September 30th, 2006, 15:47
Wouldn't it be nice if one, just ONE of our know-it-all members would post a message akin to the following:
Well, I was WRONG. I severely underestimated the Thai people, and their ability to pull things together at the last moment. I was overly-cynical, perhaps a tad racist, and above-all-else, simply WRONG.
Wishful thinking, eh?
At least the opening of the new airport can now be delayed without loss of face!
Im taking waders, a canoe ,flask of tea, sandwiches and a tent - should cover most things lol
Given the Thai propensity to cock things up (because of course they know better than everyone else), plus the experience of the two most recent airport openings in the region - Hongkers and KLIA - any assumption that things will go well is optimism of the most naive kind.
And now all the airlines can start preparing their "We told you so" statements. Toxin is going to look so good (not) in the lead up to his election campaign, as stories fill the newspapers daily about the chaos at the airport, and the Letters to the Editor fill up with horror stories from disgruntled travellers. Warning: Major Schadenfreude Event Ahead
Someone in the government has got to come up with a pretty good face saving excuse to delay the proposed full opening of the aiport very soon or risk at best carriers refusing to use the new airport on safety grounds or at worst a tragedy.
Having lived in Thailand for a while, and having some experience on how the bureaucracy here thinks and works, I suspect we'll see something like this ...
Cargo aircraft will be summarily ordered to Suvanaphoum on or about 28 September. Complete chaos will result as it did in Hong Kong with a similar move. (And, remember, the level of management experience and expertise in Hong Kong far exceeds that of Thai karachakan).
Thai Airways will be fully functional for all interntional and domestic flights on or about 28 September. Most foreign carriers will still be landing at Don Muang. Their passengers will be bussed to Suvanaphoum for their domestic connections. Foreign passengers and foreign carriers will fume, and Thai Airlines will grin, because it will use the situation as leverage to raise Thai airways ticket prices and coerce heavier loads with a "simple connection". This will go on into the new year, through the high season, and will start to improve just before Song Kran. Some carriers (specifically, UAL and other Star Alliance carriers) will opt to drop passengers elsewhere (like they use to do, in Hong Kong, Narita, and Taipei) and use Thai for connections from there direct to Suvanaphoum.
The airport will be soundly panned worldwide for the lack of a train to downtown, but also for lack of a rail shuttle to the parking/car rent/bus pavilion. A rail connection will be ordered and completed sometime around 2010.
I posted to this forum a few weeks ago a comment made to me by the FO on an EVA flight from LHR to Bk that EVA did not consider the new airport would be open to all international carriers in September.
On my flight back from LHR to Bk last Friday evening a different FO made the same comment saying that it would be in the New Year before Suvarnabhumi would be operational for most international carriers.
I note that on this weeks Stickman's website he says there are 'strong rumours' that the new location will not be open until March. Stickman's rumours usually turn out to be accurate.
Today I have also downloaded my Eticket for a flight from Bk to LHR on October 24th and this shows the departure airport as BK with Don Muang bracketed beside the departure point.
Wow, I just called Thai general sales office in BKK, they did not know if there will be some flights from Dong Muang on September 28 to Chiang Mai, the day I arrive with SAS. I think all other international airlines than Thai will still use the old airport for some times. She suggested I should wait and call back in the beginning of September. As she said we need further instructions. In her voice I could feel she did not like the answer she gave me.
TeePee wrote:
Bangkok Post Breaking News
Pongsak Rattapongpaisal said the opening to all domestic flights on September 15 would make the switch for all international flights on September 28 more convenient and give the airport manager 14 days of operations to help iron out problems that might arise, the Thai News Agency reported.
Would you care to put a bet on it?
I flew back to the UK on EVA Air with the b/f for a short family visit on Friday and we sat chatting to the First Officer for 30 minutes.
He said that EVA Air do not consider the new airport will be able to cope with more than but a few of the major airlines capacity until well into the New Year and EVA Air do not anticipate any of their flights landing at Suvararnbhumi until the end of February at the earliest.
Much of the security for immigration is not in place and there are many problems with the fabric/structure of the building that still need to be addressed and remedial work carried out.
It will be entertaining to hear the excuses that Thai officials will put forward as Sept. 28 nears.
Given the widespread acceptability of corruption at all levels, it's doubtful this airport will become fully operational this year. The biggest issue will soon become saving face.
