Authorities at Suvarnabhumi airport are urging more taxis to register as official airport transport, in a bid to ease a shortage that has led to complaints about long lines at the airport’s taxi queue.
Many tourists arriving at Suvarnabhumi airports have posted pictures of the long lines at the airport’s taxi stands since the beginning of October.
However, the complaints reached a crescendo on Friday, at the start of the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day long weekend, leading to speculation that Bangkok’s main international gateway isn’t ready to welcome large numbers of visitors.
In response to the complaints, the airport’s administrators issued an announcement saying the long lines were the result of the sudden influx of out-of-town visitors arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport to celebrate the long weekend in the capital.
There simply weren’t enough cars available to serve all incoming passengers, as only taxis registered with the airport can pick up passengers from Suvarnabhumi’s taxi stands, they said.
Furthermore, they said, not all taxis which are permitted to pick up passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport were on standby at the stands, adding many drivers are choosing to pick up passengers elsewhere as the demand for rides from the airport has yet to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.
As such, the airport’s administrators are calling on more public taxi drivers to register with authorities so they can make up the shortfall.
In a statement, the airport said it will be mobilising more staff to direct taxis to the airport.
It also urged arriving passengers to utilise other methods of transport, such as the Airport Rail Link train which is connected to the BTS skytrain and MRT network.
Moreover, there are limousines, vans and public buses available at the airport, the statement said.
Inquiries about airport services may be made via the AOT contact centre at 1722.