Stories tagged with suvarnabhumi
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Two arrested in Bangkok protest
Two local residents of a neighbourhood near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have been arrested by Thai police after they set off three yipeng paper lanterns into the air nearby the airport.
65-year old Thongbai Sannag and her 32-year old nephew Suchart Chantawong were caught in the act of lighting the hot-air lanterns after air traffic controllers called the police after spotting three of them in the sky, potentially in the flight path of an airplane. Police say at least ten people fled as they arrived, but the two caught explained they were protesting the owners of Suvarnabhumi, Airports of Thailand and their unpaid compensation packages from when the airport was first built.
The deputy transport minister warned that "The country could be painted in a negative light and the lives of innocent air passengers put on the line," and urged protesters to desist such activity. Nonetheless, AoT said it would look at the cases in question, as many residents feel under-compensated for the noise pollution created by the international airport.
Posted by: DaveB on 24 Apr 2008, 18:08 -
Suvarnabhumi to keep on growing
Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport has been given the go ahead with the second-phase of expansion to include a third runway and a new domestic terminal.
A total of 10 new projects worth in excess of 73 billion baht will be undertaken by the Transport Ministry.
Two of the 10 projects will be implemented this year, including the construction of the third runway. Future projects will include an automated people-mover, a new car park, as well as the ongoing reduction of noise pollution over five years.
The creation of the new domestic terminal will relieve congestion at the main terminal and will cost in the region of six billion baht.
Interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont originally put the airport expansion plans on hold and re-opened up Don Mueang airport to save money.
Don Mueang made way for the new Suvarnabhumi in late September 2006 but was reopened for domestic flights.
Since then Suvarnabhumi Airport has been beset by construction flaws, including cracks in the main runway, as well as corruption scandals.
The new expansion scheme would run from 2008 to 2013 and when finished would enable Suvarnabhumi to serve 60 million passengers a year; an extra 15 million passengers over its current 45 million.
It is also likely that the new work would signal a closure of Don Mueang airport by the government.
AoT have earned more than 10 billion baht from the management of Suvarnabhumi airport and would be footing the bill.
As part of the runway expansion, the third runway will feature an auto-landing system allowing aircraft to land even in low visibility conditions.
Suvarnabhumi may then receive a safety measure of three, with Category 3 being the safest. In comparison, regional airports have a category rating of 1, with Don Mueang being Category 2 rated.
Plots of land on the eastern side of the airport will also be surveyed for the project.
Posted by: Andrew on 23 Apr 2008, 10:31 -
Suvarnabhumi short on immigration staff
A shortage of immigration staff at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was causing extremely long queues for foreign visitors admitted the commissioner of immigration.
The reason being, according to Immigration Bureau commander Pol Lt-Gen Chatchaval Suksomchit, is that the Immigration Bureau has limited staff numbers at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s many immigration counters.
The Immigration Bureau has received numerous complaints from irate passengers, both foreign and Thai, and as the Royal Thai Police control immigration and border posts, they are considering asking for more immigration staff from other agencies.
The extended queues have caused many passengers to miss flights when checking in less than one hour before their scheduled departure.
There isn't enough time to check-in and pass immigration within the hour and Pol Lt Gen Chatchaval said that 45 to 60 minutes should be set aside for immigration procedures alone.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is now Thailand’s main airport serving in excess of 100,000 international passengers per day - 45,000 arriving, 40,000 departing, and 15,000 in transit.
There are only 200 immigration officers on duty during each shift, with 124 counters for arriving passengers and 80 counters for departing passengers. The airport is short of about 400 immigration officers every day between the arrival and departure counters.
General Suksomchit suggested that passengers arrive at check-in at least two hours before their departure time.
More on Thailand Transportation
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Feb 2008, 09:35 -
Protesting taxis jam Bangkok airport
Passengers arriving at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport were greeted with an unwelcoming wait Tuesday as taxis refused to pick anyone up. Sudden changes to the parking and pickup permits prompted about 2,000 taxi drivers to stage a protest at the airport which was eventually dispersed at 3pm.
The protesting drivers gathered at the Public transport Centre after the Airports of Thailand (AOT) suddenly introduced a trial plan that cancelled their permits. They were expected to now park and wait at an off-site facility which is no longer provided free of charge. Getting to and from Bangkok airport
The taxi drivers became furious when the AOT management begun allowing unlicenced taxis in to alleviate the problem, which developed shortly after 8am. AOT has been paying an outsourced company 700,000 baht a month to manage the taxi queuing system, as well as paying 300,000 in upkeep of the parking facility.
At 3pm the standoff finally ended when representatives of AOT agreed that the plan would be suspended and to first consider proposals from the taxi drivers, whom the AOT wants to assume responsibility for managing the queuing system. It claimed to have already consulted a committee who apparently were representing the drivers.
AOT’s management of transportation at the airport has been previously criticised for its lack of transparency and fairness. Their own, grossly overpriced, limousine service is unfairly promoted in the arrivals area, where passengers are warned not take the metered taxis for their own safety, despite having been awarded permits to pick up from the airport. Numerous complaints continue to pour in about the aggressive AOT-approved touts who accost visitors in the arrivals hall offering the limo service. Only recently AOT reluctantly agreed to move the taxi pick up to the ground floor and move their limos to the basement.
Info on Bangkok airport
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Dec 2007, 21:12 -
Thailand's New Airport Rolls New Technology
Computer Business Review Online carries a report about Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport's plans to implement RFID and Barcoding in the central Cargo Free Zone to imporve efficiency in cargo and baggage handling. Visith Somboon, president of AMR Asia Company, the contractor and systems integrator, gave some details about the choice of RFID systems and implementation.
Posted by: Toony on 21 Jun 2007, 08:34