safety at SUVARNABHUMI (New BKK airport)

[dinbangkok]

I'm not a pilot but am a Bangkok based frequent traveller (on TG, BA, CX) and am interested in what the pilots out there make of our new airport... The English language press here in Thailand has been rife with reports over potential safety issues at the new airport, such as tall buildings on the approach path lacking any warning lights, no consultation with IATA on preparedness, missing information on the strength of the runway requested by contracted agencies who are advising the Airport Authority on International certification etc.. etc..

This is one of a number of stories which has appeared on the airport:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/17/headlines/headlines_30008892.php

For those of you who fly into Bangkok, what do you make of all of this? It's all pretty confusing from the passenger's point of view especially knowing how much controversy has surrounded the award of contracts to build the airport.

[ATC Watcher]

At least the new airport does not have a golf course betweene the runeay and the taxi way :hmm:

More seriously the Control TWR is so high than controllers do not see all the movements due to pollution on sunny days , but it will open, and will work in the end, like all the others before it ....

[wiggy]

Err, the golf course is between the two main runways..and they are not separated by much:ooh:

(edited to add:) It shows up quite nicely on Google Earth

[reynoldsno1]

There have been a number of technical issues - some surrounding differing standards (the ILS installation springs to mind). Changes are being made, but unfortuately the media chooses to label these as "errors" or "mistakes".
They are not.

There will be teething problems, but it'll work out fine....

[Tigs2]

The change over to the new airport for both domestic and international occurs on 28th sep, so watch this space. Dont think the buildings will be as bad as the old Hongkong airport.

[Stretchwell]

It would be difficult to be worse than the present airport !!

Regards - from Bangkok.

[Bangkokeasy]

There have been a number of issues with the new airport, but nothing serious for the last 6 months. The last report to the ICAO highlighting "serious", i.e. not solveable within 6 months, was in March and in true Thai fashion, I think these have all been addressed. These included an over-tall communication mast, belonging to a nearby university and inadequate taxiway signage. The height of the control tower should be fine.

There was a new report in the Bangkok Post today, but the issues were all with passenger safety in the terminal and car parks. Nothing serious and nothing about airside.

Call me old fashioned, but Don Muang has evolved with strange efficiency. It may be handling 4 million more passengers and double the freight it was designed for, but I never see the sorts of delays to aircraft schedules, or pax handling that you get in the UK, or USA. I am sure the new one will be fine, but good luck to anyone actually flying in there on the 28th!

The golf course will be sorely missed though...

[reynoldsno1]

I, too, have never had a problem at Don Muang during numerous transits over the past 20 years or so ...... last time 6 months ago .....

[missy]

SUVARNABHUMI, now how does one pronounce it?? And what would be IATA/ICAO codes be?

[Dan Winterland]

At least the new airport does not have a golf course betweene the runeay and the taxi way

So where are QANTAS going to park? ;)

[refplus20]

http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/bangkok/

[Bangkokeasy]

SUVARNABHUMI, now how does one pronounce it?? And what would be IATA/ICAO codes be?

It is pronounced "soo-wan-a-poom", with four syllables, the v being soft and the i at the end is silent.

[ZFT]

SUVARNABHUMI, ..And what would be IATA/ICAO codes be?

Currently NBKK but will revert to BKK after 28/9/06 /VTBS

[Blacksheep]

Never mind the golf course, what about the airport hotel. The old one is the only hotel in the world where I've had to wait 1 1/2 hours in the checkout line. :{

[Bangkokeasy]

Oh don't worry about that - the airport hotel won't be open until next year at the earliest. However, the queues at check out at the old one will be less :}

[sizematters]

it is pronounced

Sue - varn - a - poom

4 syllables as the man said .......................

[Bangkokeasy]

Yes, also correct. There are two letters in the Thai alphabet for both w and v, but in practice, they are interchangeable and the sound is very similar, somewhere between a soft v and a hard w. The stress should be pretty much equal for all syllables, and (thankfully) with a "neutral" tone.

Incidentally, I understand that the name is an archaic one, meaning, "City of gold" (suvarn = gold, bhumi = city).

[Globaliser]

Currently NBKK but will revert to BKK after 28/9/06 /VTBSIndeed. As reported in this thread, current:-
BKK - (old) Don Muang
NBK - (new) Suvarnabhumi

From 0300L on 28 September 2006:-
DMK - Don Muang
BKK - Suvarnabhumi

[Xeque]

Yes. Soo-wanna-poom (that's what my wife tells me :) ) is now designated VTBS which was originally the designator for Si Racha airport. This has now been redesignated VTSR.

As for safety, I'm sure it will be as safe and as well run as any other of Thailand's airports. I was lucky enough to fly some approaches to 19L a few weeks ago in a light aircraft. Won't be able to do that any more.

The Thai Flying Club based at Bang Phra (VTBT) is now only 25 KM as the crow flies but there do not seem to be any major changes for us given the closer proximity of the new airport. However, flights to the north will have to be a little more careful.

And, yes. The King chose the new name and it does indeed mean "City of gold"

[flyguykorea]

They surely can't be serious, can they!?

From the Bangkok Nation Newspaper:

Question 1: How many toilets for men are there in the main departure hall, which is 444 metres long and about 50 metres wide, and a place where domestic and international passengers have to check in their luggage and get their boarding passes?

Some experts have told The Nation that given the volume of people passing through, there should be 200 or even 300. Are there that many at Suvarnabhumi?

The answer: there are 12 toilets and 16 urinals in four restrooms


Now on to question 2: On that very same fourth floor, the only departure hall, how many seats are there for the public to rest their weary bones?

A couple of thousand would seem reasonable, you'd think. But if you said 100 you'd be spot on the money. Not bad for a place where thousands will congregate each hour. "There are hardly any seats because passengers must stand," huffed an Airports of Thailand (AOT) information officer. "We want them to check in quickly and get to the retail space."

(yes the truth comes out....retail)

and the icing on the cake.... "For every 50 pieces of test luggage, 20 went missing,"

[Globaliser]

And now there's a possibility of disruption (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5361008.stm).

[Bangkokeasy]

General Sondhi, the coup leader, was interviewed yesterday and asked about the opening of the new airport. He replied that everything was on schedule. Things are back to normal in Thailand now and there should be no disruption affecting the transfer of international flights to Suvarnabhumi next Thursday (28th).

[blrsea]

SuvarnaBhoomi is a sanskrit word, and as pointed out, means land of gold. In sanskrit( or other indian languages), it is pronounced as it is spelt

soo-var-Na-Bhoo-mi

[RealFish]

....And, yes. The King chose the new name and it does indeed mean "City of gold"
HM the King chose well. Much better than that of the new airport's location, Nongnughao, which I am told translates as Cobra Swamp.
Who wanted the game of golf ?

[ZFT]

SuvarnaBhoomi is a sanskrit word, and as pointed out, means land of gold. In sanskrit( or other indian languages), it is pronounced as it is spelt
soo-var-Na-Bhoo-mi

However as other have pointed out, in Thai it is pronounced su-wan-na-poom

There is no v sound in Thai and the i is silent at the end