singapore.

Can't you just hear the upgraded tout lines of the "Airport Taxi" concessionaires: "Hello, Mis-terrr. Only B700 to downtown. No need take shuttle bus. Now no taxis where shuttle bus take you ... long, long wait." And, who knows, they may be right? Currently, at Don Muang, you can look out the window to see if taxis are queued up, but if the queue is 3km away...

I actually don't think this will be that bad, though it will be rather bad if you have lots of luggage (which I usually do). I think I miss the old airport already. If we want Singapore, we can go to Singapore.

If you have that much luggage, you probably can't fit into a regular taxi anyway. Their trunks are mostly full of gas tanks.

Wonder how many people will step out of their hotels after said date and say to taxi meter driver "airport please" & end up in don muang?

Wonder how many BS go to wrong airport in first week too lol

... I always get a limo from Image - http://www.imagelimo.com - and I can't understand why others don't also. Keen-ee-oh, maybe

[TOQ]

but I do use a pre-arranged car service so I dont have to hassle with it when I arrive.. Seems that is really the best way now since im sure they will know soon the ends and outs of the new airport ( I hope :) )

The real good news for me is I wont have to deal with it when I arrive on the 16th Sept.. By the time I leave hopefully it will be worked out.


john

Maybe Rob of Image limos , might like to let us know , what he thinks will happen

[llz]

A topic on to-day's Horizons section in the Bankok Post provides a lot of intersting stuff about using the new airport.
Regarding arrivals with a taxi, it is written that "Taxis are authorised to drop off passengers at the fourth floor entrance to the departures hall. AoT states in its operations manual that neither taxis nor private cars can park at kerbside. They must drop off passengers and leave immediately."
For departures, it seems better that what was previously announced :
Arriving passengers exit at level two of the passenger terminal where they can queue for a taxi. Unlike Don Muang, taxis are not allowed to park kerbside at the exit. They park three kilometres always at the remote parking area, next to the bus station.
Similar to most international airports, a taxi supervisor radios a batch of taxis from the remote taxi rank managing the queue from a pool of around 400 authorised taxis.
More at this link :
www.bangkokpost.com/Horizons/31Aug2006_hori006.php (http://www.bangkokpost.com/Horizons/31Aug2006_hori006.php)

[TrongpaiExpat]

I would not relay on the Bangkok Post for reliable information. The article is less than clean on exactly what is going to happen. You sure as hell are not going to get in a moving taxi, your going to be stuck with that funny shuttle bus, looks like the same type used for bus gates. There will be a wait at two different locations.

At Don Maung there are three taxi stands, now at the new place only one and that spells bottle-neck.

Next, I sorta expect a door policy, no flip flops and no socks and sandles.

[wowpow]

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/15

It will be interesting to see how travel patterns develop. I feel sure that fewer people will wish to spend a day or two recouping from their flight in Bangkok before heading to Pattaya. This might change again when the high speed train to Bangkok commences - 2008?

Suvarnhabhumi is a lot nearer Pattaya than Dom Muang and journey times of one and a half hours are being mooted. We all have different depths of pocket and the options seem to be:

Limousines - now with the added advantage of being picked up right in the airport and not having to bus to the transport hub. http://www.imagelimo.com/ have their - no change - tariff currently on their website. The website above provides a link to LAX and American limo service which does not quote online (?) and has a mandatory 20% gratuity?

Public Bus - the 389 will run from the transport center right to Pattyaya. I see no details on prices and frequency as yet but it will certainly be very popular with the budget and green brigades. No longer do we need to schlep half across the city to catch a bus. There are other public buses running to various parts of Bangkok plus an Airport Express bus service.

Meter Taxis - from the Transport Hub. I think they will reduce the charge of 1500 baht that they ask for at the booking kiosk at Dom Muang.

Car Hire: another novelty at Bangkok's airport. National and International companies providing services.