Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 29 September 2006 :-

First-day fliers at Suvarnabhumi Airport left irked : Baggage and check-in delays at new airport

A Thai Airways International plane comes in to land at Suvarnabhumi early yesterday morning as the airport opens for full commercial operations. — NATTHITI AMPRIWAN

Frustration and confusion were among the sentiments of many passengers using Suvarnabhumi airport, which opened for full operations yesterday. The new airport, which took over duties from Don Muang at 3am, encountered several problems. The most serious was the luggage handling system run by Thai Airways International (THAI).

Other problems, less serious, were the failure of the check-in system run by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) and the dearth of signs inside the terminal.

Complaints from 400 South Korean passengers highlighted the dissatisfaction. ''I lost my baggage,'' one told TV crews last night after waiting for five hours after Orient Air flight OX301 from Seoul landed at 2.30pm with no sign of the luggage.

In fact, the problems began early yesterday morning. Some passengers on delayed flights, including THAI flights TG951 from Copenhagen, TG326 from Bangalore, TG945 from Rome, and Etihad Airways flight EY403 from Abu Dhabi, ran out of patience and complained when they had to wait for more than an hour to get their bags, with not an official in sight to help them out.

The opening was low-key, without an official ceremony. Only senior officials from AoT, the Transport Ministry, THAI and the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) attended.

The atmosphere may well have been different had Thaksin Shinawatra still been in power. The launch date was set by the ousted prime minister, despite warnings from airlines and some officials, when he was head of the government before the coup on Sept 19.

Mr Thaksin, now in London after the CDR's takeover, hoped to use the airport to boost the popularity of his Thai Rak Thai party ahead of a general election.

''Had Mr Thaksin been here, the airport would have had an extravagant opening ceremony that would have been remembered for a long time,'' said an AoT official who insisted she was not pro-Thaksin.

Suvarnabhumi, located in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, hosted 813 flights on its first day of operations.

The airport commissioned THAI and Bangkok Airways for the ground handling services. Most airlines, including Orient Thai, hired the national flag carrier.

But THAI could not provide services for everyone. It struggled to handle luggage even for its own passengers as it did not provide enough luggage lorries.

AoT said the conveyor system functioned properly but the problem was caused because luggage lorries had not reached Suvarnabhumi from Don Muang.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said all 880 lorries were moved from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi by 2pm yesterday, but the airline later apologised for the problem.

AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya had to solve the luggage problem by urgently hiring Thai Airports Ground Service (TAGS) to work at the new airport until this morning. . TAGS was a ground service firm at Don Muang but it lost out in its bid to work at Suvarnabhumi.

The check-in system run by AoT did not work properly from the morning-scheduled flights, causing delays for 17 out of 19 flights operated by THAI. About 200 pieces of luggage did not accompany planes carrying passengers out of the airport. The delays were between 15 and 45 minutes, the THAI president said.

THAI staff had to issue boarding passes and luggage tags by hand. The problem was due to an information overload in the system, transport permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat said.

Mr Wanchai admitted that signs inside the terminal were inadequate, causing several passengers to struggle to find their way once they disembarked from aircraft.

The official ordered AoT to relocate a duty free shop and its advertising signs operated by King Power out of the arrival zone, saying they blocked the passage of passengers from airplanes to the immigration area.

King Power chief executive officer Vichai Raksriaksorn said the problem was not serious and added that the firm, which runs commercial areas at the airport, was still ready for negotiations.

AoT and Transport Ministry executives had said before the opening that the problems were not beyond their expectations for the first day of a new airport's operations. ''This is a minor problem and will not happen again once the transition period is over,'' Mr Chotisak said
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 29 September 2006 :-

Confusing, tiring first day at new airport

For passengers who enjoyed full facilities at the small but cosy Don Muang airport, the first day at the more ''impressive'' Suvarnabhumi airport made them tired and confused. Many arrived at the new airport hours before their morning flights to make sure they would not miss their planes in the unfamiliar terminal, but encountered problems anyway. They included cancelled flights, insufficient toilets, and a long queue to buy food.

