Dateline: Bangkok, September 10, 2007

New Airport "risks losing its edge!"
COMPLAINTS HAVE DROPPED FROM THREE DIGITS TO TWO!

As a result of the recent problems at Bangkok's new airport and the reopening of Bangkok's old airport, I have created this section, BANGKOK AIRPORT NEWS, to keep you up to date on developments as they occur.

You can read past news stories of the history of all the problems in the NEWS ARCHIVES on page 5.

READ IMPORTANT ARTICLES ON PAGE 4.

Also see LETTERS on Page 2.

You can read my personal experience at the airport, and comments in
CARTER'S COMMENTS.

THE MOST RECENT NEWS:

Airport "risks losing its edge."

A poll conducted among airline executives has revealed that many believe Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is in danger of losing its competitive edge to other Southeast Asian airports, due to a list of problems that include cramped offices, smelly toilets, damaged floors and defective runways and taxiways.

Residents living near Suvarnabhumi Airport submitted a petition yesterday to Airports of Thailand, which has yet to solve noise-related problems. They represent 32 communities.

The poll was conducted by Siam Technology College's Siam Techno Poll Research Centre. It coincided with a forum at the college about the year-old airport attended by about 800 participants.

The forum was told by executives from 10 domestic and international airlines based in Bangkok that the airport was in danger of falling behind, because of continuing problems. "The damaged runways and taxiways cause stress to both pilots and passengers," said Dr Polkrit Tantiyanukool, the research centre's assistant director.

Commenting on the poll's findings, Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Serirat Prasutanond said many of the improvements proposed during the college's forum, including additional seating, provision of WiFi services, more and cheaper food selections at restaurants and better security, would be discussed at the airport's next board meeting this month.

Respondents to the poll admitted the airport was more convenient and aesthetically more appealing than its predecessor and that improvements had been made since its opening. They also blamed the country's unstable political climate for lower tourist arrivals.

"We're addressing problems here that have occurred since the opening, be they inadequate toilets, lighting, air-conditioning and signage, or illegal guides and taxis.

"Although there were still complaints after 10 months, the number had decreased from three digits to two," Serirat said.

The company intends to see Suvarnabhumi listed among the world's top 20 airports next year and among the top 10 in 2009. He said to help achieve those rankings, six working teams had been set up to improve key areas: the security-management system, airport facilities and services, collaboration with airlines and government bodies, commercial airport property management, service-mindedness and the airport environment.

Suchat Sritama
The Nation. Published on September 4, 2007

SEAT 2B is a regular column by Joe Brancatelli in Conde Nast Portfolio.com.
From the July 10th issue, Joe says:

"Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is less than a year old, but it is dirty, crowded, and plagued by shoddy construction. Avoid it."

Dateline: Bangkok, July 5, 2007, from The Bangkok Post:

SUVARNABHUMI

New airport is unsafe, checks below par, says IATA report

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Suvarnabhumi airport is unsafe with checks on people and their belongings in the passenger terminal falling below standard, says the International Air Transport Association. IATA's safety study of the airport found that standards are inferior to those of Don Mueang airport, said an Airports of Thailand source who obtained the report.

The study aimed at maintaining security standards at international airports will be tabled for discussion by AoT board members today. The meeting will be chaired by Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, who also is deputy secretary-general of the Council for National Security.

The report found there are many spots in the passenger terminal where checked passengers can meet people who have not passed through security, from whom they can receive unchecked parcels or objects and then carry them on board aircraft.

Those soft spots include checkpoints D and G where checked people and outsiders are separated by one-metre-high glass partitions.

Transit passenger lounges are not completely sealed because there is space between the glass partitions through which objects can be passed.

IATA recommends AoT separate checked people and people who have not passed through security in the passenger terminal, and keep arriving and departing passengers apart.

It also suggests AoT deploy its own security staff instead of contracting out the job, and use equipment which can check large objects and animals.

AoT must take stricter precautions in issuing temporary passes for access to restricted areas in the terminal and more thoroughly check visiting vehicles, according to the study.

IATA represents the commercial airline industry with 250 member airlines.

In an attempt to address IATA's concerns, the airport authority has asked staff to secure the partitions through which checked passengers could receive unchecked items, the source said.

