SUVARNABHUMI: Thailand’s massive new airport ready to take off

Thailand is a country to watch in Southeast Asia in so far as travel and tourism is concerned. This is the impression one would inevitably get after a visit to this uncommon destination no matter how brief. With already 13 million foreign tourists last year, one of the biggest international arrivals in Asia, Thailand still wants more foreign visitors to beef up its economy and provide jobs for its citizens.

Late last year and this year, Thailand inaugurated three multi-billion dollar attractions: the Siam Niramit, one of the world’s largest stage productions with 2,000 seating capacity; the Siam Ocean World, Southeast Asia’s largest oceanarium; and Chiang Mai Night Safari, world’s largest night zoo.

But the kingdom’s biggest project with THAI Airways is the 155 billion baht Suvarnabhumi (The Golden Land) Airport now on its finishing touches. To be inaugurated on Sept. 28, the new airport is five times the size of the present International Airport’s facility, with 3,200 hectares in area.

The new airport is built on seven levels. The lowest level will include train and bus stations, with upper stories for separate arrival and departure halls, restaurants, shopping areas, government and airline offices. The highest level will feature a spectacular observation deck.

Suvarnabhumi will become one of the largest and most technically advanced airports in the world, providing a major boost for the nation’s economy and prestige, and is expected to establish Bangkok as a truly global aviation hub.

THAI Airways’ massive investment in facilities and services at Suvarnabhumi Airport will not only cater for the needs of its own flights, but also for those 80 airlines which currently fly to, and through, Bangkok.

Only 25 km from downtown Bangkok, the new airport can handle 45 million passengers a year; 76 flights per hour and 3 millions tons of cargo a year.

It has two runways: West runway is 4,000 m long and 60 m wide, while its East runway is 3,700 m long and 60 m wide.

The new airport with the world’s tallest control tower has 119 aircraft parking. Its main terminal area measuring 563,000 sq m is for domestic Thailand and international passengers distributed among seven concourses.

The main terminal has parking for 5,000 cars and another 1,100 cars in the extension area. Two kms from the main terminal is Thai City, where the airline has: Operations Center, Cargo and Mail Office, Flight Operations, Emergency Crisis Center, Crew Terminal, Staff Restaurant, Flight Dispatch, and Staff Fitness Center. It has Staff parking for 3,000 cars.

Its Airline Catering Services can produce 85,000 meals per day.

Its Aircraft Maintenance Center Aircraft Hangar can accommodate three A380s simultaneously.

There are 23 bus routes to the airport from downtown Bangkok: seven aircon public bus routes to the airport from the city; the new airport has three medical centers, with five ambulances, and the Royal First Class and Royal Silk (Business) Class passengers have curbside Concierge service, and Fast Track Immigration Service.

The old airport (Don Muang) will be used for military, government and charter flights.

It is interesting to note that THAI, a bulk owner of the Suvarnabhumi Airport, serves 72 destinations in 36 countries, across 4 continents.

The airline which recently celebrated its 46th anniversary of “smooth as silk” service worldwide flies 12 times weekly to Bangkok from Manila, with the noontime flights connecting on to major European cities, the Mekong region (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South China and Myanmar), and the Indian sub-continent (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan).

THAI is the only airline that flies, from Manila, non-stop, daily to Osaka, something that not even Japan Airlines or PAL can claim.

The airline uses the newest, state-of-the-art, fuel efficient Boeing 777 on its flights from Manila to Bangkok which now features the new Royal Silk Class (Business Class) seats.

THAI’s newest destinations, with nonstop flights from Bangkok are: New York, Los Angeles, Moscow and Johannesburg.

In the Philippines, THAI has offices in Makati, Manila and Cebu, aside from its NAIA airport office and NAIA Cargo Terminal.

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