Sawatdee Suvanabhumi - a first hand report

[Sen Yai]

I flew into Suvanabhumi yesterday 28th Sept at 15:00 on TG917 from London. The pilot managed to find the new runway through the clouds and the touch down was smooth. As was mentioned by Crutch in a recent Bangkok post column, the experience of landing at Don Muang тАШin the middle of a golf courseтАЩ is now lost and the first views of Thailand are of dreary low-rent housing areas and light industry.

The plane took a full 10 minutes to trundle around the taxi-ways to our gate, and then we all stood expectantly for a further 15 minutes whilst the air-bridge was connected. First impressions of the new terminal are that it has a rather industrial feel with exposed concrete and steel structure and exposed air-con, fire sprinkles and electrical conduit. All clean and new, but it does not give any feeling of class, or тАШThai-nessтАЩ The walk from the gate to immigration is indeed very long, but there are a few travelators to speed things along. There are a few pieces of Thai art along the route and a few Yark-yais to remind us that this is in fact Thailand. The queue at the immigration desks was mercifully short тАУ so good so far. But then the problems started. The baggage carousels are located immediately behind immigration on the same level, and the screens told me to go to carousel 6. No baggage had arrived, and the info screen there indicated an expectation of bags from Frankfurt. A few flustered ground staff insisted that bags from London would arrive there soon, so we waited. After an hour, a bunch of Americans fresh(?) off a flight from New York arrived complaining that they had waited 15 minutes at immigration and expected their bags to be waiting at carousel 6 too! When some bags did eventually arrive mine was one of the first off so I left the yanks waitingтАж..

The worst experience of Suvanabhumi came next as I entered the тАШmeet-and-greetтАЩ area, which was thronged with friends, family, hotel-reps and drivers leaving nowhere for arriving passengers to move. This area is much, much smaller that the huge hall at Don Munag and seems to be a major design fault. With no room to breath I pushed my way to the exits as soon as possible with no time to read any signage or get my bearings. Outside, most of the signs were still blank and I wondered around looking for the promised taxi rank. No sign of that, but I did find the shuttle bus stand тАУ no one waiting there and no sign of a bus. I found the limoтАЩs on the second road-way, and after thinking about shelling out on one, a lone taxi, for hire, came cruising past with the driver looking a bit lost too. I jumped into the road to stop him and he readily agreed to take me into town for тАШmeter more ha-sip bahtтАЩ тАУ result! So I really canтАЩt tell you how the system should work!

The journey to Silom was not as high speed as the traditional sprint along the elevated expressway from Don Muang, but it only took 40 minutes and the meter was 200 baht. With tolls of 25 and 40 baht on route, the total time and cost was only a little more than before.

I will leave Thailand on Sunday, so I may leave a little more time than usual to travel to the airport, and I may even book a car, rather than take the chance on a taxi in the street.

[rincondog]

Did you happen to notice where the ATM's are located.

I was reading a full-page article in The Nation by a reporter taking a morning flight to SIN:

"Fast forward through the security check and on to gat E1a on the third floor, a floor down from the departure hall.

Bigger piles of litter,including cigarette butts and coffee cans, greeted us as we boarded a shuttle bus to the Airbus 300."

OMG, the brand new airport uses REMOTE PARKING GATES!!! I thought this airport had something like 120 gates?

TiT.

BTW, what is the official name of the airport? Suvarnabhumi International Airport? Or is it the New Bangkok International Airport. FWIW, the official name of the old airport was Bangkok International Airport, not Don Muang.

[rincondog]

The new airport has fewer gates than Don Muang

Here's my review for the pile:

I flew into Suvarnabhumi airport for the first time this (Friday evening) -- here are my first impressions:

Before landing, the good folks at Cathay Pacific gave us a useful brochure (in English and Thai - not sure why there was no Chinese), which had maps of Arrivals and Departures, as well as locations of Cathay check-in areas and Marco Polo club lounges.

When first exiting the plane, I was greeted by proper working air conditioning on the ramp -- marvellous! The plastic was still covering the walls on the ramps, and I resisted the temptation to pull a bit off. Beyond the ramp were some quite lovely Thai silk wall hangings.

