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The New Bangkok Airport - How To Get There And Away

Filed under: Bangkok, Thailand    Written by:Chris Mitchell.

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Bangkok is set to get a brand new airport in late September, with many airlines flying into the new Suvarnabhumi airport from the middle of the month. Tourists should take careful note of how they can arrive and depart from Bangkok's new airport to avoid last minute problems

UPDATE: I've posted details of taxi and buses prices from the new Bangkok airport to Bangkok and Pattaya now that the airport has been open for one week and we have some first hand experiences to go by. The info below is already getting a bit out of date but is still useful.

This article is from the Bangkok Post and written by Don Ross. It gives an excellent overview of the changes at Bangkok's new airport. As a frequent traveller, I am somewhat alarmed about the significant rise in prices to travel to the new Suvarnabhumi airport and what sounds like a nightmare trying to leave it again, given the lack of a direct taxi rank.

Anyway, if you are coming to Bangkok from the middle of September onwards, this is vital information to help you leave the airport and, crucially, get back there again at the end of your holiday.

"Some Bangkok residents told me they were re-arranging their travel diaries to ensure they would not have to travel overseas September 28 or for at least a week afterwards to avoid the inevitable teething problems.

Here are a few tips that might help to reduce the pain when Suvarnabhumi Airport assumes the role of the nation's premier gateway.

It helps to know that common sense prevailed and the Airports of Thailand confirmed it will close Don Muang Airport 0100 September 28 to all commercial airline traffic. Don Muang will serve as an aircraft maintenance centre and handle VIP flights and charters. All the domestic airlines transfer after the last flights on September 27.

I measured the distance from the expressway entrance at Ploenchit to Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal at 31 km, about five kilometres more than the distance to Don Muang.

However, the taxi fares are likely to double to Suvarnabhumi from around 150 baht to 300 baht for a single trip. Limousine companies that pick up travellers from hotels and residences will probably double the one-way fare from around 600 to 1200 baht.

Despite the Airports of Thailand's claims that there are five routes to the new airport, the quickest for travellers in the hotel districts around Ploenchit and Sukhumvit is via the Rama IX expressway that drops down on Motorway 7, heading east.

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.

Private car owners follow the road signs to the passenger terminal on Motorway 7 and take the flyover to an eight-lane divided highway that leads directly to the 4th floor of the terminal building. There they drop off family and suitcases before taking a sharp right to the 5,000-car capacity short term parking building just in front of the airport's hotel.

If you are travelling with THAI, or on domestic flights, head for rows A through to C. The departure hall is 500 metres long so you do not want to stop your car too far from the entrance to your airline's row unless you like to trek. THAI and Star Alliance airlines are close to the first entrances as you approach the terminal. Oneworld airlines follow, somewhere in the middle of the terminal, with all the non-alliance airlines at rows beyond.

The escalators leading to the domestic departure concourses face rows A and B, close to where THAI has its check-in lounges for business and first class passengers. International passengers pass through immigration checkpoints near rows G and H.

AoT postponed its decision to raise the Passenger Service Charge from 500 baht to 700 baht until next February, after airlines and travel associations voiced objections at a meeting mid-August. By February, it is quite likely that the passenger fee will be included in the price of the air ticket to streamline the process.

Until then passengers will continue with the current system, buying a 500-baht coupon from the kiosk or self-service vending machines.

Due to additional security measures introduced by THAI, earlier this month, for all flights to the US, UK, Australia, Bali, Philippines and Sri Lanka, passengers will need to check-in three hours before flight departures. This will continue at Suvarnabhumi. However, the distance from the departure terminal to the airside gates through the concourses is considerably longer than passengers encounter at Don Muang.

Travel agents are recommending that their clients allow 30 minutes to walk from the check-in row to the gates on concourse A, B, and 40 minutes through concourses C to G. There are seven concourses leading off the passenger terminal building. Some airlines are reverting to some old fashioned measures to reduce strays such as providing passengers with bright lapel stickers, possibly with the concourse letter.

Miscalculating the time it takes to walk through the long concourses to international gates or a diversion for retail therapy at the duty-free shops will probably account for most of the passenger related hiccups.

On the bright side, both domestic and international flights are located in the same terminal, which ends the need for the long hike between terminal buildings at Don Muang.

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.

Limousine counters are located on both the fourth and second floors, but also park at the same location as the public taxis.

Tour groups will exit through immigration and customs on level two, but unlike individual travellers, they will go down one floor to where tour buses will park. Tour companies, car rental and banks will have counters in the foyer of level two.

There is another option for passengers who want to avoid the level two taxi queue or want to travel by bus to the city. They can board a complimentary shuttle bus that takes 10 minutes to transfer from the terminal to the bus station. The taxi ranks and car rental pick-up and drop off areas are next door. Long-term parking lots for up to 10,000 cars are also located across the street from the bus station.

Private car drivers can pick up passengers at level two, but they will not be able to park at kerbside.

A passage from level two will lead to airport express train station located in the basement of the airport hotel. The train will begin services in late 2008 stopping at a terminal adjacent to the Phya Thai BTS station on Phaholyothin Road.

Until then, travellers will have to cope with expensive taxi and limousine fares or suffer the drawn out task of journeying home via one of six air-conditioned bus routes to Minburi, Happy Land, Victory Monument, Onnuj BTS station, Samut Prakan and Rangsit."

A very clear explanation of a complex situation. Here's hoping that all goes smoothly with the opening of Bangkok's new airport. I'll be using it 2 weeks after it opens, in mid-October, so I'll be monitoring it very closely.

Posted on August 31st, 2006.

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Other Travelhappy posts of interest:

• Taxi Prices From The New Bangkok Airport To Bangkok And Pattaya
• Bangkok’s New Suvarnabhumi Airport Opens
• Price Of A Taxi From Bangkok Airport to Khao San Road
• Don Mueang Airport Re-Opens For Domestic Flights In Thailand
• Bangkok Airport Bus Routes

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