''I'll check with THAI but I'm not sure there will be any tickets left. It's very confusing. Nothing is ready down here,'' a young passenger was overheard telling his friend on a mobile phone.

He was among the passengers who woke early and managed to get to the terminal around 4am to catch a 6am flight to Chiang Mai.

But Nok Air, the budget airline, decided to cancel the flight.

The airline attributed the cancellation to concerns over how the airport system would work on the first day. However, its ticketing agency did not tell passengers, forcing many to buy more expensive tickets with Thai Airways International instead.

Others were also told to check in at the airport at least two hours before departure.

They did that, but when they went to sit down they found there were not enough seats.

Some left the crowded scene and went to the toilets to refresh themselves. But they had to wait in a long line due to the insufficient number of toilets. The large crowds also prevented staff from cleaning the toilets.

''The toilets are small, the air was stuffy and people began to get annoyed,'' said cleaner Prapaisri Deemak.

There was also not enough food because many restaurants had not opened. The result was another long queue for passengers.

Airports of Thailand president Chotisak Asapaviriya acknowledged all the passenger complaints. He promised the problems would be solved soon, especially those concerning the toilets.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 29 September 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi Airport - Speedy expansion seen as essential

Suvarnabhumi Airport may need to be expanded more quickly than planned to provide the room needed to accommodate fast-growing air traffic, international aviation experts say. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Cepa) say the new airport's annual capacity of 45 million passengers will be reached quickly.

They point out that Don Muang airport, which closed Wednesday night, handled around 39 million passengers _ almost 10 million beyond its designed capacity _ last year. Don Muang handled 21.3 million passengers in the first half of this year alone, up 15.4% year-on-year.

Cepa executive chairman Peter Harbison and IATA spokesman Albert Tjoeng said work should start immediately on a mid-field terminal as well as a budget airline terminal at Suvarnabhumi.

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), which operates the country's six international airports, has acknowledged that Suvarnabhumi will be operating at full capacity within only two years.

AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya said earlier that traffic through Bangkok would reach 42 million passengers this year.

Mr Chotisak is keen to complete a passenger terminal for low-cost carriers (LCCs), with usable space of 20,000 square metres, within 16 months at an estimated cost of 800 million baht.

The LCC terminal could handle 15 million passengers a year. It will also have a four-storey parking garage for 1,000 cars.

However, there has been no serious discussion at AoT of the original plan to build a mid-field terminal, a third runway and supporting facilities that would raise capacity to 54 million in 2011.

That plan, which would have cost 48 billion baht, was shelved by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra,

Under the original master plan, two subsequent expansions would ultimately lift capacity to 120 million passengers a year in 2026, while doubling cargo-handling capacity to 6.4 million tonnes.

''Suvarnabhumi has the potential to become a world class facility. Operational effectiveness and cost efficiency will be critical in ensuring the success of Suvarnabhumi as an aviation hub in Asia,'' said IATA's Mr Tjoeng. ''AoT needs to fulfill the commitment of engaging airlines in meaningful and effective consultations, particularly on a long-term charges structure that will make Bangkok cost-efficient, and provide financial certainty for both airlines and the airport.''

Mr Tjoeng also warned that across-the-board increase in charges by AoT and navigation fees by Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) would have an adverse impact on the profitability and viability of airlines operating in Bangkok, and on future traffic growth.

''No one airport can truly call itself the aviation hub of Southeast Asia. Over the years, both Bangkok and Singapore have established themselves as hubs in the region, and it is likely that both will continue to be the more established hubs, even after the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport,'' he said. ''Both airports have their own strengths - Bangkok is well placed geographically while Singapore has an efficient, world-class facility.''

Mr Harbison of Cepa said Changi in Singapore and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) were already adding significant capacity ahead of demand, which will raise the competitive stakes with Bangkok and other major airports in the region.

Changi this month completed a US$150-million upgrade of Terminal 2, the first major overhaul since it opened in 1990.

