Published on September 28, 2006 - Suvarnabhumi Airport was packed yesterday with thousands of passengers and staff for airlines, shops and banks getting ready for the grand opening today. Lufthansa’s Flight LH8442 was due to be the first to officially land on the new tarmac at 3.05am.
Passengers are cool about the higher costs involved with travelling to the new airport. But despite this, they seemed pleased with the new airport’s modern design, amenities, and efforts by the Airports of Thailand and related agencies to assist travellers.
Thawee Chusap, a retired Interior Ministry official, visited the airport for the first time. For him, it’s about Bt20-40 more costly to travel to the new airport than to Don Muang from his house in Saphan Kwai. But he was impressed with the spacious parking lots at Suvarnbhumi, compared to the congested lot at Don Muang. This made it convenient for people to go to the new airport in their own cars, he said.
“The higher expense is nothing given the facilities provided at the new airport, as Don Muang was getting too crowded for travellers,” Thawee said.
Jiraporn Khonphukiew, manager of tour company Trans Island, which took tourists to Krabi yesterday, was also pleased with the new airport’s standards, which are equivalent to those provided at other international airports worldwide like in Germany and Japan. She said this could be used as a selling point when she offers tour packages, particularly to European travellers.
“I don’t mind that AOT collects Bt50 from every taxi picking up passengers from here. That’s acceptable while it guarantees safety for tourists. It wasn’t nice to see taxi drivers scrambling to grab bags from single passengers at Don Muang,” she said.
Khanitha Kaewjai, a ground service worker for Nok Air who only moved from Don Muang yesterday, did not mind the higher travelling cost that she has to bear with the move to Suvarnabhumi. Staying near Don Muang at present, she has to pay Bt35 for a bus fare and Bt50 for a public van. But these expenses can be reimbursed by the company. And if any employee wants a residence near the new airport, the company would also help pay for the relocation.
The most affected could be airport workers whose homes are very far away. Some can afford a new house, but others who cannot are thinking hard about finding a new job.
Still, many were elated with the new airport, which can handle up to 45 million passengers a year and up to 76 flights per hour. Tour agencies have voiced confidence that Suvarnabhumi will be a new magnet to draw more tourists here.
The tourism industry now contributes about 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. This year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has targeted attracting 13 million tourists.
Watcharapong Thongrung
The Nation
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