Tourists do not seem concerned about Bangkok protests

Thailands political problems and travel warnings issued by many western countries do not seem to be affecting tourism.

It is the end of 2013 and it has been a couple of years since Thailand's last last political dispute which means the country has been overdue for this.

 

Protesters on both sides took time out yesterday to honor the kings 86th birthday showing in spite of political strife, Thai culture and a strong common bond does still remain. Perhaps that common bond, ie: a Monarch, is the only real way forward for the Thai people. However with Thailand's peak tourism season upon us it seems that tourists are not concerned about red shirts, yellow shirts, or any other color, they just want their holiday. 

Here is an article from  the Wall Street Journal:

 

As Thailand Fears a Drop in Tourism, Visitors Say No Worries

By Nopparat Chaichalearmmongkol

BANGKOK—Political protests in Thailand have calmed slightly following an uneasy truce between demonstrators and the government on Tuesday. But fears remain that the ongoing political turmoil could reverberate throughout the economy.

Thailand’s tourism industry, a major contributor to the country’s gross domestic product, could be an obvious casualty, with news and scenes of continued street protests and the storming of government offices in Bangkok scarring away foreign travelers just when Thailand is entering peak tourism season.

As of Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry reported that 37 countries have issued travel advisories for Thailand – mostly at level 2 – “Exercise Caution.”

 

Still, several tourists interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday said they found Bangkok to be safe, even when coming across demonstrations.

The British government “issued advice, saying we should avoid protest sites, which apparently we have not managed to,” said 30-year-old British national Mark Abbott, who was walking down Ratchadamnoen Avenue, the main anti-government rally site in Bangkok.

The avenue sits adjacent to the city’s famous backpacker hub, Khao San Road, which makes avoiding the rally sites somewhat difficult.

But since Mr. Abbott and his companion Kadi McLeod arrived in the Thai capital just days ago they say they’ve not found anything to worry about.

“This looks very organized and everyone seems to know where to go and what to do,” said Ms. McLeod.

Even though the protests have eased, however, airlines and travel operators say their main concern is that tourists who have not yet arrived will re-think their visits, particularly if the protests resume next week after the country has celebrated the birthday of highly-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Dec. 5.

The latest data from flag-carrier Thai Airways International and leading budget carrier Thai AirAsia showed a slight a drop in passenger numbers for the month of November, when protests first started heating up.

“While we are not seeing mass cancellations, a prolonged situation may lead short-haul travelers to change their holiday destination to somewhere else,” said Chokchai Panyayong, senior vice president of Thai Airways International PCL.

Thailand to charge tourists extra to enter The Kingdom?

Thailand's government gearing up to charge tourists a 500 baht entrance fee for emergency medical costs??

Thailand's government is proposing this fee to build a fund to help pay medical expenses for tourists that find themselves needing medical attention but possibly can't pay the costs incurred for treatment. These conditions can range from food poisoning, dengue fever, heart attack, or physical injuries from such things like, car or motorbike accident, minibus or buses going off the road, jet ski accident, slip and fall, etc.

The Thai government is wondering if this would scare off tourists. Not too long ago tourists had to pay an exit fee to leave The Kingdom. It didn't really seem to affect tourism at all but when the proposed fee was to go up another 200 Baht the Thai's hid the fee and the increase incorporated into the price of a return ticket.

This may make for heated discussions on local chat forums and bar stools but i can't really see paying another 500 Baht to enter Thailand turning tourists away, especially when it it going to something that can be of benefit to them should something arise. My only question is "what about the all tourists must have travelers insurance to enter The Kingdom" proposal? Would these two work in conjunction or is this another government scam? Please read the article from "The Nation" below:

Would a Bt500 emergency-coverage fee scare off tourists?
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The government's attempt to launch a new regulation to collect an entry fee from foreign tourists to cover their emergency medical services could prompt tourists to choose destinations in other countries.

The concern, raised by the Tourism Council of Thailand, comes after the Public Health Ministry proposed a plan to collect Bt500 as a fee for entering the country from foreign tourists staying in Thailand from three to 30 days; and Bt30 for less than three days. The fee would be used to support a ministry programme providing emergency medical services for foreign tourists.

According to Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong, currently the ministry has to shoulder about Bt200 million to Bt300 million as the financial burden for providing emergency medical services for foreign tourists.

Each year, the ministry estimates that about 23 million foreign tourists from around the world visit Thailand. It expected that if the plan to collect a fee for entering the country were approved by the Cabinet, the ministry would be able to collect about Bt10 billion.

This money would be used to support the ministry's budget to provide emergency medical services for foreign tourists suffering serious illness or injury. Under this plan, each foreign patient would be covered by Bt200,000 to Bt300,000 in emergency care. This budget would also be used to develop healthcare units and procure medical devices.

"They [foreign patients] must pay to enter the country because they have to use our medical resources," Pradit said.

