{mosimage}My mother arrived in Bangkok's International Airport this afternoon.

Max (General Manager of SPS Thailand) and I went to the airport to pick her up. This is her first visit to Bangkok this year.

I have been unable to update this blog for over the last one and a half months. I was quite hectic with my business. But at last, I could have some time to post a new article.

Many friends were worrying about me. "What's happend to you!?" I received such messages from my friends by email or chat. I can say, at least, "I am surviving".

On the New Year's Eve, as most Japane do, I wanted to spend time watching the famous TV program named "Red and White Singing Contest", where all Japanese superstars sing their hit tunes. However, the upshot was, I was very busy serving my customers and could watch the show for only 20 minutes.

I was also unable to see the New Year's countdown (in Japanese time). I was tackling with the fax machine for my customers (removing jamming paper!).

However, when the New Year came in Thailand (two hours behind the Japanese time), I could watch the countdown on Thai local TV, enjoying beer with my guesthouse guests.

Here in Thailand, the New Year on the Christian calendar is celebrated a bit more simply and dryly than Japan. The national holidays are only December 31 and January 1 (we have four consecurive holidays in Japan). The guesthouse is open 24x7x365, so I could not really enjoy the new year's holidays.

As this is the first article of year 2008, so I want to write about my resolution for this year. This year may become a turning point for me.

I visited Suvarnabhumi International Airport with Mr. Bando (my friend living in Chiang Mai) six days before its opening (22nd Sep).

The airport is well marked on major streets, but some taxi drivers may be confused and may not know well about how to go there. If you head for the airport by taxi, please be sure to leave your hotel at least three hours before the departure of your flight. If you catch an evening flight, you may stuck in traffic jams. It may take 1.5-2 hours by taxi from Central Bangkok.

When I visited there, the airport had been partially opened for several airlines.

Here, you can see some photos of the airport facilities.

Bangkok's new international airport - Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced "Suwan-na-puum", which means "Golden Land" in Thai) airport was opened on 28th September 2006.

This airport is the largest airport in south-east Asia and is capable of handling 76 flights per hour and 45 million passengers per year.

The airport has several world records: the terminal building is the largest in the world, and the airport also has the world's longest runway (4km), and the world's tallest control tower (130m).

Map

Distance/Location

The airport is 32km east of the central Bangkok, and 19km east of Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse.

Transportation to/from the Airport

Railway

At the time of opening, the high-speed railway system linking the airport and the central is still under construction. It is scheduled to be opened in 2007, but due to the defective bridge support, the opening may be further delayed (possibly in 2008).

Airport Bus

Until the railway link is open, the only public transportation to/from the airport bus service. The most convenient routes for travelers are 551 and 552, because these two routes are connected to the Sky Train system.

Regular Bus Routes (See the above map)

(Fare - 35 Bahts)
* No. 549 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Minburi - Bang Kapi
* No. 550 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Happyland
* No. 551 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Victory Monument
* No. 554 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Rangsit
* No. 552 Suvarnabhumi Airport - On Nut Skytrain Station
* No. 552A Suvarnabhumi Airport - Bang Na - Samut Prakan
* No. 553 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Samut Prakan

Long-distance Bus Routes

* No. 389 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Pattaya
* No. 390 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Talad Rong Kluea (Aranyaprathet, Cambodian Border)
* No. 825 Suvarnabhumi Airport - NongKhai (Lao Border)

Airport Express Bus Routes

(Fare - 150 Bahts)
* AE1 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Silom (by expressway)
* AE2 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Bang Lamphu (Victory Monument) (by expressway)
* AE3 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Sukhumwit 3 (Nana)
* AE4 Suvarnabhumi Airport - Hua Lamphong (by expressway)

Taxi

The cost to the central Bangkok is approximately 300 Bahts (including expressway tolls), plus the airport departure surcharge 50 Bahts. All taxis are metered, but some taxi drivers may not want to use a meter and try to rip you off. Be sure to request your driver to use a meter.

