VIKTIGT! LÄS noga vad som gäller för transport till & från flygplatsen.

Det går inte att ta taxi direkt utanför ankomsthallen på flygplatsen, man måste åka en shuttle bus – 6 km  bort till ”the bus station”. Det går att beställa Limo Service på flygplatsen som kan hämta på ankomst terminalen (dock inte parkera) så när man har beställt sin Limo så får man vänta tills den kommer från parkeringen.

There are a lot of rumours about the opening of the new airport in Bangkok so 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 (AOT) 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.

We have 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.

Arrival

Arriving passengers approach the passenger terminal via level two (Arrival). There are 145 counters for passport control. There are 17 conveyor belts for international passengers, five more for domestic, and one specially designed for larger aircraft like the A380. Once baggage has been collected and customs cleared, arriving passengers exit at of the passenger terminal.  

Prebooked Transfers
If you have booked your transfers with Koh Phangan Tours & Travel, our guide will meet the customers after the exit at level two (Arrival) with a sign. The guide will bring the customers to level one (Ground floor) where cars / tour buses will park. Tour companies, car rental and banks will have counters in the foyer of level two.

Transfer time from the airport to the hotel in Bangkok depends, of course, on the traffic. We would estimate that it will take approximately the same time or slightly more.

Public Taxi & Busses, Airport Express, Limousine & private cars

Public Taxi & Busses
Unlike Don Muang, taxis are not allowed to park at the exit. They park six kilometres always at the remote parking area, next to the bus station. This is a major change for Bangkok flyers. Taxi drivers are not allowed to wait outside. Those dropping passengers off must leave the terminal immediately.  Arriving passengers who have not booked transfer may catch a complimentary shuttle bus after exit on level two to the taxi stand (bus terminal) some six kilometres away (10- 15 minutes transfer time). At the taxi stand passenger must queue up for a taxi to Bangkok or take a public bus to Bangkok.

Limousine & private cars

Limousine counters are located on both the fourth and second floors, but also park at the same location as the public taxis. However limousines can be called in. To get a Limousine arriving passengers must contact Limo service counter at level two. Pick up at level two outer curb.    

Private cars can wait on the second level. Private car drivers can pick up passengers at level two, but they will not be able to park.  

Airport Express

Air-conditioning coaches offer a shuttle service between first class hotels in Bangkok and the airport. Pick up area at level two (Arrival) inner curb and drop off area at level four (Departure) inner curb. We have not received any list of which four star hotels will be concerned by this airport express service.

Train – Service start late 2008.
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. It may be confusing for passenger arriving at the airport to see signs “To trains” already in September 2006. Kindly inform you clients that there are no trains available until late 2008. 

Departure

There are some major changes for Bangkok Taxis. In order to bring customers from Bangkok to the airport taxi drivers must have cars which are less than five years with RFID equipment and drivers must be certified by AOT. Passengers must check with the taxi driver that he/she fulfils these conditions priori to departure from Bangkok. Taxi driver who do not fulfils these requirements will not be able to drop off the passengers at the airport.  

Taxis are authorised to drop off passengers at level four (Departure). AoT states in its operations manual that neither taxis nor private cars can park at kerbside. They must drop off passengers and leave immediately.

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.

We recommend that you inform your clients that it will take 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.

So these few tips, that might help to reduce the pain, have not yet been put in to practice. We do not know if or when they will work! In order to avoid problems for your customers we strongly recommend that you book private transfers from / to Bangkok Airport from the end of September until the end of October this year, when we will have clearer picture of the situation.