The ministry is now discussing with related agencies - the National Security Council, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Tourism and Sport Ministry, Labour Ministry and Immigration Bureau - to find appropriate ways to collect the fees.

If the agencies come up with a good plan, it will be deliberated by the Cabinet before the Office of the Prime Minister makes an announcement.

But Tourism Council of Thailand president Piyaman Tejapaibul does not believe this plan would benefit the tourism industry. Instead of attracting more and more tourists to visit our country, the plan would hurt tourist figures, Piyaman said.

"Each year Thailand gets a lot of revenue from the tourism industry - but the government has never used money from this industry to develop and support tourism," she said.

Currently, many tourists bring their own travel insurance from private insurance agencies in case of unexpected accident or illness, covering them for medical services in the destination country. Some countries require travellers to attach their health insurance when applying for a visa, so that they do not have to shoulder the burden of paying fees for medical services at their destination.

"We want good tourists to visit Thailand - not the [type of tourist] who does not want to enter because he or she has to pay Bt500 as an entrance fee," Pradit said. He added that European countries and the US have supported the government in collecting entrance fees from their tourists, as they see that the plan would reduce risks for their citizens travelling abroad.


-- The Nation 2013-11-19

24 Provinces underwater in Thailand with more rain on the way!

Thailands rainy season is getting into full swing. Although the Pattaya - Chonburi area has not yet been hit hard, Thailands Northeast "Issan" and Central Plains are feeling the effects!

This article for this mornings "The Nation" tells which provinces are flooded along with how Bangkok and the Chao Praya River are coping.

 

 Northeast, East brace for tropical depression approaching from Vietnam

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Irrigation Department is keeping a close eye on the impact of the upcoming tropical depression from Vietnam, which might affect several provinces in Thailand's Northeast and Eastern regions.

Ubon Ratchatani, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Prachin Buri would likely be affected by the upcoming depression. These areas are already severely hit by floods, the department's deputy director-general Suthep Noipairoj said yesterday.

He expressed concerns about the flood situation in Prachin Buri as the Pasak Chonlasit Dam is now nearly full and needed to discharge some volume of water before the new tropical depression arrived.

To date, the volume of water in Pasak Chonlasit Dam was 785 million cubic metres while the full capacity of the dam was 960 million cubic metres.

"We have to discharge about 8.9 million cubic metres per day from the dam to prepare for the upcoming depression," he said.

Meanwhile, Chao Phraya River should drain water at 2,300 cubic metres per second, which exceeds its capacity of 2,195 cubic metres per second.

Suthep explained that the department would drain the excess amount of water into the fields on the western and eastern banks of Chao Phraya River.

However, he explained that most of the flood-affected areas were located along the river and waterway and that is why they were at risk from the adverse impact of the flooding.

Floods have already affected more than 2.1 million people this month and ravaged more than 1.14 million rai of farmland.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chatchai Phromlert said yesterday that floodwater had also damaged 2,310 roads, 6,900 houses and 145 bridges. "Of the 29 flood-hit provinces, the situation in just five has returned to normal as of today," he said.

Still under water are Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram, Amnat Charoen, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Mukdahan, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Phetchabun, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Chainat, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaew, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Angthong and Suphan Buri.

Many of these provinces are heavily flooded. The worst-hit spots in Chaiyaphum are about 2.8 metres under water.

In Buri Ram, floodwater levels have soared above three metres in Krasang district, marooning more than 200 families. Officials are making desperate efforts to get relief items to these victims.

Working alongside local administrative bodies, the department has mobilised thousands of volunteers to deliver assistance. More than 1,500 boats have been dispatched to reach the victims. Not all, however, are happy with the authorities' response.

Anong Thongsri, a 46-year-old resident in Prachin Buri's flooded Kabin Buri district, lamented that assistance efforts had failed to reach all those affected. "The floodwater level is also rising," she said.

Department of Religious Affairs chief Preecha Gunteeya said, meanwhile, that 295 temples in 12 provinces were flooded, affecting 2,014 monks.

The Government Housing Bank has offered a debt moratorium for flood-hit customers, whose loan repayments will be suspended for up to nine months depending on the severity of their situation. During that period, no interest will be charged on the loans.

Should flooding damage the whole house of a loan recipient, the bank will write off all outstanding debt on the house, leaving just the debt from the land purchase to pay.

Flood-hit loan recipients can contact the bank for help at (02) 645 9000.


-- The Nation 2013-09-27

Thailand braces for first Tropical Depression of the rainy season

Bangkok Thailand and its North East region of "Issan" are bracing for heavy rains and flooding 

 

 

 

 

This article from this mornings "The Nation"

Tropical depression already drenching parts of Northeast

BANGKOK: -- Authorities have identified 37 flood-prone spots in Bangkok in the face of a coming tropical depression.

The depression, which entered Thailand's Northeast yesterday morning, is expected to reach the Central region today. It is expected to bring rain.