''Bangkok may have a new airport, but the competition in the years ahead will be intense,'' he added.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 29 September 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi Airport opens - Touch down...into chaos

Lost baggage, crashed computer check-in systems, shouting passengers - AOT calls opening day a '75% success'

It took the Korean visitors three hours to get their luggage, and they left no one in doubt as to their displeasure. A computer system crash forced staff into the unfamiliar role of manually checking-in passengers. Then more bags were lost and a scrum formed around the "Lost and Found" office. Flights were delayed time and again. Snafu was the order of the day.

Utter chaos for Suvarnabhumi's opening? Definitely not, say the airport's spin doctors.

Officials and system consultants shrugged off the teething problems and expressed complete confidence that Suvarnabhumi Airport would soon be free of "hiccups".

"We are 75 per cent satisfied," Chotisak Asapaviriya, president of Airports of Thailand Plc, said yesterday. "There were some minor problems that have upset us."

At 11am, the centralised check-in system crashed, first paralysing 11 counters of Thai Airways International and later spreading to 13 counters of Nok Air and some international airlines.

Ground staff resorted to using computer notebooks and filling out boarding passes by hand.

According to reports, many passengers on a variety of flights waited for at least two hours to get their luggage. Over 100 visitors from Incheon, arriving on flight OX301, vented their anger at Thai Airways International's counters. They shouted at THAI ground agents when three hours passed and still their luggage had not appeared.

Passengers on other flights encountered similar problems. Those on TG343 from Jakarta also waited for three hours. TG 917 from London landed at 3pm and the designated carousel was empty until 5pm. To the dismay of first-class passengers, they retrieved their belongings at the same time as economy-class travellers.

"The Lost and Found counter was flooded with complaints," said a ground officer who asked not to be named.

"Passengers of airlines including THAI and Aerosvit Airlines faced the same problem," said one AOT official.

Air Chief Marshall Chalit Pukbhasuk, chairman of the Council for Democratic Reform's committee in charge of the airport opening, visited the facility at 7am. He acknowledged the foul ups but said all units were attacking the mishaps one by one.

"Problems are common for the first operating hour of a new airport. We should know better later on," he told a swarm of reporters.

AOT's Chotisak said it took time for ground crews to transfer bags from planes to conveyer belts due to the delay in the relocation of baggage handling equipment from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi. THAI supplies the AOT with the baggage-handling equipment.

A fierce overnight storm had thrown THAI's schedule for its migration programme completely out of whack. As of 7am, only 80 per cent of the removal was complete.

"The conveyor system functioned well, but there was a problem transferring luggage from the aircraft to the conveyor belts because baggage lorries had not arrived [from Don Muang]," Chotisak said. "This is a minor problem and will not happen again once the transition period is over."

About 200 suitcases were also found left behind at the airport after some THAI flights took off for domestic and international destinations.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni was sure that his airline's system functioned well, but the problem could lie with the baggage handling system, which is under AOT's supervision.

"We are contacting the bag owners to send them their belongings. This is a big blunder happening at THAI," he said.

Somchai Swasdipol, director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said AOT is investigating the matter. The bungling could have arisen from the slow transfer of luggage rather than any trouble with the actual baggage handling system, he said.

The botched baggage handling was partially attributable to flights arriving late. About 17 flights were overdue, 45 minutes in the worst case. Most departing passengers anticipated the delay and arrived at the airport well in advance.

The first commercial flight to alight at Suvarnabhumi was also 20 minutes behind schedule. Flying from Kiev, the Aerosvit Airlines plane landed at 4.30am, instead of the original time of 4.10am. It landed at the same time as an EVA Airways flight from Amsterdam.

"Aerosvit's flight was delayed at the originating port, not because of technical problems at Suvarnabhumi," the AOT official said.

Upon arrival, the first passengers received commemorative souvenirs from AOT chairman Srisook Chandrangsu and his management team, who waited in front of Gate E4. One of the passengers was a local from Udon Thani who was unaware that his plane would put down at the new airport.

"I'm confused. Don Muang is more familiar to me as I don't know the traffic network of Suvarnabhumi," he said.

Aerosvit Airlines also operated the first flight from Suvarnabhumi. Bound for Kiev, it left at 5.40am. It took four minutes for each passenger to check in, instead of the normal two minutes at Don Muang, as staff needed time to get used to the new IT system.

