The new Don Mueang Airport

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PeteC
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The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by PeteC »

A thread for folks to tell their stories when using this airport again. Pete :cheers:


Modern rest rooms impress jet set
Sensory doors, gleaming fixtures turn heads at Don Mueang airport
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/3 ... ss-jet-set

Published: 5/10/2012 at 03:14 AM
Newspaper section: News

Don Mueang airport resumed its full-scale operations early this week, but it is the airport's state-of-the-art, multi-million-baht rest rooms that have stolen the show.

Don Mueangairport general manager Paranee Vatanotai shows a wellequipped Showcase RestRoomat the recently reopened airport in Bangkok. APICHIT JINAKUL

Unlike the plain and narrow rest rooms of Suvarnabhumi airport, the two "Showcase Rest Rooms" of Don Mueang airport cover 110 square metres at each location.

The rest rooms are equipped with sensor-controlled doors, sanitaryware and bin lids.

The modern touch to the toilets has taken some travellers _ used to less sophisticated amenities at the old airport before its reopening this week after an upgrade _ by surprise.

At its entrance is a "Wall Screen"_ large combined panels comprising 12 46-inch interactive displays where passengers can entertain themselves while waiting for their friends outside the rest room.

Don Mueang airport general manager Paranee Vatanotai said there were two Showcase Rest Rooms to serve departing passengers of domestic and international flights at Don Mueang airport.

Siam Cement Group (SCG) built the 15-million-baht rest rooms free of charge for Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) on the condition that the AOT can maintain them for three years.

SCG initially approached AOT to build the rest rooms at Suvarnabhumi airport about four months ago.

However, AOT told the conglomerate to do it at Don Mueang first because Suvarnabhumi is congested and Don Mueang was not being used to its capacity, making it convenient for renovation.

"Since the reopening of Don Mueang airport, the rest rooms are the most popular topic visitors have mentioned. There are only two locations with such rest rooms," Mrs Paranee said.

"Other rest rooms are normal, although their damaged sanitaryware has been replaced.

"It is impossible to make all rest rooms as Showcase Rest Rooms because that would be very costly."

Sunetra Chinkomolsuk, Cotto brand manager of SCG Building Materials Co, said the Showcase Rest Room project was aimed at improving airport services.

She said apart from the building cost of 15 million baht, the company would spend 6 million baht on maintaining the rest rooms over the next three years.

Mrs Sunetra said Don Mueang is the first airport in the world that features interactive displays, adding that her company will build another seven such rest rooms at the departure zone of Suvarnabhumi airport in February next year.

However, she said each rest room at Suvarnabhumi airport will cover only 50-70 square metres due to space limitations there.

Flight passenger Patiporn Thongsing, who was flying to Chiang Mai, said it was her first visit to Don Mueang airport after reopening and her children loved the Wall Screen interactive displays.

"The rest rooms at Don Mueang airport are very beautiful and modern, unlike the rest rooms at Suvarnabhumi airport, and sensor-controlled facilities are very convenient for passengers with lots of baggage and children," Mrs Patiporn said.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

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We're flying out of Don Muang on Wednesday. Can't wait to go to the loo! I'll make sure I'm in there long enough so that Mr.VS can play with the screen. Full report to follow...

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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by Dr Mike »

This is wonderful-- after the hassle of immigration and security--- a really tasteful, elegant place to pee.
The Airport authority sure has its priorities in the right place!
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

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Dr Mike wrote:This is wonderful-- after the hassle of immigration and security--- a really tasteful, elegant place to pee.
The Airport authority sure has its priorities in the right place!

Don't know about new Don Meuang, but the last 3 or 4 times I pass through Swampy, the Immigration has been a complete doddle, even when returning.

They've opened a new upstairs Immigration (Departure side only), and on both sides, the snaking queuing system is working much better than separate queues at each counter.

Security is a bummer, but no more than any other Airport in the region
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by moja »

flew out of DMK on Monday on the first day of operation and dispite fearing the worst everything went very well apart from a last minute gate swap with the flight to Hat Yai none of the boards; not even at the ones at the actual gate were changed so this lead to much confusion but everything was soon sorted and thankfully our luggage went to the correct destination as well. As for the toilets they really are something else but that is only in departures when we arrived back at DMK yesterday the toilets although clean left a lot to be desired half were out of order and the ceiling was falling down.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by Ralphsandbag »

Arrived there tw0 days ago Immigration was a shambles, not ready for us ans staff do not know how to process us has to keep calling the supervisor.....
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

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Used it recently and all went smoothly, once through passport control there seems to be more shops and eateries than at Swampy which doesn't have much of anything really. The "duty free" shop is total bullshit, yes you don't pay the duty but the airport markup makes items more expensive in here than on the street.