Traffic Police chief Pol Maj-General Piya Tavichai yesterday said Bangkok residents should avoid all of the 37 flood-prone spots, if possible, during heavy downpours.

Among these spots are a portion of Rajavithi Road between Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and the Krung Thon Buri Bridge; a portion of Phya Thai Road in front of the Livestock Development Department; and a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road in front of Robinson Department Store.

Sanya Chenimit, deputy permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said some of the capital's low-lying spots had already been drained in preparation for possible rain.

Based on what he has seen so far, Sanya expects the coming depression to affect the city only indirectly.

"It may cause light rain, but will not bring any serious downpours," he said.

As part of the preparations, Sanya said officials had been instructed to conduct constant checks to ensure that no garbage blocked drainage pipes. Clogged pipes are often blamed for flooding.

He added that people could ease the problem of clogged pipes by putting garbage into bins.

In a separate interview, PM Yingluck Shinawatra emphasised the need for the BMA to dredge canals and drainage pipes.

"I don't want to see the BMA [waiting to] talk about drainage until upstream run-off water has already arrived," she said.

She said the central government had worked hard on managing water volumes in upstream and midstream areas so as to minimise the impacts on Bangkok.

At the peak of the 2011 flood crisis, the central government and the BMA quarrelled over how best to manage the water volume. The floods submerged some parts of the capital.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chatchai Phromlert said the depression would increase rainfall in Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, Roi Et, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Sa Kaew, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat during the next two days.

"We are now paying close attention to risky areas such as at the foot of mountains and low-lying areas," he said.

Meanwhile, downpours continued in many parts of Phitsanulok yesterday.

The province's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office warned people in Wang Thong, Nakhon Thai, Chat Trakan, Wat Bote and Noen Maprang districts to beware of possible flash floods and landslides.

Phitsanulok is among the flood-prone provinces that Yingluck has expressed concerns about.

-- The Nation 2013-09-20

A THAI flight slides off Bangkok runway Sunday night, 13 injured

THAI International Airways is investigation into an accident in which its TG 679 skidded off the runway while landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday night.

Sorajak Kasemsuvan, THAI president said thirteen passengers suffered minor injuries from the accident that took place at 11.20pm.

The Airbus A330-300 left Guangzhou at 9.25pm local time with 288 passengers and 14 crew member on board.

Sorajak said while the flight was landing and touching the runaway whthe landing gear, making it skid off the runaway.

During the incident, there was some sparks at the base of the right wheel, making it caught fire.

Sorajak said Captain of the flight then managed to control the airplane and ordered evacuation of the passengers through emergency exit.

Any more information, please contact at 02-545-3181.

The Airbus A330-300 involved in the incident was delivered to Thai Airways in March of 1995.

Article from The Nation

Oil Spill in Koh Samet Thailand

I found this article in The Nation today. It relates to Pattaya as Koh Samet is a popular destination for tourists and ex-pats. Very easily accessible from Pattaya. Really a shame what happened. Here's the article:

 About 20% have died in tainted areas: survey

BANGKOK: -- The state marine-watch agency has found that some coral reefs in the oil-slick-affected Ao Phrao area of Koh Samet have been killed off by bleaching, and some marine life had been reduced by up to 20 per cent.

The team's report was released by the Marine and Coastal Resources Depart-ment director-general Noppon Srisuk

When the oil slick hit Ao Phrao beach on the western side of the island, the agency sent a team to survey the coral reefs in 11 spots surrounding Koh Samet in Rayong province.

The team dived into the sea to depths of up to four metres to study damage at Noi Na, Laem Ya, Ao Lung Dam, Ao Kew Nha Nok, Ao Phai, Ao Look Yon, Koh Kudee, Koh Kham - Kruai, Koh Pla Teen, and the northern area of Ao Phrao.

Preliminary results showed that most of the intertidal zone had been tainted by the oil slick. The survey also revealed that about 10 to 20 per cent of marine life in Ao Phrao, especially stone crabs, snails, and oysters, had died.

The survey team collected samples of coral tissue to find the cause of death and estimate the percentage and scale of coral bleaching. The department was joined by marine experts from various educational institutes to conduct the survey and study the short, middle and long-term impact of the oil spill on the coral reefs. This team will take a year to survey the coral reef surrounding the affected island.

However, Noppon insisted no orders had been issued to close Ao Phrao for tourism activities.

Meanwhile, marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Kasetsart University's Faculty of Fisheries, said he had also sent a team to survey changes to the coral reef in Ao Phrao last week.

The preliminary result of a parallel survey found that about 20 massive corals, located two metres undersea in the southern area of Ao Phrao, were bleached. Thon assumed this bleaching was caused by the oil slick.

However, he said his team needed to collect samples of coral tissue for in-depth analysis to confirm the real cause.

"At least we know where it should be closely monitored to determine further impacts of oil spills on coral reefs in this area," he said.

Sumet Saithong, chief of the Khao Laem Ya-Mu Koh Samet National Park, said he could not say right now whether coral reefs surrounding the island and affected area were dead. During the past few years, coral reefs surrounding the island had been bleached already before the oil slick affected the island.


-- The Nation 2013-08-08

Outbound Bangkok trains, bus terminals crowded by Songkran exodus

If you are thinking of heading up country for this years Songkran you should check out this article from Thai Visa








BANGKOK, April 11 -- Train stations and bus terminals in Bangkok are crowded with passengers beginning to flow out of the capital to celebrate the Thai traditional new year, or Songkran long holidays, and homecoming trips.

Revellers started arriving at Hua Lamphong Railway Station early morning to catch trains to their hometowns. The northeastern route was on highest demand followed by the northern route.

Additional holiday April 12

The Cabinet approved an additional holiday April 12 as a special case during Songkran to enable people to return home during the festival, making it a 5-day holiday (April 12-16).

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has implemented measures to facilitate and ensure the safety of passengers during April 11-18.

Eight extra trains will be provided on top of 250 daily train services April 11-12 and 18 extra trains from April 15-18 which could carry an additional 13,000 passengers daily on average.

Meanwhile, Mo Chit Bus Terminal was gradually crowded since early morning, particularly the northeastern route.

More than 210,000 passengers are expected to use the interprovincial bus services today.

The Transport Company increased the numbers of services by 2,000 trips and expected to cope with the high demand of passengers.

No stranded passengers were expected by midnight.

At Suvarnabhumi Airport, it is expected that more than 164,000 passengers will use the airport on Thursday, a highest number during the festival.

Various airlines have provided more than 400 chartered flights to respond the demand of passengers. (MCOT online news)

 
 -- TNA 2013-04-11

Suvarnabhumi ranks no 6 on world's best airport list

BANGKOK, 3 April 2013 (NNT)-Suvarnabhumi reportedly ranked 6th on the Airports Council International (ACI) world's best airport list last year. It is said that the title could not have been without the efforts from all sectors involved on a day to day operation at Suvarnabhumi.

 

Suvarnabhumi Airport Departures Hall
File phote. Source: Wikipedia.org

Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Wilaiwan Nadwilai said Suvarnabhumi is among airports around the world with the capacity to accommodate more than 40 million passengers being ranked annually in terms of service quality standards by the ACI.

Last year, 199 airports contended for top rankings. Each year the ACI surveys around 400,000 airport users whether they are satisfied with the services provided.

They are asked to rate the following aspects of the airport: the accessibility, luggage search, passport checking, sign directions, airport staff services, hygiene and atmosphere; just to name a few.

According to her, the first five best airports are Changi Airport of Singapore, China's Beijing International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Airport.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport Director has also expressed her gratitude to every employee and staff at the airport who has contributed to the global recognition. She also said that Suvarnabhumi is also aiming to be among the world's top 5 airports by 2014.

Weather in Pattaya is just perfect right now!

You simply could not ask for better weather in Pattaya or most of Thailand for that matter. 

Daytime temps have been averaging about 30-31c or roughly 85f with relatively low humidity. Skies have fluctuated between hazy sunshine and clear blue! Nights have been very pleasant at around 23c or 73f.

  
This is my favorite time of year here in Thailand. With virtually no rain and comfortable temperatures i find myself taking far more bike rides somtimes making them into full day trips. Also spend more time enjoying the beaches not so much here in Pattaya but taking a ride down to Bang Sarae or heading off to Koh Larn. Nights are perfect to hang out with friends at outdoor bars and enjoy a few -- not usually quiet -- drinks together.

Bangkok has been averaging around 32c or 87f during the day and 25c or 75f at night. Chaing Mai has been very mild at night around 18c or 65f and warming up nicely to around 32c or 88f. Phuket and Koh Samui have also been sunny and mild


Good news is this weather is supposed to stick around a while. With a rainy season that lasted well into December, Thailands old man winter took a little longer to arrive and according to this article i read it looks like the cold season should last until the end of February with a possible exception for the south of Thailand where temps in Koh Samui, Krabi and Phuket may warm up a bit earlier.

If you ever wanted to get an idea of how big of an area Pattaya covers you should check out his video i found on You Tube taken from a Cessna 172 Sightseeing tour

Pattaya Thailand 4th best nightlife spot in the world according to Agoda.com

Pattaya Thailand has been awarded the fourth best nightlife in the world with Bangkok Thailand taking top marks.

 

This, according to a recent survey conducted by Agoda.com. Agoda's online survey was taken from reviews and feedback from over 113,000 travellers world wide.

The nightlife was rated on a scale of 1-5, 1 being “poor”, and 5 being “excellent”. Bangkok - which Agoda.com referred to as “Thailand’s energetic capital known for its tuk-tuks, temples and street food” - taking the top spot. 