Cathay Pacific also operated a flight from Hong Kong, but with only a 55-per-cent load factor rather than the usual 80 per cent.

"Passengers were worried about convenience on the first day of operations," said Yongyut Lujintanont, marketing manager for Thailand and Burma. The cabin factor should return to normal today, he said.

The chaotic environment on the first day also dulled the appetite for shopping among passengers. Most of the visitors concentrated on checking out the airport's amenities. Some of the duty free shops were still being fitted out and were not open yet.

A manager for King Power Duty Free Shop said total sales on the first day were only Bt3,000-Bt4,000, less than 10 per cent of what the company used to ring up at Don Muang. However, she was optimistic that more customers would come later.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 29 September 2006 :-

Airport traffic gridlocked

While plane departures and arrivals were running smoothly at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, down on the ground it was a different story with traffic around the vast site moving at a snail's pace.

Security guards at the new airport, which began full services yesterday, blamed the traffic snarls on confusing traffic signs and people's reluctance to use public transport.

"The traffic was jammed. Limousines, taxis and personal vehicles were all in the same lanes," one unnamed security guard said.

He said people complained incessantly about the traffic because many areas in the new airport compound remained under construction.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 30 September 2006 :-

The Pizza Company increases its focus on delivery

Minor Food Group (MFG), the operator of The Pizza Company, will speed up expansion of delivery outlets next year in response to a decline in dining out by budget-conscious consumers. The shift to more delivery outlets also reflected the fact that fewer spaces would be available for full-scale pizza restaurants if openings of new retail centres slowed, said Wichai Pornpratang, the company's vice-president for marketing.

He said the company expected little impact from planned government curbs on the expansion of large retailers, as MFG could always work with investors who already had sites and wanted to open franchises. ''Because our brand is stronger than in the past, it is easier to expand new outlets through franchise basis,'' he said.

However, most of the growth in the company's sales next year will come from the delivery business.

CEO Paul Kenny said the company would open at least 30 new outlets next year, in both restaurant and delivery formats, bringing its total to 200.

The average investment for a restaurant is 10-12 million baht while a delivery outlet costs 7-8 million baht.

The Pizza Company, a wholly Thai-owned brand, was accused by rival Pizza Hut last month of copying some of the latter's menu offerings, but Mr Kenny brushed off the criticism and said the new items had helped lift The Pizza Company's sales by 10%.

''We did not see any impact from this,'' he said. ''I created the X-Pan pizza while our extra-cheesy sausage was developed by our firm over the past two years. If you look that our history, we have had cheese and sausage in our pizza products for a long time.''

MFG has spent about 10 million baht on research to understand consumers' insights and meet their requirements.

Mr Wichai said that sales of The Pizza Company this year were expected to grow by 20% from last year, almost double its earlier expectation. He attributed the improvement to new outlet openings and menu changes, adding 30% more cheese to its pizzas for example.

''Cheese and toppings are the top two items that our consumers required,'' he said.

To maintain growth, the company this month introduced a ''Crunchy Cheese Crust Pizza'', aiming to boost pizza sales in the fourth quarter by 30%.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 30 September 2006 :-

New bridge to increase Thai, Lao travel

The second bridge across the Mekong River dividing Thailand and Laos is scheduled to open in December 2006 and lead to increased tourism in the region, the government-run Thai News Agency quoted Thailand's ambassador to Vietnam Kittipong Na Ranong as saying Saturday.

Kittipong said the second Mekong River bridge 530 kilometres north-east of Bangkok will serve as an essential part of the road linking Mukdaharn in Thailand, Savannakhet in Laos, and Quang Tri in Vietnam.


About 80,000 Thais visited Vietnam last year and the number is expected to increase to more than 100,000 this year. And about 100,000 Vietnamese tourists visit Thailand last year, he said.

With the bridge and joint tourism promotions by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam the numbers should continue to increase, he said.