Didn't find the fancy bog and immigration was a breeze coming in, no queues at all.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by STEVE G »

......there seems to be more shops and eateries than at Swampy which doesn't have much of anything really.
That's what I missed when international flights moved away from Don Mueang, I used to be able to entertain myself easily there with the various restaurants and bars but Suvarnabhumi is basically just a shopping mall and I have no interest in shopping.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

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It's paradise compared to swampy. It's much calmer, and all the staff seem to be less stressed. I guess it's because of the numbers of travellers.

Buksida: Pity you missed out on the loos, and the screens outside. The ladies loo had more staff wiping the sinks and hanging around than customers actually using them. Soft lighting, fancy little soap dispensers and lovely decor. I was so impressed I forced Mr.VS to go to the men's side, so that we could compare notes. Same sort of thing - but with one slight difference. If you stand outside the gents you can see them all peeing in the urinals! As Mr.VS said "Be careful if you've got something to hide - or be even more careful if you haven't..."

The 'interactive' huge wall of screens outside were projecting scenes of famous cities around the world. If you stand in a particular area (with your back to the screen) you're projected onto the screen. You can then have a photo taken next to Big Ben, overlooking the Golden Gates, etc. The only problem was there were a bunch of Chinese tourists hogging the screen, getting in the way, barging in front of other people and generally being obnoxious.

Mr.VS took a photo of me (after the Chinese finally went away) in London. Hey, we're going to India. Never mind, we'll pretend we went to London, and if we wait here long enough we can do Tokyo, Moscow, and Brasilia. Post it on Facebook and everyone will think we've done a world tour.

I really like Don Muang airport, and it looks like they're doing more renovations to make it even better.

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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by Dr Mike »

It would be really good if they could extend the MRT or BTS right into the station as in HK and Shanghai.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by buksida »

Yes, that would be nice as getting a taxi now is a right clusterfck. They have 3 separate queuing systems issuing tickets, a 50 baht surcharge, and some of the taxis still refuse to go to certain areas - total confusion.
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by Terry »

As far as I know, there ARE plans to extend the current Airport Express link in the other direction to Don Muang - but when?............................. :roll:
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by margaretcarnes »

buksida wrote:Used it recently and all went smoothly, once through passport control there seems to be more shops and eateries than at Swampy which doesn't have much of anything really. The "duty free" shop is total bullshit, yes you don't pay the duty but the airport markup makes items more expensive in here than on the street.

Didn't find the fancy bog and immigration was a breeze coming in, no queues at all.
The first time I used Swampy not long after it opened the overall impression was that it lacked pretty much everything we were used to at DM. It was like entering a huge cavernous empty space, with a marathon trail to Immigration Control. Very few shops etc. I think it's improved a bit now as a few decorative features have appeared, and certainly more retail. It looks a bit more 'lived in' - but will never compare to what was really a certain magic about arriving at DM. (Despite the state of the loos!)
But as far as Duty Free is concerned it's rubbish over here as well. I used Manchester/Copenhagen this year and have heard that for travel within the EU there is little or nothing to gain on the odd bottle or two. Manchester is particular annoying now with having to negotiate the maze of Duty Free immediately after passport control. At Copenhagen there's a 15 minute walk to the gate with no travelators. So I guess most airports struggle to get it right as they inevitably expand beyond the original plan.
Maybe come the glorious day DM will open again for International flights? I'd gladly put up with the longer taxi ride into Bangers if it does!
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by PeteC »

Got me curious Mags about distances. Good old Google says 27km Don Mueang to Silom and 34.56 from Suvarnabhumi. Of course it all depends upon where in Bangkok one is going. Pete :cheers:
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Re: The new Don Mueang Airport

Post by tuppence »

For such a low price country (Thailand), Swampy is bloody expensive for just about everything. Chocolate bars are about 8 times the price of the same stuff in Dubai, one of the world's most expensive cities. I hate paying 175 baht for a singha as well. Hope the new place (old place) is better.
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