Dubai managed to capture the 2nd best honours representing the United Arab Emirates, while Boracay in the Philippines was rated third.

Pattaya Thailand grabbed the number four slot. Overall Thailand ranked extremely well with Phuket, Chaing Mai, and Koh Samui coming in at 6, 16, and 17 respectively.

The top 25 nightlife destinations were listed as follows

1.     Bangkok

2.     Dubai

3.     Boracay / Caticlan

4.     Pattaya

5.     Tokyo

6.     Phuket

7.     Hong Kong

8.     Macau

9.     Taipei

10.    Bali

11.    Osaka

12.    Shanghai

13.    Seoul

14.    Singapore

15.    Sydney

16.    Samui

17.    Chiang Mai

18.    London

19.    Taichung

20.    Kuala Lumpur

21.    Jakarta

22.    Manila

23.    Kaohsiung

24.    Paris

25.    Siem Reap

Thailands major airports and tourist destinations ready for record high season!

Thailands 6 major airports are gearing up for high season and numbers are expected to well exceed double digit increases in tourists coming through. Somewhere between 13.5% and up to as much as 60% according to an article in todays Bangkok Post.

Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkoks main international airport could see figures rise to as much as 142,000 passengers per day up over 19% from the average 119,000. Tourists flying into bangkok easily access not only Bangkok but other popular tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, Ayutthaya as well as serving as a gateway to many of Thailands wonderful tourist spots. DonMueang, Bangkok's hub for Air Asia and other low budget carriers, should see as much as 50 more flights per day.

Phuket's international airport will also be seeing nice increases in arrivals up almost 24% with the number of flights increasing from 163 per day to 178.

Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, and Hat Yai are all looking forward to projected increases ranging from 14% to 27%. A good portion of this increased traffic will be coming from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports via Thai Airways as well as the fore-mentioned low budget carriers in addition to international arrivals.

Retraction on Pattaya tourists getting more Thai baht for their money

I would like to apologise for the last blog post i presented. The Thai Baht is not at 31.40b and rising but roughly, at the time of posting this blog post, is currently about 30.50b to the USD holding fairly steady.

I am currently on an assignment offshore and with the limited internet connection i have been a bit out of touch. I was excited when i came across the post in the "Pattaya Daily News" with those rates i quoted. Therefore, in the last post and felt i would share what benefits could be reaped by tourists coming to Thailands many wonderful tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Chaing Mai, etc.

Having lived in Thailands Pattaya Jomtien area for the last 10 years i still feel these tourist destinations are a great value despite the strong Baht and a great for ex-pats to work, live, and retire.

If you are looking to rent for short term holiday, long term stay, or buy property in the general Pattaya, Jomtien area please check out our tabs on the top of this blog or visit www.pattayarealestatemarket.com. For any other information or specific inquiries e mail info@pattayarealestatemarket.com. Thank you very much and again apologies for the mis-quote.

Thailands Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches...Oh how they are being missed

Hello to all readers, Pattaya Real Estate Market clients and advertisers. I have been unfortunately out on an assignment until around the 10th of next month.

Business is as usual as both Khun Sa and Khun Naan are there handling things. I am being forwarded messages and in the loop despite the very poor internet out here offshore. Please check back on the blog as i will be forwarded updates and able to help with translation I  will still be updating this blog as much as i can in addittion to the forsaleinpattaya.blogspot.com and forrentinpattaya.blogspot.com blogs.

Having been stuck in a hotel in a remote town for the last three weeks in Malaysia made me realise just how much Pattaya and Jomtien have grown.
For example.
                   It was a 700B cab ride to the nearest atm machine.  

                  Beer was on average 180B for a big bottle of Tiger and 22B for Heineken.$$$.

                  We had 15-30 minute waits for taxis, no sorng taews or motorbike taxis anywhere. Often very difficult to get one to come pick us up in an offbeat area.

As much as Pattaya and Jomtien have grown and as much as the congestion is building at least there is almost always cheap public transportation available, and a 7-11 close by not to mention the plethora of atm machines and the convenient access to your money. Looking forward to getting back. Thanks for all the support from our friends, family, clients, and advertisers!

Brian
Pattaya Real Estate Market Team

Thailands Don Mueang airport officially back in operation

Don Mueang airport is now back in full operation. The first Air Asia departed for Bali on time at 03:00 this morning. The airport will be serving as a domestic hub, an international airport and assist with connecting flights from international origins to domestic destinations.

This should free up room and ease congestion at the already over crowded Suvarnabhumi airport and make things easier for tourists and business travellers. See the article below taken from this mornings "The Nation"

02/10/2012

 

Don Mueang International Airport started buzzing from 3am yesterday as its first flight of the day, AirAsia's FD3677, took off for Denpasar, Bali, on the dot of 6.15am as scheduled. All the ground staff, especially Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld, were delighted by the smooth takeoff.

