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breconion
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Quote from Pusseylover back in June last year with a
Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 20 June 2006:-
“"All regular commercial flights will switch to Suvarnabhumi, while Don Muang airport will, from then on, serve only government and military flights, along with private and charter flights," he said.
Don Muang could be used to reduce the workload of Suvarnabhumi in the future if the new airport reaches its full capacity of serving 45 million passengers annually, he said.---
The first international terminal building and the domestic terminal at Don Muang would be maintained for possible future use. The second international terminal would be developed into a museum and exhibition complex.”
So it was from June last year planned to reopen Don Muang to easy the pressure on Suvarnabhumi.
It's just happened just a little early and actually has never totally closed
TIT
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:15 am on Feb. 8, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 9 February 2007 :-
Thai airline union opposes Don Muang plan
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The Thai Airways International workers' union threatened on Friday to launch protests if the government proceeds with its plan to reopen Don Muang airport.
Somsak Srinual, head of the 14,000 member labour union, to which almost all THAI workers belong, said having two airports in Bangkok could prevent Thailand from becoming Southeast Asia's most important aviation hub.
"We oppose the idea of having two international airports, because Thailand could lose the chance to build Suvarnabhumi into a regional hub," said Somsak Srinual, boss of the labour union.
Mr Somsak said he would submit a letter to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont next week to urge the government to keep Suvarnabhumi as Bangkok's only international airport.
"If the government insists on having two international airports, we will consider staging a protest as a last resort," he added.
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Posted on: 2:15 am on Feb. 9, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Friday 9 February 2007 :-
Doubts over Quick decision on airport by 'Old Ginger'
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Too many questions left unanswered about reopening of Don Muang in 45 days
Moving slowly and with senior members, the Surayud government earned the tag "Old Ginger". Going by its nickname, many were convinced that it would be toothless. But four months have passed and now it is showing that ginger, regardless of age, can be spicy hot, particularly when the issue involves Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports.
The Cabinet's resolution on February 6 to reopen Don Muang amazed many with how quickly the government could act.
The decision came amid the slow pace of the Assets Examination Committee in taking action against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his associates for alleged corruption and his government's mishandling of several domestic issues, particularly the violence in the South.
However, the quick decision was announced without any supporting plans, indicating a possibility that it had a hidden agenda.
After first announcing the plan to reopen Don Muang for domestic flights only, the government then decided to open it for international flights as well.
Don Muang will need duty-free and commercial shops to serve travellers, as well as ground services and transport services. To provide all these, Airports of Thailand (AOT) needs to tender contracts, and it is questionable whether the bidding for these can be wrapped up in the 45 days set for Don Muang's reopening.
AOT has no details of which airlines will be allowed to return to Don Muang and how it will operate two airports simultaneously. Making matters worse, an executive of the company said on Wednesday that if Suvarnabhumi were to be partially closed for repairs, it would be capable of handling only 40 flights an hour. Then, some flights would be compelled to move to Don Muang.
Still, all changes entail a cost, let alone the costs of AOT in preparing Don Muang for reopening.
AOT is scheduled to submit its detailed plan to the Transport Ministry next week, but it is not sure if the plan will address all these issues.
While the preparation plan for Don Muang remains murky, what is more unclear is how the government will handle Suvarnabhumi Airport.
To date, the government still lets government agencies issue conflicting reports on the problems at the airport. Worst of all was the comment from Bannavit Kengrien, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly's committee inspecting problems at Suvarnabhumi, that the airport should be shut down entirely to allow runway repairs.
Amid all these pessimistic views about Suvarnabhumi, Surayud remained silent. The matter was left to Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen, while the premier went on a tour to lecture on the definition of a sufficiency economy.
However, Theera, a Navy officer, cannot be considered an expert on aviation. In fact, he created part of the confusion at the start. It took him over two months after taking office to visit Suvarnabhumi and see the problems with his own eyes.
A committee was formed to handle the damage. But rather than appointing someone from a neutral institution to convince the public that the damage was genuine - not a ploy to sabotage Thaksin's credibility - Theera named Tortrakul Yomnak as the committee chairman.
It is well known that Tortrakul is very much in the anti-Thaksin camp. Tortrakul himself was among the first to complain about the damage at the airport. If Tortrakul's information was reliable, then there was no need to waste the public's time by forming a committee. The question is whether Tortrakul's information can be substantiated. We should find out today, when he is scheduled to reveal his committee's findings.
It will also be interesting to see what the government does once the findings are released. Certainly, a detailed repair schedule is necessary, outlining the effect on airlines and the transportation of passengers and cargo.
Would it be too much to also ask the government for estimates of how much this will affect our economy?
It would also be beneficial to assign AOT to interview airlines, passengers and others involved for their reactions.
The hardest question of all is: if the repairs are to take a year, what will then happen to Don Muang? The government has so far refrained from commenting on whether its reopening will be permanent or temporary, but it seems so permanent.
All this points in one direction: the government was so hasty in making the decision to reopen Don Muang that many are becoming convinced that it is under pressure from the military to smoothen benefit-sharing between the Royal Thai Army and the Royal Thai Air Force.
It looks certain that the ginger will remain hot - even after the dissolution of the Council for National Security.
Sadly, the government has not settled the Suvarnabhumi scandals so as to revive Thailand's tarnished image, and it further compromised the country's bid to become an aviation hub by pulling open the doors to Don Muang.
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Posted on: 2:47 am on Feb. 9, 2007
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bkkz
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Report from The Nation dated Saturday 10 February 2007 :-
Decision on Suvarnabhumi to be made Wednesday
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Saturday that the government will decide by Wednesday whether to close Suvarnabhumi Airport for repair.
He said the transport minister will hold a meeting with government agencies concerned on Monday and the final decision will be reached by Wednesday as to whether the new airport will be closed during the repair.
But Surayud said he personally thought that the Suvarnabhumi airport should not be closed because its closure would affect the country's credibility.
He said there should be a way to repair the airport while it is still in use.
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Posted on: 10:14 pm on Feb. 9, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 10 February 2007 :-
PM opposes closing airport for repairs
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Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Saturday he opposed suggestions of closing Suvarnabhumi Airport for repairs, saying it would affect foreigners' confidence.
Leading engineers and architects said they were unsure about the true scale of the problem at Bangkok’s new international airport but indicated that the cracks on the runways and taxiways would determine whether the facility had to be shut down for repairs.
"I don't think we should close it for repairs. Instead, we need to find ways to fix it without having to close it temporarily," said Gen Surayud. "We have to try not to hurt the reliability of the airport."
The premier added that agencies assigned to compile a damage report of the new airport would meet on Monday to discuss Suvarnabhumi and what to do about it. The conclusion should be reached by Wednesday.
Tortrakul Yommanak, chairman of the committee, will hold a press conference on Monday to announce his findings.
Gen Surayud's view contradicted Bannawit Kenrian, who heads a special committee investigating problems at the airport. Adm Bannawit said last week the airport should be closed for repairs for about six months.
Kritsada Arunwong Na Ayuthaya, former Bangkok governor and former head of the Engineering Association of Thailand, said the committee should release a full report on Monday to quell public concern.
If cracks appear near the landing and take-off areas, it would pose serious risks as split or loose tarmac could cause havoc to the aircraft and threaten passenger safety, he added.
Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um refused to give his view on the subject during a television interview on Saturday morning. He only said he would like to wait for studies from two groups that the government assigned to study the damages at the airport's runways and buildings.
He said he was convinced that water could be responsible for ruts and cracks at Suvarnabhumi airport but a lot more tests would have to be done to reach a final conclusion.
Apart from numerous cracks in the runway and taxiways, Yodyiem Theptaranon, who was recently appointed to sit on the board of directors of Airports of Thailand and a committee member, said there were many concerns about the passenger terminal as well.
At one time, there were 30 problem spots in the terminal which experts identified as critical. The most serious problem, he added, was the lighting control system on the roof whose malfunction could have caused serious damage and possibly a fire in summer as thermostat failed to trigger when temperature rose above 40 degree Celsius.
Mr Yodyiem said the repair was ongoing and would be finished before the hot season begins.
But he stressed none of the problems were so grave as to demand a full shut down of the facility. The core structure of the airport was strong and in superb condition, he said, in contrast to earlier reports that internal fixtures in airport buildings were starting to fail.
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Posted on: 11:50 pm on Feb. 9, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 10 February 2007 :-
Thai Airways to hand most domestic flights to budget arm
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Thai Airways International (THAI) will transfer most domestic services to its no-frills subsidiary Nok Air and focus on international flights in response to the government's "confused" policy to reopen Don Muang as Bangkok's second international airport.
THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said the board agreed on Thursday to transfer non-connecting domestic flights, which made up the majority of its domestic services, to Nok Air at Don Muang in order to minimise costs of the return of its domestic service to the airport.
THAI will retain only domestic flights that connect with international ones for operation at Suvarnabhumi airport and will emphasise international services.
Mr Apinan said THAI's management will conclude the transfer plan after determining exactly which airlines will return to Don Muang. The plan will include aircraft acquisition for Nok Air, which is now THAI's "fighting brand".
THAI vice-president for commerce Wallop Bhukkanasut said the government's policy to operate Don Muang for both domestic and international flights had prompted THAI to adjust its marketing strategy, especially to compete with no-frills Thai AirAsia which offers both domestic and international flights.
Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai Airlines, said yesterday he would protest against the government's policy because it favoured Thai AirAsia. He said he would investigate the shareholding and business of Thai AirAsia.
Thai AirAsia reportedly plans to expand at Don Muang airport which is said to be more flexible for low-cost airlines.
Civil Aviation Department director-general Chaisak Angsuwan said discussions with airline representatives on traffic sharing between Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports had to wait for the conclusion of the plan to repair Suvarnabhumi airport. Tortrakul Yomnak, a board member of Airports of Thailand Plc, will announce this on Monday.
Brian Sinclair-Thompson, chairman of Thailand Board of Airlines, yesterday called on the government to speed up its study into problems at Suvarnabhumi airport and come up with a clear timeframe for the airport's repairs.
"We are confused by mixed information regarding the condition of Suvarnabhumi airport," he said. "We don't know if the airport will be closed for repair and for how long. An accurate report is urgently needed to help the airliners make the right decision on whether they should return to Don Muang airport."
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Posted on: 11:54 pm on Feb. 9, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Saturday 10 February 2007 :-
Stick to one airport, govt told
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BAR, AOT and IATA all point to dangers of split service
The Board of Airline Representatives in Thailand (BAR) is planning to meet the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand (AOT) next week to urge the use of a single airport, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that two airports would make for low efficiency in Bangkok.
BAR president Brian Sinclair Thomson said that airline representatives would meet the ministry and AOT specifically to urge them to consider using only Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Sinclair said airline representatives would also discuss why they see a single airport as better than two airports.
Moreover, BAR will urge the authorities to decrease airport service charges and to make operation costs lower.
Yongyuth Lujintanont, Cathay Pacific marketing manager for Thailand and Indochina, said that airlines wanted to see Bangkok have one airport - Suvarnabhumi Airport.
"Airlines have invested at Suvarnabhumi Airport and plan to use it as an aviation hub," he said. "They are now worried about the plan, so they need the government to clarify both the short- and long-term use of the airport."
He suggested that the government repair Suvarnabhumi Airport rather than inject extra budget for reopening Don Muang.
Whether or not two airports are used, Yongyuth said, the government must provide rapid transportation, not over 15 minutes, between the two airports.
IATA manager for communications Asia Pacific Albert Tjoeng said the airlines generally needed to have a single point of operation for them to provide an efficient and effective hub.
"Multi-airport cities exist where there is no possibility of operating from a single base due to capacity limitations, and where there is enough demand to ensure that the airports are fully utilised. This is not the case for Bangkok," said Tjoeng.
Operating from two airports will weaken their ability to compete, as two operational bases will result in unnecessarily duplicated costs.
Tjoeng also said that IATA is ready to work with the Thai government and AOT on the operational issues and options in Bangkok.
"For Bangkok to be a strong aviation hub in the region, the long-term vision should still be to have a single airport operation. Two airports will split passengers, airlines and AOT's resources, and will lead to lower cost efficiency and inconvenience for passengers," Tjoeng said.
However, if the government goes ahead with operating both airports, what is important is to have a level playing field for airlines in Bangkok, he said.
The IATA executive said that carriers should be free to choose which airport they wish to operate from. And the airport charges should be transparent and accurately allocated. There should not be any cross-subsidisation between the two airports.
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Posted on: 12:19 am on Feb. 10, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 12 February 2007 :-
Dispute over closing Suvarnabhumi Airport
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The top legislator involved with Suvarnabhumi Airport refused to back down from Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on Sunday, and repeated his belief that the troubled airport should be closed entirely during repairs to avoid inconvenience and risks to passengers.
Admiral Bannawit Kengrien, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly committee inspecting problems at Suvarnabhumi, spoke a day after Gen Surayud publicly disagreed with a shutdown, citing a probable lack of confidence by foreigners.
The prime minister on Saturday said he would prefer that the new airport, opened last September, remain open and functioning while the problems are being corrected.
Adm Bannawit was unintimidated by the high-level opposition. If both runways at Suvarnabhumi are damaged and repairs are needed, it will be too risky to continue operations, he said.
He added that his committee had inspected damage at the airport and had prepared overseas and domestic terminals at Don Muang International Airport, closed since the opening of Suvarnabhumi, to provide services to passengers of low-cost airlines that were also willing to switch to Don Muang.
Adm Bannawit also said he would propose to the cabinet during Tuesday's session to allow low-cost airlines, domestic and overseas flights to use Don Muang if both runways at Suvarnabhumi are damaged and need repairs.
Another committee initially found three major reasons causing damage to the airport. It said damage to runways and taxiways was caused by water in the sand layer, substandard materials used in the asphalt which weakened its strength, and hasty construction of the airport with an aim to beat the opening deadline.
The Airports of Thailand (AOT) board is scheduled to meet Monday to decide how to handle the issue, but the decision as to whether the airport would be closed entirely during repairs will be made Wednesday, according to Gen. Surayud.
Meanwhile Democrat Party spokesman Ong-art Khlampaiboon said that his party recommends setting up a neutral committee to take part in making decision of what should be done to solve the problem.
"If different agencies are allowed to keep viewing their opinions, more problems will arise," said Ong-art.
The neutral committee should be composed of experts from different fields and their performance should be carried out with a definite deadline, Mr. Ong-art added.
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Posted on: 7:55 pm on Feb. 11, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 12 February 2007 :-
No drains, tarmac soft, say experts - More taxiway damage found after repairs
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A drain should have been put in place to take water from beneath the taxiways and runways of Suvarnabhumi airport, says an expert investigating problems there. Foreign engineers might not be aware that the airport's site was once a swamp, said the expert, who asked not to be named.
''The panel investigating problems at the airport must look into what was known about water levels,'' he said.
Sand had been used to fill swamp during construction of the airport, but an embankment around the airport, which was built later, complicated the problem as it in effect held water inside the enclosed area, stopping it from draining out.
A member of the inquiry panel, Suebsak Prombun, said his group was investigating the cause of problems there, but was not responsible for bringing those responsible to justice.
At this stage the committee believed that cracks and subsidence in the taxiways had been caused by underground water which had existed since construction of the airport began.
The committee proposed installing an efficient drainage system, and digging shallow wells in the airport to hold and drain water.