The airport departure surcharge is only applied to taxis departing from the terminal building, and passengers should pay to a taxi driver separately from the metered fare.

Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse

Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse is one of the nearest guesthouses to Bangkok's International Airport. It is conveniently located just between Central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The metered taxi fare from the international airport to Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse is as low as 130B (US$4) via On Nut Road. If you are looking for a place to stay for a brief stop-over in Bangkok, we are one of the best choices.

If you prefer public transportation, just hop on No. 552 from the Airport Bus Terminal to the "Sukhumvit 58/89" bus stop (45 minutes). The guesthouse is 2-minute's walk from the bus stop.

From Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse, major tourist spots and shopping & entertainment areas are easily accessible via Sky Train (BTS). The station is located 12-minute's walk (or 2-minute's motorcycle taxi ride) from our guesthouse.

Our reasonably priced, squeaky-clean private/dorm rooms & shared facilities, state-of-the-art Internet facilities, and tropical & exotic restaurant & pub will make your stay more comfortable. Free security lockers are available for guests.

For more details about Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse, please visit http://www.bangkok-guesthouse.com/.

Related Links

Sudden Shocking News

It was 3:00 am on 23th September when I received the sad news that one of my staff - Ton was killed in a motorcycle accident. The tragedy happened on the night of 22nd September near his home village in Prasat, Surin, Thailand.

He was riding a motorcycle at night near his village and was allegedly struck from behind by a truck. He was rushed to a hospital in Prasat to receive immediate treatment. However, in spite of doctors' effort, he passed away at the hospital, aged 19.

Most Diligent Staff

Ton was his nickname. His real name is Prachuksil Sahadee (ประจักรศิลป์ สง่าดี). He was a relatively new staff at my guesthouse. He joined my company with his best friend, Thit, and started to work as a kitchen staff on 20th June, 2006. Since then, he had been trained to become a kitchen assistant of my restaurant. He was very silent but most diligent staff. I still remember that he was doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen alone in the early morning every day.

It was really "amazing Thailand". The bloodless coup has been successful. Thai Prime Minister, Taksin Shinawatra, was forced to live in exile at his second house in London. The pro-Taksin military sect and groups were surrendered and dissolved. Bangkok has come back to normal just two days after that shocking military coup.

I noticed the first sign of the incident with TV. Thai local channels suddenly suspended the normal programs and were switched to a still picture of some announcement with the photograph of Thai king around 23:00 on 19th September 2006.

Then one staff of my guesthouse said to me, "Some incident is happening in the central. Military tanks are blocking the streets and major shopping centers were forced to close down."

A military coup occurred last night in Bangkok, Thailand.

My house (located in On Nut area in Bangkok), my guesthouse (Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse), my guests staying at my guesthouse, my company (Sugiyama Precision Solutions Thailand Co., Ltd.) and all of its staff are all safe. Please do not worry.

I received many e-mail, phone calls, and chat messages since last night from my friends, family, and business acquaintances. They were worrying about my personal safety. Thank you all for your kind concern!

I am very busy with an urgent translation project today, so I have no time to update this blog tonight. I will update the latest situation of Bangkok and Thailand soon later.

Related Links

After long deliberation, I finally decided to purchase a compact brand-new car in Thailand.

The car is Toyota Yaris 1.5 G-Limited. In Japan, this model is called "Vitz" and has been the most popular car over the last two months in the Japanese market.

The pricing in Japan for Vits is as cheap as just 110,000 Yen or US$ 10,000, but the price here in Thailand is almost doubled (750,000 Bahts or US$20,000). It's a quite embarrassing price for an expatriate Japanese living in Thailand.

I have been reluctant to buy a car in Thailand before, because my house is located at a convenient location near BTS Sky Train station. Plus, cars are outrageously priced due to the 200 percent tax for imported automobile parts.

So why did I buy such a "fancy" car? I have several reasons for this...