The first bridge over the Mekong River linking Thailand and Laos was opened in 1994 about 500 kilometres northeast of Bangkok and just 30 kilometres south of the Lao capital Vientiane.--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 1 October 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi to get certificate in Nov 2006 : Landing, operational rights not yet granted

The Suvarnabhumi airport would get the Aerodome Certificate within next month, which will permanently grant the airport landing and operational rights, said air force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk yesterday.

The airport, which officially opened to commercial flights last Thursday, is being temporarily allowed to carry on with its operations by the Aviation Department, but it needs the Aerodome Certificate, as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), to continue its services non-stop.

ACM Chalit, a deputy leader of the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), said the airport would ''officially announce its opening again'' after it receives the certificate. The Aviation Department, which is also acting as a consultant to the ICAO, will inspect the airport this week to make sure that its safety management and facilities are in line with the ICAO's requirements.

The Aerodome Certificate is expected to be granted to the airport by November 2006.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 1 October 2006 :-

Glitches continue at new airport

Minor problems continued to plague the new Suvarnabhumi Airport Sunday, four days after the airport's commercial opening, with soldiers called in to help carry passenger baggage as machines proved too slow. And then, a large number of sightseers turned up, causing congestion and inconvenience at the single-terminal airport.

An operations centre, informally dubbed 'the war room,' has been set up on the seventh floor of the passenger building and 25 soldiers were drafted to help move baggage, while Thai Airports Ground Service Co. Ltd. (TAGS) has dispatched another 150 baggage-transport carts to help speed up the work, said Airports of Thailand president Chotisak Asapaviriya.

He said work flexibility has been achieved at only 70% and the remaining problem of 30% is resulted from staff members who have become very tired.

Although the airport has been opened for four days as of Sunday, as many as 100,000 people are turning up daily for pleasure visits, while the number of passengers is estimated at 80,000 - 90,000 persons, Mr. Chotisak said, adding that the number of cleaners and rubbish collectors must be increased.

Many toilets in the domestic passenger terminal have become clogged, he said, while the roof of the car park is not expected to be complete for about one month, he said.

Many black-plated taxis were seen waiting for customers on the first and second floors of the passenger building yesterday, Mr. Chotisak said. Police have been asked to order taxi drivers not to park their vehicles in the area, he said.

Mr. Chotisak said officials will be assigned to monitor expected heavy rainfall Sunday night, but indicated there should not be a problem as the new airport can absorb as much as three million cubic metres of water.

Meanwhile, a senior Thai Airways International executive said Sunday that work at the airport have become smoother, although more casual visitors are congesting the airport, especially during the weekend.

These admirers are causing inconvenience for passengers checking in. The executive asked people to refrain from visiting the airport for the time being in order to make for smoother service.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[cheongster6969]

The airport will definitely take some time to get better. Some points to note :

- Toilets are clogged as mentioned
- Taps in toilets are leaking and 1/2 are not even working
- Construction still going on. People walking around installing glass, flooring etc
- Lots of shops still not open
- Air con is very warm as the airport has too much glass
- Chairs at departure gate are not comfortable at all. Suggest go to it only just before your flight.

That's all for now.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 4 October 2006 :-

AoT comes under heavy criticism : King Power blamed for airport problems

Airports of Thailand Plc was heavily criticised yesterday by the chairman of the committee supervising the launch of Suvarnabhumi Airport for its business deals which are causing inconvenience to passengers.

Air Force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk chaired the meeting to review the services at the new airport after its sixth day in operation and squarely put the blame on AoT's duty-free shop concessionaire King Power Co for putting new arrivals off.

The duty-free shop being run by King Power is said to be partially blocking the view of passengers' passages and signboards for directions, especially in front of immigration desks, for international passengers after their arrival.

''I am not here to intervene in any contractual talks between the private company and AoT, but I will see to it that the mistakes are corrected as it is our duty to make sure passengers are not inconvenienced in any way,'' he told the meeting.

''Regarding the report that passenger service space was smaller than commercial space, it's the duty of AoT to negotiate with King Power,'' ACM Chalit said.

His stance echoes an order by then permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat last Thursday that the AoT should tell King Power to end its encroachment or it would face legal action.

Mr Wanchai is chairman of Thai Airways International.

