September 29th, 2006, 14:10
I looked out the window and we were not landing at Don Maung. I guessed the stewardess I had asked didn't even know but apparently on this trip planned four months ago I was landing at the new airport on its first day!
Taxiing was quick. Like at Don Muang, it was a very long walk from the gate to immigration. There were conveyor belts and gracious offerings of luggage carts at no charge to help with the carry-ons. I passed a number of smoking rooms which were very inadequaetly ventilated - the entire terminal stank awful near them, I almost choked near one. Perhaps the aircon was not performing to par and that was part of the problem. The immigration queues were long but I think I managed to clear them in as much time as I would have at Don Maung, except that the room was much smaller, low ceiling-ed and seemed much more congested. There were fanciful Thai thangka-like paintings on the walls throughout the arrival terminal and large statues but aside from that I saw little to suggest that the airport was designed with "Thai motifs" as claimed.
I have been away a while and heard that complicated new tourist and 30-day arrival regulations were now in place. There seemed to be NO information available for this at immigration. I am very confused as to what they are and whether the new rules are in place as of my pre-October 1 arrival. I have plans to make!
At least those stupid cameras were gone, but I suspect they might be still on a truck from Don Muang.
One feature of Don Muang did not come about. At Don Muang the luggage was always at least just starting off the conveyor belt by the time I cleared immigration. Here, it was another 45 minutes before any appeared from my flight, and I understand that I was LUCKY. There is just one baggage conveyor number board in the middle of the luggage hall, it has a HUNDRED entries in it, very small letters, and I pushed and shoved along with numerous other squinting passengers trying to find the carousel assigned to my flight. I was not pleased to search among entries from six hours old flights, and flights 6 hours away. Very unnecessary. A large board with just the current 10 or so flights would have been much better, but hard to place in such a small rom. And if the information boards on each carousel pointed in the direction of immigration arrival lines then one might read their flight on one and avoid having to search that board. Very poorly conceived!
Some valuable luggage finally arrived without a flaw and I whisked through the green lane. But the arrival area was extremely crowded. There was a single line that all passengers through the four or more exit doors needed to navigate through and persons holding up signs, waiting for passengers, etc. were pushed aside by us departing passengers with full luggage carts. We were made to take a sharp left or right turn when a bunch of boutique snack shops appeared. They seemed to have no business at all from the departing passengers. Why would they when people are just concerned with beating traffic home? What a stupid idea. These definitely should GO. This "arrival lounge" was semi enclosed and I guess "outside" and it stank of cigarette smoking people and was LITTERED with butts, some of which stuck to my shoes.
It took a while to find the taxi queus which were downstairs. They were not noted on official signs showing that the airport "designers" didn't even consider this most necessary service. It was mayhem getting a cab. There were five or six lines and it looked as if they had been just conceived that day as they were being rearranged as we stood there. You know how you often find yourself in the slow immigration line? Well, I was in the slow taxi queue with our "administrator" paying little attention to getting us cabs, just talking to the passengers, from the onslaught of available cabs. There was no sign as to the airport surcharge but my cab driver seemd to expect 50 baht on my arrival at home.
Outside, I guess the terminals were designed with closely stacked Thai rooves across the facades. Honestly, these reminded me of all the dank concrete helicopter hangers still lining the runways of Ho Chi Minh City airport since the Vietnam war. I looked at the whole place and thought I was in some cold war, De-Gaulle-esqe monstrosity in France. The windows and stainless steel were covered with the dust of Bangkok which was all partly washed away by the final drips of water of a rainstorm and were not at all appealing. It should coast Bangkok quite a lot in just water to keep the outside appealing looking. I think the whole design is going to get very old looking, very fast.
Except for the wait for luggage I must say that every thing went reasonable well and that I arrived at home at about 75% more time only 50 baht more cost, including tolls, that I would have from DM. And I did think that this was PRETTY good in a country that just had a sudden change wthin less than a week. I think I was kind of disappointed in not seeing any army dispered about for my entire trip home. I still would prefer Don Maung. There just doesn't seem to be any reason this airport is much better. But 'll assume all the opening day glitches will get worked out and accept the little extra time and cost it entails.
Taxiing was quick. Like at Don Muang, it was a very long walk from the gate to immigration. There were conveyor belts and gracious offerings of luggage carts at no charge to help with the carry-ons. I passed a number of smoking rooms which were very inadequaetly ventilated - the entire terminal stank awful near them, I almost choked near one. Perhaps the aircon was not performing to par and that was part of the problem. The immigration queues were long but I think I managed to clear them in as much time as I would have at Don Maung, except that the room was much smaller, low ceiling-ed and seemed much more congested. There were fanciful Thai thangka-like paintings on the walls throughout the arrival terminal and large statues but aside from that I saw little to suggest that the airport was designed with "Thai motifs" as claimed.
I have been away a while and heard that complicated new tourist and 30-day arrival regulations were now in place. There seemed to be NO information available for this at immigration. I am very confused as to what they are and whether the new rules are in place as of my pre-October 1 arrival. I have plans to make!
At least those stupid cameras were gone, but I suspect they might be still on a truck from Don Muang.
One feature of Don Muang did not come about. At Don Muang the luggage was always at least just starting off the conveyor belt by the time I cleared immigration. Here, it was another 45 minutes before any appeared from my flight, and I understand that I was LUCKY. There is just one baggage conveyor number board in the middle of the luggage hall, it has a HUNDRED entries in it, very small letters, and I pushed and shoved along with numerous other squinting passengers trying to find the carousel assigned to my flight. I was not pleased to search among entries from six hours old flights, and flights 6 hours away. Very unnecessary. A large board with just the current 10 or so flights would have been much better, but hard to place in such a small rom. And if the information boards on each carousel pointed in the direction of immigration arrival lines then one might read their flight on one and avoid having to search that board. Very poorly conceived!
Some valuable luggage finally arrived without a flaw and I whisked through the green lane. But the arrival area was extremely crowded. There was a single line that all passengers through the four or more exit doors needed to navigate through and persons holding up signs, waiting for passengers, etc. were pushed aside by us departing passengers with full luggage carts. We were made to take a sharp left or right turn when a bunch of boutique snack shops appeared. They seemed to have no business at all from the departing passengers. Why would they when people are just concerned with beating traffic home? What a stupid idea. These definitely should GO. This "arrival lounge" was semi enclosed and I guess "outside" and it stank of cigarette smoking people and was LITTERED with butts, some of which stuck to my shoes.
It took a while to find the taxi queus which were downstairs. They were not noted on official signs showing that the airport "designers" didn't even consider this most necessary service. It was mayhem getting a cab. There were five or six lines and it looked as if they had been just conceived that day as they were being rearranged as we stood there. You know how you often find yourself in the slow immigration line? Well, I was in the slow taxi queue with our "administrator" paying little attention to getting us cabs, just talking to the passengers, from the onslaught of available cabs. There was no sign as to the airport surcharge but my cab driver seemd to expect 50 baht on my arrival at home.
Outside, I guess the terminals were designed with closely stacked Thai rooves across the facades. Honestly, these reminded me of all the dank concrete helicopter hangers still lining the runways of Ho Chi Minh City airport since the Vietnam war. I looked at the whole place and thought I was in some cold war, De-Gaulle-esqe monstrosity in France. The windows and stainless steel were covered with the dust of Bangkok which was all partly washed away by the final drips of water of a rainstorm and were not at all appealing. It should coast Bangkok quite a lot in just water to keep the outside appealing looking. I think the whole design is going to get very old looking, very fast.
Except for the wait for luggage I must say that every thing went reasonable well and that I arrived at home at about 75% more time only 50 baht more cost, including tolls, that I would have from DM. And I did think that this was PRETTY good in a country that just had a sudden change wthin less than a week. I think I was kind of disappointed in not seeing any army dispered about for my entire trip home. I still would prefer Don Maung. There just doesn't seem to be any reason this airport is much better. But 'll assume all the opening day glitches will get worked out and accept the little extra time and cost it entails.