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Wallace

Well, I had the fortune (or misfortune) to use the new airport yesterday and simply couldn't wait to share my experiences so here they are:

From my home in Phra Kanong it took only 20 minutes in a METERED cab!! Yes, despite all my attempts during the week to find a taxi driver who would take me to the airport on a meter instead of coming out with the mantra of '500 baht, farang, airport, fixed cost', I simply wandered out of the apartment at 5.00 in the morning and the first cab just put his meter on and went. It does feel like you're driving round the place about 3 times before you stop outside the entrance, but of course at that time in the morning the roads are free.

During the week I realised that the state railway line runs about 100m north of the airport perimeter. I asked myself why they didn't just upgrade the tracks (or build a new one alongside) and then use this route into the airport. Seems silly to build an extension to the skytrain when there's a railway line already there. Thai logic I guess.

Check-in procedures are pretty quick and the building does have a nice open, airy feel. Anyone who's used Stansted will feel at home. So far, so good. I walked right past the guard before passport control, who was fast asleep so didn't ask me for the 500 baht departure tax coupon (it's still 500 baht, goes up next February, I believe), so I didn't bother paying for it. No one else asked me to show proof so my tip is: look bewildered, have lots of pieces of paper in your hand, hide behind some even more looking confused asians, and simply walk through to passport control. There didn't seem to be a single sign suggesting that you had to pay departure tax, so why bother?

After that the airport is a real let down. I thought I was in Emporium. They must have bought all the leftover floor tiles (those brilliant white marble ones), so you have to put your sunglasses on to cut down on the glare and reflected light. From gates D down to C it's just boutique after boutique and nothing you can't buy in town for a lot less money. What's the point? I don't think I saw any shop with more than 2 people in. And other than the two overpriced, swanky coffee bars, The Reef and another one, they've decided to put all 6 of the coffee and snack outlets together right at the end of the departure lounge in area C. There may be others but quite frankly I couldn't be arsed walking any more. Typically bloody Thai and so stupid. I had to walk about 3 km just to find out that a cappuccino goes for 120 baht. And that's a small one!!! Yes, there's Coffee World, next door to Doitung, and across from Black Canyon, etc., etc. You get the picture. I settled for Doitung cos I'm a cheapskate and they have the cheapest coffee. Total rip off by any standards. And again, all the outlets seem hastily put together with not enough seating.

The lack of toilets is not just a myth. They are so short that they've opened up some staff ones behind the shops. You get to see behind the scenes and believe me, it's not pretty. Not only that, the signs in the main lounge on the toilet entrances look like a kid's just printed them out at home on his first PC. The whole thing looks and feels cheap. There are not many public phones, because everyone has a mobile. Really? Well, check out any UK airport and there are phones everywhere. This is another area that needs to be sorted. I found 2 public phones altogether and 1 was out of order! Appalling.

But it wasn't until my transfer in Singapore that it really hit me how cheaply finished the Thai airport is. So they have lots of expensive shops, but this doesn't really add to customer service. As soon as I arrived in the departure lounge at Singapore I realised just how easy it would have been to place the coffee bars at regular intervals throughout the building, turn more of the crappy shops into toilets, remove the thousands of signs advertising King Power Duty Free and replace them with signposts, maps and more toilets and snack bars and generally turn the airport into what it should be instead of an extension of Emporium or Paragon.

Yes, indeed. Faced with the prospect of showing the world just how brilliant Thailand is and how switched on they are when challenged to exemplify their excellent customer service skills, they open another bloody expensive shopping centre, which has dirty toilets, staff sleeping in the corridor, and nowhere for the average person to get a decent drink and a snack without using a credit card.

And as for that monstrosity of a sculpture as you go through passport control? Well, you'll have to take a look for yourself..........

__________________
The truth is out there, but then I'm stuck in here.

diaw

Excellent post, Wallace... makes for some interesting reading... Thai design skills at their very best...

I go to shoppiiiiing...

aging one

Such a damn pity, And it will not go without problems cropping up around th world. All King Power is up and hogging space, but the VIP lounges are missing, there is no wifi in the airport, and the luggage is being lost at the rate of 1 bag evey 10.

Pride, nothing like pride. Thanks again Toxin for opening something 6 months to one year early. Pity you cant be hear to eat shit. It tastes worse than crow.

Dougal

I thought it was two years late.

RDN

Well, yes. But he means it'll be ready to use in another years's time. Maybe.

MeMock

I've been told that there are plenty of free wifi connections floating around there.

Freddybear

I am already dreading my trip in March. Any tips for Suvarnabhumi "first-timers"?

Bung

I just came through for the first time and was disappointed.

It seemed very unfinished and industrial for a supposed world class airport. All bare concrete with utilities in plain view and although I wasn't searching for coffee like I would be if departing it sounds like a total nightmare ripoff and duty free? Give me a break. King Power must be feeling very royal.

The toilet that I did use was very grubby as well.

Give me Hong Kong anytime.

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Fahn Cahn's

breezer1

Plenty of people got rich from building this Airport

hillbilly

Don't stand here!

Gazza

I wondered why the fares with Somchai Budget Airlines was so cheap.

Airportwo

I left yesterday, totally unimpressed, more like a shopping centre, overcrowded! The floor tiles? the shoes I had on may as well have been ice skates.
Air con on the warm side, this is the cool season.
Miles to walk anywhere! who says big is better?
I had access to lounge, it was crowded! no English reading material - just ridiculous.
It's light years behind any other airport that has been opened in the last ten years.
Reopen Don Muang and refurbish Suv.... and make it an airport not a shopping centre.
On the positive side the information people they have posted (very required!) are very helpful, just a shame they don't know the airport better.
Better luck next time Thailand, it's a shame as I have to use it frequently, people who have the choice may well opt to go elsewhere?
Cheers

BlueMan

This is the exact description of the airport. I arrive at night back from Chaing Mai and the building seems half lit. I suppose it was brighter in the daylight but how come they did not turn on more light after dark??

Anonymous Coward

I'm in the EVA lounge now. I find nine open wireless networks. But, the signal strength on all the open ones is low. The EVA WiFi requires a password, but has good signal strength.

AOT seems to have an open network on every WiFi channel.

Marmite the Dog

^ Have a nice flight!

Anonymous Coward

I haven't been able to resist the free booze in the lounge here so I'll either have a nice flight or pass out.

klongmaster

oh and Merry Christmas in case you can't get connected when you get home...

peterpan

I left a couple of weeks ago. My overriding impression was how sterile the place seems. lacks any feel whatsever, my experience wasn't helped by the rude fat stuck up bitch that we encountered at emigration. I fronted up to the Thai counter, she said, you cannot read? Thai only! I said my daughters are Thai. So she threw out her hand for their passports, processed these and handed mine back. I said now I have to go through the foreigner que? What do I do with my daughters in the meantime? As ungraciously as she could manage she said OK give me back your passport. What a fvcking horrible bitch. She had snarl on her fat fvck face all the time as if she had shit in her pants, bet thats the only thing she ever got in there.

Airportwo

You didn't get her tel. number did you? my ex would get along great with her by the sounds

Whiteshiva

We flew through Suvarnabhumi Airport earlier this month, and I must say that they certainly don't care too much about first impressions......