Thiti Paveenachana, an expert from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, said one study found that 80% of damage had been found on the northern taxiways.
Underground drainage systems should be checked to see if they were clogged. Clogged pipes could cause trouble to the surface areas.
Mr Thiti suggested standard construction materials be brought in to repair the runways, and solutions to the water problem should be hammered out at the same time.
Another source from the investigation panel said damage was still being found at taxiways T15 and T17, despite repairs having already being made.
The damage was caused by ruts left on the surface by aircraft wheels.
The committee linked the damage to substandard materials used as components for paving the surfaces, the source said.
The panel would propose strengthening areas that have to bear the weight of aircraft.
The source added the panel's study indicated that some water in the sand layer under the airport was natural underground water.
However, rain water was also seeping through holes in the runway into the sand layer beneath.
A source from IOT Joint Venture said the wheel ruts problem was linked to the quality of asphalt, which was ''too soft''.
IOT is the consortium that comprises Italian-Thai Development Plc, Obayashi Corp Ltd and Takenana Corp Ltd. It was responsible for designing and building the south airside tunnel and airfield pavement at Suvarnabhumi airport.
Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the ministry was waiting for the findings of the committee headed by Tortrakul Yomnak, a board member of Airports of Thailand Plc.
The ministry would then decide which parts of the airport should be repaired.
Bannawit Kengrian, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly's committee on Suvarnabhumi airport, said the airport should be completely closed for repairs.
Don Muang airport was fully prepared and low-cost airlines were willing to move there. Adm Bannawit said Suvarnabhumi would eventually close for repairs as no airline would dare use airports with cracks.
He said he would discuss the relocation of low-cost airlines, and domestic and international flights at the next cabinet meeting, if damage were found at both runways at Suvarnabhumi.
The government will decide the airport's fate on Wednesday. Earlier, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said he would prefer the airport to remain open while the problems were corrected.
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Posted on: 8:02 pm on Feb. 11, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 13 February 2007 :-
Suvarnabhumi runway declared safe
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A two-week investigation into about 100 cracks that have appeared on the taxiways and a runway of Bangkok's $3.9-billion-dollar Suvarnabhumi Airport found that the damage is less serious than expected, inspectors said Monday.
"Judging from our two-week investigation, I'm confident that the runway is safe," said Tortrakul Yomnak, a chief engineer for the Airports of Thailand government agency, which led the inquiry.
The appearance of cracks and ruts only four months after the airport opened on September 28, has proven a major embarrassment for Thailand, which has touted the new facility as securing Bangkok's position as South-East Asia's aviation hub.
The cracks, mostly found in the taxiways and at the tip of the east runway where jets start off, has also led to speculation that Suvarnabhumi might need to be closed for major repairs.
But the investigation into the problem has revealed that the cracks are primarily on the surface and do not indicate a major problem with the engineering work below the tarmac, Tortrakul said.
Tortrakul, who two weeks ago was warning that the airport might need to be closed for three years, concluded Monday that repairs to the runway, one of two at the airport, would take at most one month or a few hours.
He refused to directly answer reporters' questions as to whether Suvarnabhumni would need to be closed for repairs.
Thailand has been sending mixed signals about Suvarnabhumi Airport, which has become part of a broader political struggle.
Suvarnabhumi was a pet project of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup on September 19 on charges of corruption and dividing the nation.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon turned politician, claimed responsibility for pushing the 3.9-billion-dollar project through to completion although he was heavily criticized for rushing construction and allowing corrupt deals to flourish.
Last week, the cabinet agreed to allow both Don Muang, the capital's old airport, which closed to commercial flights on September 28, and Suvarnabhumi to operate as international airports.
A decision to actually reopen Don Muang has not yet been announced.
Don Muang, which served as the capital's airport for 92 years, is on land owned by the Air Force, which has always benefited financially from the commercial airport
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Posted on: 9:43 pm on Feb. 12, 2007
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