02 Oct 06 I will miss Don Muang Airport
With the opening of the new Suvannapoomi airport in Bangkok, one of out oldest friend in Asia has now retired. Don Muang Airport was one of my favorite airports.
I have spent countless hours transiting from here sometimes coming here almost every month. Bangkok offers the best connections and prices for flying into South East Asia, China and India. If I had a couple of days for next flight, I would cross over to the Don Muang train station and take a train up north or walk to the domestic terminal to take a cheap flight out to some other city.
It was not as sleek at Singapore or Hongkong or even several of those new airports in China but for me it had more charm than any of these other airports. The sheer number of airlines that passed through Don Muang and the people who transited through (due to the liberal visa policy and the economics of holidaying in Thailand) made the airport possibily the most international place on earth.
Little Druk Air plane from Bhutan also has regular flights.
Mahan from Iran won’t fly to Singapore, El-Al from Israel couldn’t go to Malaysia or Indonesia but both were welcome in Don Muang, event the little Druk Air plane from Bhutan and for a while North Korea’s Koryo.
Air Koryo from North Korea used to fly to Don Muang once.
The greatest joy of this airport was the variety of people I met. It was a regular thing here simultaneously helping the first time Chinese and Indians tourists to fill their form while I was waiting for my “visa on entry”.
Don Muang didn’t offer free wi-fi or internet like the one you have in Incheon and SIngapore but you could always leach off the signals from the airlines lounges. (a trick I learnt from my brother)
Borrowing free wi-fi from the airline lounge.
A common sight in Don Muang, I like the fact that the chairs had no armrest. Good place to sleep.
Once I nearly missed a flight to Chiang Rai, I got a lift to the plane on a baggage handler’s buggy.
A Singpore Airlines plane being gaurded by an armed guard. Must be a VIP plane.
The passage to the domestic airport. There was an inexpensive canteen right in the middle here.
I will miss Don Muang.
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Free WiFi at Singapore? When I flew out, StarHub — the only network available in the list — insisted on a login or a temporary paid account.
Amazing. I think you’re the first person I’ve ever heard say he likes Don Muang Airport. I’ve spent quite a few sleepless nights there myself and all I can muster up is, good riddance.
Hi Jace, you can use wired internet points at Singapore’s Changi Airport. You will need to have your own ethernet cable though. These points are available in both the mail terminal and the budget terminal.
Hi Oso,
I like Don Muang for the interesting people I have met there over the years. Also It was one of the first foreign airports i ever landed at, so I am sentimental about this place.
Hey Preetam,
Jon from Final Word here- I wanted to say thanks for the link-up on Global Voices Online, its a very interesting project over there.
As for Bangkok airport, I wasn’t the biggest fan to be honest, although like you, it was the first airport in Asia I ever arrived in. Thinking about it, I prefer that it was a place like Don Muang rather than a ‘Changi’, definitely more memorable - memories from that place include - being chased through the airport after leaving my ATM card in the machine, meeing an Isreali who’d just spent a month in Burma as a yoga instrcutor in the taxi queue and the book he gave me which got me interested in practicing yoga (I haven’t stopped since), and running between terminals for 2 hours because I didn’t know the British Airways flight number of my parents inbound (that was after the mini van had crashed on the way to the airport). Yes, I got there safely and managed to meet my parents, somehow!
Thanks for the memories!
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I’m going to Bangkok soon in the new year. From how you write about it, I’m almost sad not to be able to experience Don Muang airport!! Ah well, I guess I’ll enjoy my vacation anway