Taking off smoothly and on time is common in the aviation industry, but for AirAsia this one was very meaningful, because yesterday was the first day for the low-cost airline to relocate its operations from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The airline and Airports of Thailand spared no costs in keeping passengers in Terminal 1 entertained. AirAsia organised fashion shows and AOT paid for concerts. Their joint efforts were obviously meant to prove that the old airport was back in action.

Terminal 1 was full of people, as passengers, media personnel and guests jostled for a part of the action. In fact, an airport guard said he had never seen the facility this busy before.

And though there was a bit of a traffic jam getting to the departure building at 6am, passengers were not disappointed by how smoothly everything went.

Passenger Wichai Lhaoprapatsorn said he had no problems with the airline's relocation. He was taking a connecting flight to Yangon from Chiang Rai. However, he did voice concerns about having to take connecting flights with other airlines that fly out of Suvarnabhumi. He said Don Mueang should offer free transport to Bangkok's main international airport.

Things did not go too smoothly for everybody, however, as five foreigners ended up missing their flight. They had probably not heard about the relocation, though AirAsia staff have been going out of their way to inform people.

Meanwhile, Tassapon said Don Mueang's preparation was acceptable with the exception of some lighting problems, unclear signage and ground transport. He said he would inform AOT about these problems and hope the authority finds solutions within a week.

AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes was also present at the airport yesterday and said this relocation was a crucial step for Thailand to become a low-cost-carrier hub in the region. He added that cutting down the international passenger service charge would certainly help. He cited Malaysia, which only charges passengers Bt300.

Tassapon added that moving to Don Mueang was also beneficial for AirAsia because this airport was closer to downtown Bangkok. Hence, he said, the airline expected the number of its domestic passengers to increase by 5 per cent. Its current load factor for domestic flights is between 82 and 85 per cent.

Thai AirAsia operates about 160 flights daily, of which 45 are international. Next year, its daily flights should hit 200 and the airline hopes to generate at least Bt20 billion in sales revenue.

Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin welcomed AirAsia to Don Mueang, saying its presence would change the dynamics of the airport. He said this market had more room for growth, especially since competition has intensified.

Currently, Nok Air operates 89 flights out of Don Mueang and its average load factor is 85 per cent. In the first quarter of next year, the firm plans to fly to four or five cities in China because of high demand. The airline already operates three charter flights per week to Nanjing.

Nok Air is also planning to get listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, aiming to spend the funds raised on expanding its fleet. It has about 11 planes at present and hopes to boost that number to 20 by next year.

It is aiming for profits worth more than Bt500 million by the end of this year, which shows a vast improvement from the Bt198 million it projected early this year. He said the airline had recorded profits worth Bt400 million so far this year.

Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi's new expansion to come at tourists and travellers expense

If you read our last post you saw the article i reported on from "The Nation" regarding upcoming improvements to the airport. It now seems we the travellers and tourists, business men etc will be paying for these improvements.

The AOT is hiking up fees for domestic flights to 150Bt from the previous 100Bt. In addition international flight will now have a 800Bt service charge compared to the previous 700Bt.

"The Nation" have published the following article in this mornings paper:

NONGNAPAS MAIPANIT
THE NATION
September 29, 2012 1:00 am

 

Air travellers will have to pay more for passenger service at Suvarnabhumi Airport after operator Airports of Thailand announced plans to increase the charges next year.

However, AOT also plans to invest up to Bt5 billion in developing facilities at the airport in a bid to ease congestion.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said yesterday that the passenger service charge for international flights would be increased to Bt800 from the current Bt700 while that for domestic flights would be raised to Bt150 from Bt100 currently.

"Though the number of passengers has grown by an average of 8-9 per cent annually, we don't expect traffic jams at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as some airlines have moved to provide services from Don Mueang Airport," he said. AOT expects the number of passengers at Suvarnabhumi next year will decline to 45 million, compared with an estimated 52.6 million this year. The main reason is that Thai AirAsia, an airline that carries 10 million passengers a year, has relocated to provide services from Don Mueang.

He said Suvarnabhumi would restore some space on the terminal's fourth floor for use by passengers. The airport also targets luggage-loading times not exceeding 20 minutes.

Somchai said AOT planned to invest up to Bt5 billion on developing facilities in the airport such as luggage conveyors (Bt1.8 billion), air-conditioning improvements (Bt677 million), computer network (Bt334 million) and rest-room improvement (Bt100 million).

In addition, AOT is proceeding with Suvarnabhumi Airport's second-phase construction, requiring an investment of Bt62 billion to enable traffic of 60 million passengers a year, up from 45 million currently.

Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport to catch up with modern times?

The debacle better know as Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport -- aka "Swampy" -- has finally realised  it needs to catch up with modern times and be able to properly cope with the yearly increases in travellers coming in and out. This  may finally begin to improve its image.

Word is they are hiring 250 more immigration officers to help speed up entrance into the kingdom. Also they are setting a minimum of 20 minutes after a flight parks for the first bag to come out from the carousel.

If that isn't enough to get excited about they are in the process of implementing 15-30 minutes of free wifi service in the terminals. That's right a whopping 15-30 minutes free....at least its a start :). This is what i gather after reading this article i found on "Thai Visa" listed below.

BANGKOK, Sept 29 – Suvarnabhumi Airport hopes to see great improvement in immigration checks, baggage claims and internet service soon to cope with the increasing passenger load next year, airport director Somchai Sawasdeepon said yesterday.

The international airport will have 180 less flights or 10 million less passengers each day after budget airline Thai AirAsia relocates to Don Mueang airport on Monday.

Mr Somchai said 250 more immigration officials will be on duty at Suvarnabhumi airport to accelerate visa inspections, and reduce the process from 50 minutes per passenger to 20 minutes.

Passengers will find it more convenient with the visa checking areas three times larger while baggage claims must be finished within 30 minutes after a flight lands, with the first baggage delivered to a carousel in 20 minutes, Mr Somchai said, adding that a 15-30 minute free wi-fi service will also be available.

Suvarnabhumi airport served 48.32 million passengers between Oct 2011 and August this year, a 9.65 per cent increase year-on-year. It is estimated that the total number will be 52.6 million passengers, or 301,477 flight, at the end of this fiscal year on Sunday Sept 30.  It predicted an 8-9 per cent growth next year with a major increase in passengers from China, Malaysia and India.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) has planned a second-phase development project of Suvarnabhumi with an investment of Bt65 billion to cope with 60 million passengers by 2017. (MCOT online news)

Will Thailand be able to cope with more Arrivals?

As Thailand continues to grow in both business travelers and tourism, will the much lamented Suvarnabhumi Airport be able to cope with these increasing numbers and what is Thailand and the AOT doing about it? I found this article in the Bangkok Post addressing the issue:

 Suvarnabhumi Airport will need to carry out the next phase of expansion as soon as the current upgrade works are completed or faces yet again the perennial problem of capacity lagging behind traffic demand.

"The airport's phase 3 expansion will have to proceed immediately after the current phase 2 is finished over the next 5-6 years," Somchai Sawasdeepon, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi airport, told the Bangkok Post.

He raised this awareness as Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), the state-controlled operator of the country's six main airports including Suvarnabhumi, is attempting to bring forward the completion date of Suvarnabhumi's phase 2 expansion by one year to 2016 to cope with the rising traffic.

Suvarnabhumi has been plagued with congestion as governments and AoT did not heed to planners' suggestions that the expansion should be carried out right after the airport was opened in September 2006.

As Southeast Asia's busiest airport, Suvarnabhumi has been operating beyond its annual capacity of 45 million passengers for a few years and AoT foresees the passenger volumes of 52.2 million this year.

Suvarnabhumi is handling 830 flights a day, operated by 100 international carriers, with some 150,000 passengers passing through it each day.

Phase 3 would involve the construction of a second mid-field passenger terminal, the fourth runway and the expansion of the eastern wing of Suvarnabhumi's main passenger terminal.

Works under phase 3 would render an incremental capacity of 13 million passengers a year, allowing Suvarnabhumi to cope with the demand until 2022, according to Mr Somchai.

Continued expansion of Bangkok's airports are needed based on long-term projections of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA), he said.

Both organisations foresee passengers passing through Bangkok _ Suvarnabhumi and the old Don Mueang airport _ are expected to soar from 69.5 million in 2017, to 84.7 million in 2022 before reaching 102 million in 2027, an annual average growth rate of 3.4%.

AoT is working with EPM Consortium, its project management consultant for phase 2 expansion, to cut the development time to 58 months from 70 months, by trimming periods required for each work phase.

"It is a challenge to do so while ensuring the quality of works required, but that's possible," Mr Somchai said.
The long-delayed phase 2 project requires a capital outlay of 62.5 billion baht and will raise Suvarnabhumi's passenger handling capacity by 33% to 60 million passengers a year.

AoT is also attempting to embark on the construction of the third runway, which was originally part of the phase 2 expansion. It was subsequently detached following a series of trouble which hit the current two runways including a subsidence of a section of the western runway on July 5.

AoT now expects the physical construction of the third runway, 4,000 metres in length, paved with 73-cm-thick bitumen, and runs in parallel to Kingkaew Road, would be up and running just about the same as time as the completion of phase 2.

The undertaking is estimated to cost up to 13 billion baht, 7.8 billion baht of which would go toward compensating some 4,000 households affected by the construction, while the building cost itself is around 3.6 billion baht.

The Suvarnabhumi chief conceded that the third runway may not provide much of the relief to Suvarnabhumi's congestion, but will smooth traffic movements when the existing two runways go into maintenance.

Ministry proposes tourism master plan

Found this article in the Bangkok Post this morning, thought it may be interesting to those that were wondering just which tourism in Thailand was going:

 

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will push forward the tourism master plan after the Office of the Prime Minister approves it.

About 20% of tourism projects in the master plan are ready to start once the plan is approved next Wednesday.

It is expected the master plan will be a key factor driving tourism revenue to the government's target of 2 trillion baht by 2015.
There are six action plans under the supervision and cooperation of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Tourism Department, the ministry's permanent secretary and the Royal Thai Air Force.
Suwat Sidthilaw, the ministry's permanent secretary, said the action plans will cover marketing campaigns, tourism attractions, logistics, facilities, and products and services.

The TAT and TCEB have proposed 28 projects to help the tourism industry such as the Five Region Thai Travel Promotion and the Chao Nai Pai Tiew project.
Supol Sripan, the Tourism Department's director-general, said it will instal tourism signs and routes around tourism attractions.

The department assigned its provincial offices to survey tourism sites that have insufficient signage and expects to install them next January.

The department is also studying world-class theme parks at the request of the private sector, with the goal of building new man-made tourism sites to attract tourists.

Mr Suwat said the tourism development plan is under way for 29 sites in 18 provinces and is scheduled to be finished tomorrow.
Yesterday, the TCEB announced its plan to aid the Thai Mice (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition) industry's leadership in Asia. Based on the continuing success of its Green Meeting initiative in Asia, Thailand aims to extend the approach with Sustainability Thailand as the next strategic goal.

The TCEB introduced the new ISO 20121 standard (event sustainability management system), which recently made its global debut at the London 2012 Olympics. Thailand will be the second country to implement the standard for the Mice industry after the UK.

Bangkok's airport troubles getting better or worse??

I just flew in this afternoon. I was a bit concerned there would be delays after all the much publicised problems of ole Swampys runways. We experienced about a 10 minute delay but most of that seen\med to havestemmed from Qatar Airways problems inh Lagos and getting passengers and baggage routed acordingly. I arived ok but still waiting on my bag. Check out this article i found from Thai Visa.com's posting from The Nation.

BANGKOK: -- Flight congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport will ease after the eastern runway returned to service at 11am yesterday for all types of planes except A380 super jumbos.
Anirut Thanomkulbutra, president of Airports of Thailand, said the repaving of the 870-metre northern tarmac of the eastern runway from Sections B6-B3 has been completed.

This was the first phase of the project to resurface the 1,620-metre northern section of the 4,000-metre eastern runway from June 11-August 9.

The eastern runway now has 3,250 metres for use.

The remaining 750 metres from Section B3 to the start of the runway would be ready on July 31, ahead of schedule. The repairing of the runway was only one of the factors that caused flight delays. About 23 per cent of 800 flights that took off and landed at Suvarnabhu-mi a day were held up for more than 15 minutes, he added.

Prajak Sajjasopon, president of the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, said Suvarnabhumi was coping with peak traffic of 76 flights per hour before the runway was overlaid, but a limit of 68 flights per hour was enforced out of concern for noise pollution.

But during the work on the runway, the airport could handle only 37 flights per hour while 45-50 aircraft were arriving, leading to waits of 15 minutes to one hour and 20 minutes before touching down.

The situation would improve now that the first phase was done. Each flight would not be circling more than 30 minutes, he said.

Meanwhile, Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen its ranking among global airports slide from 13th in 2011 to the 25th in Skytrax's World's Best Airport Awards 2012. In the category of airports that accommodate 30 million to 50 million passengers per annum, it is ranked 10th, with Incheon International Airport in Korea holding the first ranking in both categories.

Ranked the world's second best airport, Changi Airport in Singapore is also expanding its capacity. It welcomed 20.6 million visitors in the first five months of the year and has been the most active in terms of tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia.

Changi may build two new passenger terminals at Changi Airport to cope with increasing demand. Bloomberg reported that the government plans to add 1,000 hectares to Changi, from 1,350 now. The airport started the 2036 Changi steering committee to cope with the traffic demand in the next 50 years, according to a fact sheet from the Ministry of Transport in March.

"Leading air hubs worldwide are upping their game, and are taking a long-term perspective to capacity building," it said in the fact sheet, citing expansion plans in markets like Hong Kong, South Korea and Dubai.


-- The Nation 2012-07-19

International arrivals to Thailand remain strong

 The global economy slowdown has had little impact on tourist arrivals to Thailand. The Kingdom had a total of 8,871,930 visitor arrivals for the period of January through May 2012, up 7.27% compared to the same period in 2011. China was the best performer with 943,161 visitors, up 26.13% with the largest market share for an individual country of 10.63%.


The overall growth remains strong for Thai tourism with visitor arrivals to Thailand from all European countries of 2,690,783, a 10.9% increase for the period January through May 2012, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. European countries, even with the Eurozone crisis, accounted for a market share of 30.33%, up from 29.33% for the same period in 2011. Read more...