Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be fully operational today, Friday, December 5, the Airports of Thailand has concluded, after a day-long survey of facilities and terminal services. Airport general manager, Serirat Prasutanond, concluded this evening that the terminal facilities including check-in, immigration systems and some of the highly sophisticated baggage scanners will require further maintenance. Clearance will be required from International Civil Aviation Organization before full operations can kick in, next week…
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be fully operational today, Friday, December 5, the Airports of Thailand has concluded, after a day-long survey of facilities and terminal services. Airport general manager, Serirat Prasutanond, concluded this evening that the terminal facilities including check-in, immigration systems and some of the highly sophisticated baggage scanners will require further maintenance. Clearance will be required from International Civil Aviation Organization before full operations can kick in, next week.
However, some Thai flights will land and depart from the airport as planned on December 5 and over the weekend. Airlines wishing to use the airport from that date can apply for permission from the Civil Aviation Department.
Airlines deciding to resume services will need to co-ordinate with the Airports of Thailand and Thai on ground support and handling. Runways, aprons, air traffic control towers and ground handling services are ready. However, the terminal building’s IT services, passenger check-in and security hardware require a more complicated reboot that will not be completed and approved by ICAO until next week.
As the terminal building will remain closed, arriving passengers will transfer to Thai’s crew centre for immigration and customs checks. Passengers joining flights leaving Suvarnabhumi Airport cannot check in at the terminal building. They will have to reconfirm their flights directly with the airlines and transfer to the Bitec exhibition hall for check-in procedures.
AoT is assessing the situation daily and believes it will have the terminal fully operational early next week. The authorities decided not to open a second check in center at Impact exhibition hall and canceled plans to commission two airports in Nakhon Ratchasima to handle emergency flights.
The stranded foreigners are staying in the hotels on list at the end of this article and have been at these hotels since the first day (November 25, 2008) of the disruption of air traffic at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Stranded foreigners will be offered free of charge: accommodation and three meals at the amount of 2,000 baht per day, per head. Stranded foreigners staying in the designated hotels who had already paid for accommodation can not request for reimbursement. In this regard, stranded foreigners are kindly requested to present necessary documents to the designated hotels as follows:
1) Certified Copy of Passport,
2) Certified Copy of Air Ticket, and
3) Hotel’s folio for your accommodation during this period.
Information on flights, airports, and check-in terminals will be informed through foreign missions, hotels, and international airlines on a regular basis.
Thai Airways International is providing in-town check-in services at Centara Grand Hotel. Meanwhile, another in-town check-in service is set up at Bangkok International Trade&Exhibition Centre (BITEC), from December 1, 2008. Stranded foreigners are kindly requested to contact your airlines or travel agencies for further information.
It is strongly recommended that stranded foreigners should contact their respective airlines for logistic arrangements before going to U-taphao Airport due to the limited facilities at U-taphao Airport.
For updated information, please contact your embassies or the following Call Centers:
1) Emergency Tourist Assistance Center: 1414, 0-2356-0720
2) Tourist Police: 1155
3) Tourism Authority of Thailand: 1672
Hotels:
1 Siam City: 02-206-5900#1726,1184,1185
2 Prince Palace: 02-628-1111
3 Holiday Inn Siam: 02-238-4300
4 Bangkok Palace (Pratunam): 02-253-0556 K.Krit
5 Tongtara Hotel: 02-291-9800-1
6 Sofitel Centara Grand: 02-5411234#4112
7 Grand Suhkumvit Sofitel: 02-207-9999
8 China Town: 02-225-0204
9 Regency Park: 02-259-7420
10 Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok: 02-641-1500
11 Queen Gargens Resort: 02-734-4540
12 Ratchada City: 081-816-4342/081-773-3249
13 Thongpoon : 02-216-0020
14 Gold Orchid: 02-616-300
15 President: 02-255-7200
16 Grand Water Gate Hotel: 02-255-4242
17 Ibis Siam : 02-209-3888
18 Four Wings Hotel: 02-260-2100
19 Rama Garden Hotel: 02-561-0022
20 City Lodge Sukhumvit 9: 02-253-7705
21 City Lodge Sukhumvit 19: 02-265-7340
22 Amari Don Mueang Airport: 02-566-1020
23 Amari Boulevard: 02-255-2930
24 St. James Bangkok: 02-261-0890
25 Amari Atrium: 02-718-2000
26 Amari Water Gate: 02-653-9000
27 Grand Tower Inn (Rama 6): 02-618-6688
28 13 Coins Airport Grand: 02-374-9913
29 Grand Diamond: 02-656-6888-98
30 T.K. Palace: 02-574-1588
31 First: 02-255-0111-20
32 Riverside Bangkok: 02-434-0090-3, 02-883-1588
33 Ambassador: 02-254-0444
34 Windsor Suites Bangkok: 02-262-1234
35 Royal Bangsak (Phang Nga): 076-592-5555
36 Long Beach Cha-am: 032-472-444
37 Royal Bangsak: 076-592-555
38 Sunbeam Hotel Pattaya: 038 427 120-9
39 Siam Bay View: 038 423-871 7
40 Siam Bay View Resort and Spa: 038-428-678
41 Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya: 038 428 755-9
42 Patong Merlin: 076-340-037
43 Veranda Chiangmai: 053-365-007
44 Veranda Cha-am: 032-709-000
45 Nova Platinum Pattaya: 038-711-345
46 Angkhang Chiang Mai: 053-450-110
47 Amari Coral Beach Phuket: 076-340 106-14
48 Amari Vouge Resort Krabi: 075-607-777
49 Loei Palace: 042-815 668-73
50 Amari Rincome Chiang Mai: 053-221-130
51 Amari Orchid Tower Pattaya: 038-418-418
52 Amari Nova Suites Pattaya: 038-489-9488
53 Amari Emerald Coast Koh Chang: 039-552-000
54 Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui: 077-422 016-18
Anuj Singhal Information Officer Tourism Authority of Thailand B – 9/1 (A), Ground Floor Vasant Vihar, New Delhi – 110057 Phone No: 91-11- 4674 1111, 41663567/68/69 Fax No: 41663570 Web: www.amazingthailand.co.in
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
