Expect more congestion at Swampy

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

The combined capacity of airports under Airports of Thailand Plc's (AoT) supervision has fallen well short of actual utilisation, resulting in congestion, according to AoT data.

All but one AoT airport is being run well beyond the designed capacity for passenger handling.

Chiang Rai airport is the only exception, even though passenger traffic through the facility has been on the rise, fuelled by holiday travel.

Airport with the most critical shortfalls in passenger handling capacities were, from highest to lowest, Suvarnabhumi, Phuket and Don Mueang.

Congestion will only worsen over the years to come as AoT continues to squeeze increasing numbers of passengers and flights into the crowded facilities, while not moving fast enough to add new airport capacities.

Indeed, Suvarnabhumi has lost a decade in starting a much-needed expansion.

The expansion of the airport, which includes the construction of a third runway and a second passenger terminal, together expects to cost over 110 billion baht, will not be entirely completed for next four years.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/1262683/congestion-suffocating-aot-airports

[ggobkk]

Somehow this is not a surprise.

 

After landing this past Saturday, plane was put on hold for forty minutes waiting for a gate to open.

[PeterRS]

I have an app which gives real time info on almost all aircraft movements. The number of flights put on hold by having to circle prior to landing at BKK is now way more than it was a years ago. It is idiotic to remember that it is only a few years ago when there was a lobby to have only one airport for Bangkok.

[steveboy]

Maybe I should not mind so much arriving in Suvarnabhumi around midnight in flights from the US.  This could be the reason I have not run into big crowds and waiting at immigration.

[vinapu]

Maybe I should not mind so much arriving in Suvarnabhumi around midnight in flights from the US.  This could be the reason I have not run into big crowds and waiting at immigration.

 

count your blessings, often I arrive around 1 a.m. and lines are still long like the Nile

[Guest gayguytt27]

Any comments on the "VIP meet & greet with immigration fast track service" offered? Is it legitimate worth it compared to the line?

[vinapu]

Any comments on the "VIP meet & greet with immigration fast track service" offered? Is it legitimate worth it compared to the line?

No personal experience but there was positive report about that service few months ago on one of forums.

 

I still prefer to wait and save money for the boys later if one asks me. 

[paulsf]

These services are great. They meet you at gate and get you thru to baggage quickly. So you have to decide for yourself and your pocketbook. If not crowded you breeze thru and don't need service , If crowded, it's worth every penny.

[Guest gayguytt27]

Arriving 11pm on a Thursday off of a flight from Toyko... Yeah, its hard to predict if its valuable  enough service or not until after you stand in the queue

[ozmouse]

i only use the vip meet and greet. have not used normal path in 10 years.  they meet you at gate with a sign, walk you to immigration, use the diplomat/vip lanes.  completely painless.  some times wasted money... other times... $30 worth $100s/hour \\

 

most painful part of process is girl that meets you does not walk fast enough. so you can pay extra and get buggy!  if i knew what gate they would land at i would book ever time.  but i use the walk as a way of getting blood flowing after sitting on long flight. 

 

i use bangkok flight services

[bobsaigon]

Those of us who are VERY senior request a wheelchair to be waiting for us on arrival.   This gets through immigration quickly in the fast track lane.   When I reach baggage claim, I have enough energy to negotiate the rest of the arrival without the wheelchair. No charge for this service with Thai airlines, I assume all airlines are the same.  Of course the fellow who pushes the wheelchair, sometimes quite a long way, doesn't mind an expression of gratitude.

[kokopelli]

Maybe I should not mind so much arriving in Suvarnabhumi around midnight in flights from the US.  This could be the reason I have not run into big crowds and waiting at immigration.

For "old timers" there is also a priority lane at Immigration. About half way between the first and second Immigration stations.

[bobsaigon]

I forgot about the Priority Lane for us "old timers".  Now I recall going past it once when there were 20 youngish Chinese tourists 

filling up that lane, with not a clue about Priority.  A young female immigration officer tried to re-direct them, without success.

[a447a]

How old do you have to actually be - as opposed to how old you feel! - in order to use the Priority Lane?

[paulsf]

Not 100% sure but I think it is 70

[kokopelli]

The age is 70 yo for use of Priority Line located between Passport Control 2 & 3. You really must look for it since the moving walkway passes by it. So have to exit the walkway and then walk back a bit. Also available to handicapped and disabled. a447 you should have no problem. 

[traveller123]

The age is 70 yo for use of Priority Line located between Passport Control 2 & 3. You really must look for it since the moving walkway passes by it. So have to exit the walkway and then walk back a bit. Also available to handicapped and disabled. a447 you should have no problem. 

 

;I flew in with Qatar last week at approx 12.30pm there were very long queues at Immigration, so having turned 70 a couple of weeks ago I decided to use the priority lane (thanks to the information on this website) and it was a breeze, 2 desks open and 6 people in the queue.

[PeterRS]

The Priority Lanes are available to quite a number of people in addition to the over 70s. First and biz class passengers on most flights, APEC Biz Travel card holders and others. So it always amazes me that there are so few at those desks. After all a Qatar 777 will have around 40 in biz class and an Emirates A380 up to 90 in first and biz. Some will be transferring to other airlines, but it always seems whenever I arrive that most of these passengers really dont know about the Premium Lane. They certainly dont seem to go near it.

[Guest]

I have not yet experienced excessive queuing at BKK, however checked the fast track on their website, just out of interest.

 

The website is a misleading farce.

 

It says VIP arrival booking combined with a Limousine service:   1050 thb

 

If that includes a limousine into BKK, it does not seem to bad.   

However, clicking through to the booking page & there is no limousine booking details & it tells you to use a different page instead.    

That limousine page includes nothing about VIP arrival.

So nowhere is it obvious that you're booking the advertised service.

 

 

As for the idea Bangkok should have 1 airport, well if I'm not mistaken, Don Mueang was closed for a while after the new airport opened.   Even 9 years ago, I had the mother of all jobs to persuade a taxi driver to take me to Don Mueang, since it had only just reopened for a handful of low cost flights. 

 

Right now, they should probably fully reopen Don Mueang & start work on the third runway & extra terminal capacity at Suvarnabhumi.   Things would probably work out best if Don Mueang were sold of to an experienced competing airport operator who would immediately try & get as much traffic as possible to go there.

[steveboy]

Not only the overloading of resources at BKK airports is a concern for us American travelers.  Now increased security measures advertised today will affect all flights to the US.  Long lines may get longer...

 

I am not affected at this time because my travel plans are on hold having to care for my bf.  But once I'm able to travel again, I hope the situation has improved, or I will have to do more exercising, more relaxing meditation and improving nutrition to be able to put up with long delays with minimum hardship