According to sources, AoT was unhappy with Wanchai for making such a call and planned to take revenge yesterday by demanding at the meeting that THAI return space on the ground floor of the Air Crew Center building in the airport to AoT.

The space facilitates immigration and customs service exclusively for THAI crew. Without it, the crew would have to wait at checkpoints in the passenger terminal along with other passengers.

But secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board Ampon Kittiampon was quick enough to prevent a confrontation by thanking AoT for dedicating the special space for THAI crew.

That discouraged AoT chairman Srisook Chandrangsu from demanding the return of the Air Crew Center space. Mr Srisook finally agreed to have commercial space in the passenger terminal adjusted properly.

Regarding the overall service of Suvarnabhumi, ACM Chalit said the check-in counters, conveyor belt efficiency and flight punctuality were being improved and everything should run smoothly by Oct 15.

He ordered airport officials not to change passengers' boarding gates to prevent confusion as earlier experienced, and told police to step up security measures to prevent mafia-type operations and thieves from entering the new airport.

But cargo handling was still experiencing delays as Bangkok Flight Services Co has still not made its information system compatible with that of the Customs Department.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 4 October 2006 :-

Developer turns focus to shopping centres : KE Land spends Bt600m on The Crystal

Residential developer KE Land will move into the retail property business by investing Bt600 million in a Bangkok shopping-centre project on Ekamai-Ram-Indra Road named The Crystal.

KE Land managing director Kaveepan Eiamsakulrat said the new centre would be built on 15 rai (2.4 hectares), with retail space of 15,000 square metres. It will be completed by the end of next year.

Kaveepan said having focused on premium single-detached housing developments for years in that area, KE Land recognised the need for a shopping centre there, because of strong local growth in new residential projects.

"We believe our shopping centre will be successful at this location," he said. "Eighty per cent of its retail space has already been booked."

The Crystal shopping centre will target families and people with a stylish lifestyle who live in the Ekamai, Lat Phrao and Ram-Indra areas, earn high monthly incomes and prefer an outstanding and relaxing shopping environment. It will also provide a new location for nearby residents to relax and dine out.

The shopping centre will boast a supermarket, restaurants and patisseries, coffee shops, banks, boutiques, sporting-goods shops, electrical-appliance shops, beauty parlours and clinics, IT shops and language and music schools. It will also stage occasional events and expects about 8,000 customers on weekdays and more than 10,000 on Saturdays and Sundays.

KE Land's first shopping centre follows its successful development of a Bt2-billion luxury housing project called The Crystal Park at the same location on Ekamai-Ram-Indra Road.

Future plans include a second retail-shopping outlet on a 6.4-hectare site across the road from The Crystal. The new shopping area is tentatively being called CDC Park, for Crystal Design Centre Park, and will provide a showcase for up-market companies specialising in interiors, housing appliances and home supplies.

Construction of the second retail project may begin next year, but Kaveepan declined to disclose how much KE Land expects to spend on it.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 6 October 2006 :-

BECL cashes in on new airport traffic : Daily volume rises by 20-30,000 trips

Suvarnabhumi Airport has given Bangkok Expressway Plc (BECL) a boost with the sharp jump in the number of vehicles using its roads over the last eight days.

''Our daily traffic volume rose on average by 20,000 to 30,000 trips after the opening of the new airport, but that is partly because of the school break and a horde of visitors to the new airport,'' said BECL managing director Suvich Pungchareon.

Prior to the opening of the new airport, average daily volume on all of BECL's expressways was 910,000 to 920,000 trips.

Mr Suvich said the firm would need about three months to determine the real impact of the airport on its traffic volume.

However, BECL is expecting a significant rise in performance in 2007 because of traffic to the airport, following an estimated 3% growth in traffic volume and toll revenue this year.

BECL, which operates road networks under a 30-year concession from the government, reported a 5.49% year-on-year rise in six-month net profit to 788.14 million baht, helped by a 2.3% increase in toll revenue to 3.38 billion baht.

The company reported revenue of 6.73 billion baht in 2005, up 2% from a year earlier, but net profit declined 22.3% to 1.48 billion baht. It noted that the profit for the previous year had included tax gains from the sale of a subsidiary.