In Don Muang, Cathay flights always landed at a gate that was quite close to Immigration -- not here! I think we landed at the last gate, so there was quite a bit of distance to cover on the moving walkways. About like landing at gate 70 in Hong Kong, for those who are familiar. And of course plenty of people blocking the way or not minding their annoying children to slow things down...

There was a smoking room between the last gate and the hall going towards Immigration, so smokers coming off long flights will be delighted. Much of the airport is still bare concrete, and most of the shops in Arrivals are still setting up and not ready for business, although there was one Duty Free that was open.

Having had half the plane get off before me (no upgrade today, and a gaggle of idiots on my side of the plane), I was shocked to only have two people in front of me in the queue at Immigration. Later I learned that there are actually three separate exits (A, B, C), each with a healthy number of 'Foreigner' queues. Like Don Muang, the Immigration hall lacks sufficient air conditioning.

I did not check luggage, so no comment on the automated luggage handling system, other than the fact that it is the same one used in Hong Kong (I've been told), so it probably will not work well for the first fortnight or so. There are excellent luggage trolleys, and I did use one to carry my carry-on and the 30 kg of duty free and books I had purchased in Hong Kong.

After Customs, one is immediately greeted by throngs of people -- barriers are not yet noticed or enforced, so you've got to battle to get out. This is true for exits B and C as well -- hopefully AAT will clean up this awful mess once the dust settles a bit.

So the only important note: if someone is meeting you, you should agree to meet at an arrivals area (A, B, or C) or an exit door (1-10 I think). A is the first door I came to, but it turns out that my driver was waiting at B -- not a long walk, but it would have been easier to do it pre-Customs where I would not have needed to battle throngs of people.

Most of the walk to the car park is air conditioned -- very pleasant! And there seem to be multiple exits, so there is little delay in getting out.

Travel time to Jomtien was 1 hour 30 minutes (as opposed to 2 hours 15 minutes from Don Muang on Friday nights). In other words, 2 hours from exiting the plane to entering my condo. This would have been shorter had there not been road construction, but even saving 45 minutes on my weekly commute is a blessing. Just enough time to make my usual phone calls and write this little blurb in hopes that someone might find the information useful or at least entertaining.

[llz]

I flew into Suvarnabhumi airport for the first time this (Friday evening) -- here are my first impressions:

Thank you for this interesting report.
However you did not have to face what seems two of the major flaws reported by travellers having used the new airport : waiting for your luggage and having to catch a public taxi or a bus to get out ...
The tiny arrival hall is another common complaint, and not only from people who always grumble ...

Having arrived back in Bangkok this afternoon after a couple of days in the UK I faced the тАШdauntingтАЩ experience of the new airport.

Pamphlets were handed out on the Lon/Bk flight showing the layout of the new airport and these were printed in English/Chinese. I understand that there is a Thai version available on request.

Deplaning was quick and easy and one of the advantages of travelling Business Class is that you are off the plane in advance of the masses which gives you a fair chance of being in a short queue at Immigration. The airport was not that busy this afternoon and in fact there were three immigration desks without anyone waiting so it was a very quick throughput into baggage reclaim and that is certainly where things need improving. The lack of information monitors showing which luggage carousel was relevant to the flight was annoying and I hate to think what the reclaim area will be like in peak periods unless more monitors are added.

The information signs pointing the exits also need improving rather than everyone heading for exit one which again in peak periods will prove chaotic at the meeting points. Fortunately BF was meeting me so I was able to call him on his mobile and he told me exactly where he was waiting inside of the airport. But if you are being met by a hire car I would suggest that you ask the driver to give you specific details as to which exit from baggage reclaim you should use. The present arrangement of a single exit line will only repeat the usual melee of the old airport.

I imagine the new airport can be very disorientating if you are just going to wander around taking a look, but if when you arrive you follow the immigration/reclaim/customs/exit signs it is all very straightforward. I did not get the chance to see what the taxi system is like as I was being met but there did not appear to be any taxis waiting from where I was looking.

Exit from the car parks has been improved and was nice and quick without the usual fume clogged queues and the journey once out of the car park to back here in Silom took 40 minutes.

Hopefully the powers that be will give some thought to improving the facilities for arriving passengers before the high season kicks in, otherwise there will be just as much, if not more chaos than at DM.

Thank you for this interesting report.
However you did not have to face what seems two of the major flaws reported by travellers having used the new airport : waiting for your luggage and having to catch a public taxi or a bus to get out ...
The tiny arrival hall is another common complaint, and not only from people who always grumble ...

You are absolutely correct -- I've been through enough new airports to know that carry-on is a necessity for the first 2-3 weeks of operations. I will resume checked baggage in 1 more week.

To anwer another person's question, I use a car company called Pattaya Country Brougham, who send a car from Pattaya to pick you up. They are not the cheapest, but they have the most professional drivers I have experienced in the area. Cost is 1200 baht per trip, and the owner is Khun Suthep, phone +6619832843

Not sure if you are interested, but here are my impressions of departure -- most of the the unfavourable bits are directed more at Cathay Pacific than the airport itself:

Suvarnabhumi 2


While Arrivals was a great experience, there still is much to be done with Departures.

I was unable to find any shops selling newspapers -- including a chain of shops called The News (terminally stupid!). Of course, Cathay usually give out newspapers during boarding (inevitably they will have 1 English newspaper available, and 300 Chinese ones).

It would appear that Cathay have chosen the same steaming turd of a caterer that they used in their dismal lounge in Don Muang (at least this new one has windows!). And no newspapers here either -- is this a conspiracy?

It was nice to see some proper cafes and restaurants, compared to Don Muang -- and I will be using them, given that the food in Cathay's lounge is completely inedible (normally they do nice food in their lounges). On the plus side, the lounge is near the gates that Cathay use (although very far away from their check-in).

There is what appears to be a very fast wi-fi network, which requires a login, but there is no information on the web page about how to purchase an account.

While Arrivals had a smoking lounge, I could not seem to find one in Departures, and none was indicated on the map.

What they've done well:

The Star Alliance lounge looked lovely -- I'll need to look into which of their airlines offer flights for the HKG-BKK corridor.

There is a nice tea shop that has quite a nice selection -- and the Earl Grey is proper strength.

While the bookshops don't sell newspapers, they have a much wider selection of books and magazines -- what a relief!

Several restaurants that look very nice for an airport, including a Mango Tree (not sure if it is related to the one on Surawong) and a rather good looking sushi bar.

Once the 'new smell' is gone, it won't smell like a sweaty taxi driver when we debark from the aeroplane.

For what it's worth, I flew in yesterday and it was pretty much uneventful. We did have to sit for about 5-10 minutes on the runway as we were stuck behind planes that had pulled out for takeoff but then were delayed. They were blocking our path to the terminal. I figure that sort of thing is expected in the first week of opening a huge international airport.

I flew in EVA Air in the middle of the night which might have helped. Immigration was a breeze and my luggage came out quickly. I did notice that the baggage carousel did not have my flight listed but the main board had the correct carousel listed.

The only thing negative I have to say about the new airport is that I felt like I had landed in a futuristic prison. Way too much concrete, glass and steel. Hopefully they will decorate a little more and give it a nicer feeling. Other than that, I welcome the new airport.

[CHAOTOU]

"The Star Alliance lounge looked lovely -- I'll need to look into which of their airlines offer flights for the HKG-BKK corridor."

THAI Airways

[llz]

I should arrive on October 19 th and cannot have enough first-hand reports to try to figure what it will be like, especially regarding bus and taxis.
Those who are like me could be interested by this link from one of the well-known (and great) Paknam websites Visit to new airport (http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?blog=5&title=buses_and_taxis_at_suvarnabhumi_airport&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

[bao-bao]

I arrived on EVA late this morning, had a 5 minute taxi to the gate to get off the plane. It IS kind of a long haul to immigration, but they had a lot of windows open and there were no more than 5 in any given line. I could see my baggage coming up onto carousel 16 as I was approaching the desk to get my passport stamped. Then it was just a short ways to the elevator to the 1st floor where I found NObody ahead of me to get a metered cab at the makeshift stand. Travel time was a bit longer, but it is raining here and I'm staying near the MBK mall. All in all I'd say two hours from landing to arrival at the hotel, tops. Taxi ran 302 baht.

It's wonderful to be back!!

