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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 8 January 2007 :-
Lax airport security finally addressed
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Security at Suvarnabhumi airport has been tightened for the first time, in an effort to reach international anti-terrorist standards a week after the deadly bomb attacks in Bangkok.
The tightening of security at the new airport east of Bangkok came after action by an agitated deputy secretary-general of the Council for National Security (CNS) Saprang Kalayanamitr, who also is chairman of Airports of Thailand Pcl.
On Friday, Gen Saprang publicly dressed down the security operation at Suvarnabhumi, and ordered that security at the new showcase airport be made the equal of other, terrorist-targeted airports in Europe and the US.
Security officers inspected passengers and staff, while scanners monitored suspicious and mundane baggage and parcels alike. Moreover trained dogs patrolled every floor and area of the airport.
Meanwhile, a committee is investigating whether the Loxley-ICTS consortium, which won the concession to run security at Suvarnabhumi airport, has breached terms of the contract in its deploying of guards there.
Gen Saprang has already warned that the contract might be reviewed should the company fail to meet security requirements.
It was found that the concessionaire had violated the security contract in the past, and AOT fined it at 2,000 baht per person missing and per shift.
Plans are in motion to install another160 closed circuit cameras at the airport. Presently, more than 300 such cameras are already in place.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:01 pm on Jan. 7, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 12 January 2007 :-
AoT backs rebirth of Don Muang - Old airport to service some domestic routes
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The board of Airports of Thailand Plc yesterday approved the use of Don Muang for domestic flights with no international connections and set March 15 as the possible date for the relaunch of services at the old airport.
In an attempt to save costs from expanding Suvarnabhumi airport and to fully use its existing infrastructure, the board led by chairman Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr decided to move to Don Muang domestic flights with no connections to international routes operated by Thai Airways International (THAI) and no-frills carriers. Domestic flights with passengers connecting with international routes will remain at Suvarnabhumi.
It targeted March 15 for the resumption of regular services for Don Muang, which was closed on Sept 28, when the country's main airport moved to Suvarnabhumi.
The March 15 date was set to allow sufficient time to prepare for an expected surge in air travel to the provinces during the Songkran holiday.
Sources in the Airports of Thailand (AoT) board said its president Chotisak Asapaviriya told the meeting that the March 15 move was possible. However, he told reporters afterwards that he could not guarantee complete success.
The decision was based on a study by AoT to compare the advantages and disadvantages of expanding Suvarnabhumi against relocating domestic services to Don Muang.
The use of Don Muang to ease air traffic at Suvarnabhumi would give officials more flexibility to fix a number of problems at the new airport, sources said.
Mr Chotisak said the board has directed AoT to work on the details of the use of Don Muang and forward them to the Transport Ministry _ which oversees the airport agency _ within two weeks. After that the ministry, which has already made clear its preference for Don Muang, needs cabinet approval for the plan.
Based on the current volume of passengers, Suvarnabhumi will serve 42 million passengers a year, just three million shy of its full capacity.
Don Muang accommodated almost 39 million passengers a year before it was closed to regular flights. It currently services only chartered and special flights.
Moving domestic flights with no connections to Don Muang will defer plans to expand the new airport, including the need to build a new terminal to service only local flights in the future.
The move will boost revenues at Don Muang, which currently earns only 500,000 baht a month from the chartered and special flights.
Don Muang director Pinit Saraithong said the airport was ready for the return to services because none of the facilities, including ground and safety equipment, had been moved to Suvarnabhumi.
However, he said the airport needed about 45 days to prepare for the return of regular passengers and to hire more security staff. With existing facilities, Don Muang could serve up to 15 million passengers a year for a decade, he added.
Airlines with domestic services _THAI, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and One-Two-Go _ supported yesterday's decision.
Bangkok Airways could not be reached for comment.
THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said the national flag carrier needed one month to move some equipment and hire more staff to be stationed at Don Muang but he said it was not a serious problem for the airline.
Mr Apinan said flights serving popular destinations among international passengers such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai could remain at Suvarnabhumi.
Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin praised the decision, which could save AoT at least 1.4 billion baht from constructing a new domestic building at Suvarnabhumi.
One-Two-Go chief executive and founder Udom Tantiprasongchai also hailed the decision, saying it was a ''good decision'' to shift domestic routes to Don Muang.
But Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said the move to Don Muang should be on a voluntary basis. He admitted that the move would affect Thai AirAsia, which needed to rotate its fleets between international and domestic flights.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 9:43 pm on Jan. 11, 2007
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DaffyDuck
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This is hilarious - but a good decision overall.
So, this begs the question - what will be (or, is) the airport designation for Don Muang, if Suvarnabhumi's is BKK ?
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:29 am on Jan. 12, 2007
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bkkz
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Quote: from DaffyDuck on 3:53 pm on Jan. 12, 2007
So, this begs the question - what will be (or, is) the airport designation for Don Muang, if Suvarnabhumi's is BKK ?
Let's see, before Suvarnabhumi became BKK, it was NBK, since it is now BKK, Don Muang, would become OBK? or perhaps BKK? 
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 1:40 am on Jan. 12, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 13 January 2007 :-
IATA blasts AoT decision to shift flights - Don Muang looks set to make a comeback
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said yesterday that a decision by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) to shift some commercial flights back to Don Muang would dampen Bangkok's potential for becoming an aviation hub. Making flight connections between two airports would be a huge inconvenience for passengers, and might further damage the attractiveness of Thailand as a tourist destination, the world's largest airline trade group said.
Responding to a query from the Bangkok Post, Albert Tjoeng, the IATA spokesman for Asia-Pacific, said: ''Imagine a passenger arriving in Suvarnabhumi and having to catch a connecting domestic flight or no-frills flight from Don Muang. How long will that connection take including baggage collection, travel from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang and then check-in for the next flight? If an airport wants to be a hub, it is important to keep the connection time low.''
IATA has always supported the Thai governments' policy of having a single airport for Bangkok, largely because it would provide easy connections for passengers and facilitate airline operations.
Mr Tjoeng said that if AoT insisted on going ahead with the reopening of Don Muang for commercial flights, then it had to ensure a level playing field for all airlines.
While the landing and parking fees at both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports are the same, the cost of renting space at Don Muang would be cheaper.
Several Bangkok-based airline managers yesterday expressed support for AoT's decision to shift point-to-point domestic flights back to Don Muang in a move to relieve congestion at four-month-old Suvarnabhumi.
They said it was the best immediate solution to unresolved problems, including insufficient toilet facilities, cracking taxiways and heavy traffic at the new airport, which is already nearing its designed annual capacity of 45 million passengers.
This scenario could benefit passengers travelling domestic point-to-point routes, as well as the airlines, in that they would be processed through a more accessible, roomy and complete airport.
Airline executives estimated that Suvarnabhumi could be relieved of as much as 30% of its traffic load by transferring selected flights to Don Muang. This would prolong the service lifespan of Bangkok's troubled new airport, particularly at a time when the government remains indecisive about the airport's expansion.
Thai Airways International president Apinan Sumanaseni yesterday expressed support for AoT's decision. He said THAI was prepared to move point-to-point domestic flights to Don Muang while keeping those requiring connecting international flights, such as those from Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi, at Suvarnabhumi.
THAI operates about 300 domestic flights a week.
At least three airlines that offer domestic services including One-Two-Go, Nok Air and Thai AirAsia, have shown no objection to the move.
IATA said there was urgent need to build a new mid-field terminal to create additional capacity for Suvarnabhumi.
However, Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said using dual airports may not suit tour operators as they would need to provide facilities at both, entailing more cost and time.
He said that AoT should be open about the problems at Suvarnabhumi airport in order to allow private sectors to prepare operations accordingly.
He said if the government wanted to use two airports, the airport-link project should link to Don Muang as well.
He said some big cities had two airports but they had efficient transport links.
Maiyarat Pheerayakoses, managing director of Lee Ben Travel Service Co, said that if the government wanted to use Don Muang, a transport link between the two airports was vital because passengers would choose to fly to the airport destination with the most convenient facilities.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:48 pm on Jan. 12, 2007
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Tyfon
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Quote: from PussyLover 69 on 11:12 am on Jan. 13, 2007
Making flight connections between two airports would be a huge inconvenience for passengers
My first thought was that splitting services would be a wet-dream for the taxi mafia, as hope of a rail service to DM is even more distant than the completion of the link to Suvarnabhumi. Although a Mo Chit extension would at least be on the same line as the BKK extension, so it would (could) be but a single train transfer, this is waaaay in the future.
A bus service with dedicated bus lanes on the tollways? Even if it was implementable and enforceable, it would be even more of a pain than the trans-Suvarnabhumi hike.
I know that I have to watch out for certain US destinations reachable via New York for flights that arrive at JFK and connections departing Newark, or vice versa. No way am I playing the airport transfer game with a bad back and luggage.
Perhaps it's a plot by the Bangkok Authority to encourage people to break their journey and stay a few extra days in BKK before continuing via DM.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:52 am on Jan. 13, 2007
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Tyfon
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Not wishing to tread on PL's toes but this is from The Nation today (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/13/business/business_30024011.php) :
"Thai Airways International is moving all of its domestic routes, except those involving Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen, to Don Muang airport once the Cabinet approves its reopening."
Apparently the operating costs are higher at Suvarnabhumi than at DM, costing them THB3.7Bn.
How long will it take, after Thai invest in the move and extra equipment and staff, for AoT to figure out that they can raise the rates at DM..?
On the plus side, perhaps it will provide incentive for Thai to provide direct flights to HKT and CMX..?
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:05 am on Jan. 13, 2007
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shamas
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DON MUANG AIRPORT
THAI going back to the future
National carrier to move all but three of its domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi to old airport to save on operating costs
Thai Airways International is moving all of its domestic routes, except those involving Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen, to Don Muang airport once the Cabinet approves its reopening.
The move aims to save on operating costs, which are higher at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. The flag carrier recently said the move to Suvarnabhumi had added Bt3.7 billion to its annual operating costs.
THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said yesterday that only flights on three routes would be operated at Suvarnabhumi as they carry a large number of foreign passengers who are taking connecting flights to overseas destinations.
On Thursday, Airports of Thailand's (AOT) board approved in principle the reopening of the old airport following an outcry from low-cost airlines over the higher operating fees.
Budget airlines have complained about the higher costs of using the new international airport, which took over domestic and international flights when it opened on September 28.
Yesterday, AOT informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that its board had approved reopening the capital's old airport for domestic flights, a move that would reduce operating costs for budget airlines.
Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the reopening of Don Muang would relieve AOT from the future investment of Bt1.4 billion for the construction of a low-cost airline terminal.
However, he is unsure whether the move will be permanent. The issue will be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval, possibly next week.
"This should help AOT delay the new investment for four or five years," Sansern said yesterday, adding that the authorities are also addressing the reported cracks on Suvarnabhumi's taxi ways.
AOT said in the statement that if the Cabinet approved the plan, airlines flying non-transit domestic routes would have the option of moving back to Don Muang.
Low-cost carriers including Nok Air and One Two Go have shown interest in moving their operations to Don Muang airport. However, AirAsia wants to move both domestic and international routes back to the old airport.
Apinan said few passengers would be troubled by THAI's intended move. The airline will provide a shuttle-bus service serving the two airports.
He added that THAI would finalise a domestic flight timetable and a comparison of operating costs between the two airports within two weeks.
"Operating costs at the former airport would be cheaper than Suvarnnabhumi Airport. Moreover, Don Muang will be less of a problem for matters such as landing fees, parking fees and ground services, as well as leading to shorter delays. Meanwhile, passengers will also save on travel time and transportation expenditure," said Apinan.
The airline chief also said THAI was proceeding with a plan to set up a new airline, details of which are expected to be completed in six months. The new carrier will operate only domestic routes, using Don Muang airport.
However, investment costs and a formal name have not yet been decided.
"THAI will take a 100-per-cent share in the new airline," Apinan added.
The carrier is will be a full-service airline positioned between low-cost operators and THAI.
THAI will transfer aircraft and facilities to the new airline.
Suchat Sritama
The Nation
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 9:50 am on Jan. 14, 2007
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shamas
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SIDELINES
Better solution for Thai International at Don Muang
Now we have come to realise how messy Suvarnabhumi Airport really is, after just four months of operation.
It has tended to become more so as time passed, and government authorities cannot take it any longer with the multifaceted problems and the increasing difficulty in finding solutions.
The pride of Thailand, as it was once touted by the Thaksin administration, has become a great shame and, as ongoing investigations expose widespread wrongdoing, a testimony to massive corruption unprecedented in the country's history.
The international airport, in addition to airline and commercial services, was also meant to serve for years as an inexhaustible gold mine for Thaksin's political and business cronies, had he managed to hold on to power and not have his tenure terminated by a military coup.
To a certain extent, Thaksin and his cronies must have thanked their stars for not being around to bear the brunt of the mess resulting from poor design, cheap materials, shoddy layout and sloppy construction work.
One thing not many people could understand is why the entire roof is covered by a transparent sheet instead of tiles to deflect the heat, taking into account that we are located near the equator and have strong sunshine almost every day.
The airconditioning system is inadequate. People feel stuffy due to the balmy air. Dubai airport uses similar material but obviously of superior quality, and its the cooling system functions better even in the desert heat.
There was bad news last week, when the board of the country's airport authority, Airports of Thailand (AOT), decided to shift domestic air services back to Don Muang because Suvarnabhumi was already getting congested. This was by no means shocking because the problem had long been forewarned but ignored by the Thaksin administration.
The trial opening of Suvarnabhumi on September 28 was just like the opening of a can of worms, with reports of passenger discomfort, poor use of space for airport services and the duty-free area receiving very generous treatment under a contract with the government.
Problems such as construction defects and cracks on the airport tarmac, the limited toilet facilities and other inconveniences are becoming unbearably embarrassing. There has been a joke circulating that Suvarnabhumi is not an airport but actually a department store with air services. This claim is not far off the mark.
There were security problems with female employees being molested and harassed by workmen in airport zones not kept under proper surveillance despite the contract worth Bt5 billion covering 10 years.
In a nutshell, the quality of the airport is not worth the Bt140 billion spent on its construction, a substantial part of which went into the pockets of politicians and their partners in crime. It is a "mother of all corruption and mischief-making" project that we have to live with from now on.
Serious flaws in structural designs are the main problem. In an odd reversal, passengers prefer to take a bus ride from the aircraft to the terminal instead of a long and gruelling walk to the immigration counters and baggage claim.
Among the losers is Thai International Airways (THAI), which has had to accept a smaller operating area and role in the new airport. At Don Muang, the airline had almost the whole of Terminal 1 for its own use, together with the large chunk of the domestic terminal.
At Suvarnabhumi, THAI has had to settle for an area not in keeping with its status as a national flag carrier. This could be due to poor judgement on the part of the government authorities or the airport management, or other dubious motives.
All is not lost for Thai International. The airline can seek permission to relocate all of its operations, international and domestic, to Don Muang so that it can reclaim its own hub and terminals to provide more efficient service. It can leave Nok Air, its low-cost airline, at Suvarnabhumi to provide domestic connections for other foreign airlines.
The THAI management may have to make a study of the cost and benefits, plus the upside potential and downside risks, of moving to Don Muang. At the very least, the airline would have the entire airport to itself and prevent the multibillion-baht facilities that remain from decaying due to disuse, which would be a waste of resources.
Though the AOT board has decided to shift all domestic and low-cost air services to Don Muang on March 15, there is still time for reconsideration - that is if Thai International wants to reclaim its pride as the national flag carrier.
Sopon Onkgara
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:51 am on Jan. 14, 2007
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