According to Mr Suvich, the company's growth in 2007 would also be helped by the completion of an automatic toll-collection system for distance-based charges for four-wheel vehicles on the second-stage expressway system that covers suburban routes in Bangkok.

The new toll system was due to be completed this year but has been stalled because of political problems.

BECL will set up a subsidiary to run the new toll system under a 15-year contract with the Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority.

The investment is estimated at 600 million to 800 million baht and is expected to break even in seven years.

BECL shares closed yesterday on the SET at 22 baht, unchanged, in trade worth 15.78 million baht.

BECL's gains from Suvarnabhumi have come at the expense of Don Muang Tollway Plc, which is losing 600,000 baht a day due to the decline in traffic to northern Bangkok where the old Don Muang airport was located.

President Sombat Panichcheewa recently admitted that the tollway's usage had fallen by 22% to 30,000 cars a day, pushing down average daily revenue from 3.3 million to 2.7 million baht.

He said Don Muang Tollway had no need to make adjustments or reduce tolls as the loss was expected to be offset by a projected 5% growth in traffic in the future.

But Mr Sombat urged the new government to help settle a long-running dispute over compensation for the breach of the company's concession by the Transport Ministry, which built local roads competing with the tollway.

Don Muang Tollway claims it has accumulated losses of 4-5 billion baht because of the new local roads.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 6 October 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi gets passing grade in first week

Suvarnabhumi Airport has received a passing grade in its first week of operation, but still has a long way to go before it can compete with world-class airports in Hong Kong and Singapore, international airline managers say.

Many executives were poised for the worst when the 125-billion-baht airport opened on Sept 28, expecting a host of baggage system malfunctions and computer glitches. But the problems turned out to be largely similar to those that airlines faced at the old Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang) right up until its closure.''Before the opening, we were so worried about problems, particularly with the baggage system,'' said Seiichi Iwasaki, the Southeast Asia regional manager for Japan Airlines. ''But it turned out to be okay, though there are still small problems.''

Most complaints have dealt with the airport's handling of cargo, which frustrated businesses that had goods, including perishable items, stranded for days. Unclear documentation requirements, insufficient cargo space, processing delays and the lack of experienced staff all contributed to the disorder.

Even so, many airline executives rated Suvarnabhumi's terminal and operation about six or seven on a scale of 10. The ratings are consistent with scores that Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), which runs the airport, has given itself.

''From CX's (Cathay Pacific) perspective the airport has worked very well for a newly opened facility, particularly in light of the various issues that have plagued Suvarnabhumi over the past few months,'' said Patrick Yeung, general manager of Cathay Pacific for Southeast Asia.

''In terms of living up to expectations, from the airport services point of view the answer is yes. I would rate Suvarnabhumi a seven out of 10.''

Problems with the terminal cited by airline managers included poor and insufficient signage, dirty and inadequate bathroom facilities, a lack of moving walkways, late arrival of baggage and overall terminal cleanliness.

While fixing the cargo handling problems is crucial, airline executives said the other concerns could be taken care of in time. ''The airport has performed much better than expected,'' said Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai Airlines and One-Two-Go Airlines. He credited the high dedication and team spirit among all concerned parties, as well as efficient contingency plans.

''Of course, there were rattles here and there, but there was considerable co-operation and determination to deal with the problems,'' Mr Udom said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 6 October 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi can compete against Changi: Singapore airport chief

Suvarnabhumi Airport could become a "formidable competitor" to the award-winning Changi Airport, according to the Singapore airport's managing director Foo Sek Min.

He said Bangkok's new international airport was a "100 per cent improvement" on Don Muang, despite the many hitches since it opened on September 28.

Foo warned, however, that Suvarnabhumi should be aware of its costs spiralling, put up better signs and improve its baggage-handling system.

He said Changi - regarded as the world's best airport - was confident in its strategy of having three main terminals plus one low-cost terminal, instead of having one mega-terminal like Suvarnabhumi.

"We believe we need to be on a human scale. Passengers won't get lost, so we have three terminals," Foo said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork