Airport is not that far It seems far the first couple of times you visit the new airport at Suvarnabhumi off Bang Na-Trat Road in Samut Prakan, but the feeling changes once you get used to the route. The easiest way to get there is to take the Bang Na-Chon Buri motorway and exit at the sign pointing to the airport and drive straight to the arrival/departure building, which is also the main passenger building on this sprawling 20,000 rai airport some 25 kilometres east of Bangkok, the biggest in Southeast Asia. The building has eight floors, including one underground where the CTX scanners are installed, while the top floor offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. The departure hall on the fourth floor has 20 check-in rows marked alphabetically. The first five letters, A-E, are for domestic flights and F-W for international flights. (See illustration.) Unlike Don Muang Airport where we had our luggage scanned before checking in, the new airport leaves that to a computer system. After checking in, luggage is sent to the underground floor for scanning. "If there is anything dubious, we will open that case or luggage. That are our instructions," said an airport officer. "We will summon its owner to come and open the bag." The departure lounge has 72 immigration desks, a museum and a kilometre-long duty-free area. There are 120 aircraft parking bays and two 60-metre-wide runways that will eventually increase to four. Airport tax has been raised to 700 baht. There is also an entertainment area, concourse G, comprising theatres, karaoke, bowling lanes and a section for VIP and royal guests. Those driving there can park their cars at two points: one, opposite the main passenger building for short-time parking. It is a five-storey structure good for 5,000 cars; and the other farther away meant for those needing to park for long hours. The parking fee has yet to be announced. When fully completed, there will be parking capacity for 15,677 cars. Meanwhile, the arrival lounge on second floor is configured like the departure lounge. The first six counters are for domestic and 7-23 for international passengers, and then there are 124 immigration desks and 10 exit gates where relatives and friends can wait for arriving passengers. "Taxis and public buses will have their terminal, about 10 minutes drive from the arrival area," explained the airport officer. Arriving passengers will need to take the yellow airport shuttle service leaving every three minutes to get there. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority ( http://www.bmta.co.th ) has also started new bus service between the airport and Min Buri, Happyland, Victory Monument, Klong Toey, Samut Prakan and Rangsit. In the meantime, the rapid rail transit system connecting Bangkok and the new airport is slated for completion in 2008. More information, maps and layout of the new airport can be downloaded from http://www.airportthai.com . It is the official web site of Airports of Thailand.
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Bangkok Post Sept. 2006