Flew from the new airport yesterday. Beautiful from the outside, a disaster inside. The check in area is cramped with almost no seating. It is uncanily similar to Stansted airport in England, a hub for low cost carriers (i.e. it resembles a discount groceries warehouse). The departure area resembles a motorway underpass - a long, dimly lit tit tunnel with spurs coming off it at intervals. However, there were no vagrants begging for the price of a cup of tea and it doesn't yet smell of pee despite the lack of facilities.

[lonelywombat]

I was drinking with a Qantas call centre guy who said there was no delay to Qantas/BA flights,

and everything was going well

I assumed that he meant that boarding planes and planes leaving on time, no problems.

Talk back radio is another story.End of the school holidays for some start for others

Some nightmare stories. Every day.

The only thing that interests me is, the time to Silom is longer by another 20 minutes even if you have a cab waiting for you.

I hope those bar closing times have been relaxed.

[jimnbkk]

All these Arrival messages!! Here's a departure message:

I left on October 4th on Thai Air 790 BKK to JFK. An uneventful journey from start to finish.
Left Jomtien by taxi/limo at about 1920, and arrived at the airport at 2100. Entrance 4 for Thai air economy. Usual (for any airport) crush of taxis and limos at the entrance. Upon entering the check-in area I noticed what seemed to be hundreds of (i assume) Thai people sitting on the floor inside. I concluded they were waiting for departing travellers who were standing in the long, but fast moving, lines to check in. But, you do have to thread your way past these people; there are no chairs or benches, or place to put such in this area of the airport.

THe airport has many levels. I was hungry and was early, and found down one level a restaurant named, I believe, Simply Dilicious (sic). The food was good, the waiter was friendly and cute and the service was fast. Price ok too.

The lines for checking in (economy) are quite long as I mentioned, but move rapidly. The process when you get to the counter is efficient and friendly. The next problem is finding the place to pay the 500 Baht departure fee/tax. It's not really well marked. The entrance to the Immigration area was easy to see, but was totally blocked by throngs of Thai people saying goodbye to friends. You literally have to shove your way (smiling all the while) past these folks to get to the exit door.

Once inside the Immigration area, you have to wait in line again for Immigration Officer. This is a most annoying experience. These folks are Slow. It takes on the average, it seems, about 5 minutes per person to go through. I don't know if it's indifference, ineptitude, or sloth, but it's a Long wait here. Took me half an hour to go through and there were only 5 or 6 people ahead of me.

Having gone through this, you enter a large area where there are shops. I was carrying a couple of bags, and saw people with luggage carts, but didn't see where to get them. Probably my inattention, because most people with luggage to carry on had these carts, and when I found a source later on, they were free (They cost $3 in the USA). The shop area has many high-end shops from Jim Thompson, and the various jewellers, etc. I did not see many people in these places, and the prices are generally out of my reach anyway, so I didn't go in them either. This walk is relative interesting because there's a lot to see, but still quite a walk to the gate area.

Finally I arrived at the departure screening station to a relative long line, but it did not take long to get through. You have to relinquish your cart before you go through screening, but there's more available on the other side. You don't have to take shoes off here!! I set off the buzzer and had to be hand searched by a most handsome young man.

Another walk through a cavernous multi-leveled area led to moving sidewalks, one in and one out. The two were separated by an open space that looked down into (I believe) the arrival level. The walk on the left was going out, and served gates 1,3,5,7 and 9. The walk on the right was coming in, and served gates 2,4,6, 8 and 10. As luck would have it my gate was 8, so I took the walk out to the only cross walk, near gate 5, crossed over, and then walked the rest of the way out to gate 8. I'm making this sound like a big deal, but it really isn't; it's just strange the way the have it.

Now to this point, they have checked my passport, gate pass and ticket several times. (when u check in, entering immigration, at immigration, at the security check point). Now, at the gate there's yet another gauntlet: They are checking documents again, and doing carryon bag searches. Here I was forced to relinquish my obviously sinister tube of Crest toothpaste. It was out and readily visible; they didn't take my deodorant or aftershave lotion which were covered up better. Then, downstairs (actually a ramp)to the next level for the final screening at the gate where roughly 6-8 Thai Air people were checking the passengers as they arrived at the gate.

The plane loaded a bit late, and left a bit late, but only a few minutes each.

All in all, for the 6th day of operation at a new airport it was really no problem. And yes, my bag arrived with me!!