Well, I was WRONG. I severely underestimated the Thai people, and their ability to pull things together at the last moment. I was overly-cynical, perhaps a tad racist, and above-all-else, simply WRONG.
Wishful thinking, eh?
At least the opening of the new airport can now be delayed without loss of face!
Im taking waders, a canoe ,flask of tea, sandwiches and a tent - should cover most things lol
Given the Thai propensity to cock things up (because of course they know better than everyone else), plus the experience of the two most recent airport openings in the region - Hongkers and KLIA - any assumption that things will go well is optimism of the most naive kind.
And now all the airlines can start preparing their "We told you so" statements. Toxin is going to look so good (not) in the lead up to his election campaign, as stories fill the newspapers daily about the chaos at the airport, and the Letters to the Editor fill up with horror stories from disgruntled travellers. Warning: Major Schadenfreude Event Ahead
Someone in the government has got to come up with a pretty good face saving excuse to delay the proposed full opening of the aiport very soon or risk at best carriers refusing to use the new airport on safety grounds or at worst a tragedy.
Having lived in Thailand for a while, and having some experience on how the bureaucracy here thinks and works, I suspect we'll see something like this ...
Cargo aircraft will be summarily ordered to Suvanaphoum on or about 28 September. Complete chaos will result as it did in Hong Kong with a similar move. (And, remember, the level of management experience and expertise in Hong Kong far exceeds that of Thai karachakan).
Thai Airways will be fully functional for all interntional and domestic flights on or about 28 September. Most foreign carriers will still be landing at Don Muang. Their passengers will be bussed to Suvanaphoum for their domestic connections. Foreign passengers and foreign carriers will fume, and Thai Airlines will grin, because it will use the situation as leverage to raise Thai airways ticket prices and coerce heavier loads with a "simple connection". This will go on into the new year, through the high season, and will start to improve just before Song Kran. Some carriers (specifically, UAL and other Star Alliance carriers) will opt to drop passengers elsewhere (like they use to do, in Hong Kong, Narita, and Taipei) and use Thai for connections from there direct to Suvanaphoum.
The airport will be soundly panned worldwide for the lack of a train to downtown, but also for lack of a rail shuttle to the parking/car rent/bus pavilion. A rail connection will be ordered and completed sometime around 2010.
I posted to this forum a few weeks ago a comment made to me by the FO on an EVA flight from LHR to Bk that EVA did not consider the new airport would be open to all international carriers in September.
On my flight back from LHR to Bk last Friday evening a different FO made the same comment saying that it would be in the New Year before Suvarnabhumi would be operational for most international carriers.
I note that on this weeks Stickman's website he says there are 'strong rumours' that the new location will not be open until March. Stickman's rumours usually turn out to be accurate.
Today I have also downloaded my Eticket for a flight from Bk to LHR on October 24th and this shows the departure airport as BK with Don Muang bracketed beside the departure point.
Wow, I just called Thai general sales office in BKK, they did not know if there will be some flights from Dong Muang on September 28 to Chiang Mai, the day I arrive with SAS. I think all other international airlines than Thai will still use the old airport for some times. She suggested I should wait and call back in the beginning of September. As she said we need further instructions. In her voice I could feel she did not like the answer she gave me.
TeePee wrote:
Bangkok Post Breaking News
Pongsak Rattapongpaisal said the opening to all domestic flights on September 15 would make the switch for all international flights on September 28 more convenient and give the airport manager 14 days of operations to help iron out problems that might arise, the Thai News Agency reported.
Would you care to put a bet on it?
I flew back to the UK on EVA Air with the b/f for a short family visit on Friday and we sat chatting to the First Officer for 30 minutes.
He said that EVA Air do not consider the new airport will be able to cope with more than but a few of the major airlines capacity until well into the New Year and EVA Air do not anticipate any of their flights landing at Suvararnbhumi until the end of February at the earliest.
Much of the security for immigration is not in place and there are many problems with the fabric/structure of the building that still need to be addressed and remedial work carried out.
It will be entertaining to hear the excuses that Thai officials will put forward as Sept. 28 nears.
Given the widespread acceptability of corruption at all levels, it's doubtful this airport will become fully operational this year. The biggest issue will soon become saving face.