It also ordered its contractor, the Loxley-ICTS consortium, to step up security measures around the clock, the source added.

AoT has hired the Engineering Institute of Thailand to check fire safety standards at the terminal. The checks will take 90 days and cost 5.5 million baht.

The institute conducted an initial survey and recommended that AoT clear fire escapes blocked by shops and piles of goods.

The engineering institute will now check the physical aspects of fire exits, fire-detection systems and the readiness of fire-fighting equipment

Dateline: Bangkok, June 26, 2007

SUVARNABHUMI / TAX LAWS COULD BE APPLIED

Police urge AoT to stamp out illegal taxis

WASSAYOS NGARMKHAM

The police have urged Airports of Thailand (AoT) to apply tax laws to curb the activities of illegal guides-cum-taxi drivers preying on visitors at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Wut Liptapanlop, deputy commissioner of Police Region 1, said he had proposed the tax approach to AoT chairman Saprang Kalayanamitr, who agreed to discuss the matter with the Revenue Department this week.

Pol Maj-Gen Wut said 36 gangs of illegal taxi drivers are active at Suvarnabhumi airport. They work for companies that between them operate about 3,000 illegal taxis.

Their operations damage the national image because some of their customers are assaulted and robbed.

Authorities have no record of the vehicles' registration numbers or the drivers so it is difficult to keep track of them, Pol Maj-Gen Wut said.

Police began a clampdown on their activities early this month and have made 320 arrests, including 35 people arrested more than once.

However, police could only apply laws governing tour guides and vehicles against the people. Offenders were fined only 2,000 baht and then released. They went straight back to the airport.

''Police have now decided on a new approach to the problem,'' Pol Maj-Gen Wut said. ''We no longer view this as an ordinary crime but consider it an economic crime. So offenders can be attacked through tax measures.''

He estimated illegal taxis make about 350 trips a day. As they charge 3,000 baht a trip on average, they rake in about a million baht a day.

Since the airport opened last September, the illegal taxis have denied the state about 275 million baht in revenue, he said.

Tax laws provide for imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to two million baht for people who deliberately evade paying income taxes.

Police believe that applying tax laws against employers of the illegal taxi drivers-cum-guides would wipe out their operations within 15 days, Pol Maj-Gen Wut said.

''These operations must be eradicated as the International Civil Aviation Organisation clearly states that an airport must be a safe place,'' he said.

The gangs previously operated out of Don Mueang airport but moved their operations to Suvarnabhumi when it took over as the main international airport last September.

The support of influential people had always been a major obstacle to past attempts to stop them, the deputy commissioner said.

Dateline: Bangkok, May 29, 2007, 1000 hrs Thai Time:

From The Bangkok Post:

Clean-up at the Airport

By Suthiwit Chayutworakan

Police have vowed to rid Suvarnabhumi airport of unlicensed black-plate taxis and illegal tour guides within 15 days.

Pol Maj-Gen Wut Liptapanlop, deputy chief of Police Region 1, said the new airport has been plagued with the problem of black-plate taxis overcharging passengers. It was reported that there are more than 30 groups operating unlicensed black-plate taxis at the airport, each with 10-100 cabs.

If this is allowed to continue, their operations will cause the state to suffer 300 million baht in lost revenue per year, he said.

To clean up the mess, Police Region 1 would seek the cooperation of other police units to crack down on unlicensed taxi drivers, he said, adding both criminal and civil laws would be strictly enforced against them.

If caught, drivers would face a maximum fine of 2,000 baht each and have their driving licences seized while the cab operators would face back-taxes. Police already know who are the operators. He said a crackdown would also be launched against illegal tour guides operating at the airport.

Pol Maj-Gen Chayut Thanataweerat, Samut Prakan police chief, said a court order would be sought to prohibit black-plate taxi drivers and illegal tour guides from operating at designated areas in the province.

The Immigration Police Office yesterday held a meeting with Suvarnabhumi airport representatives, airlines and relevant agencies to discuss security measures at the airport. The meeting, held at Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport hotel, also discussed measures to cope with serious crimes, including human trafficking, drug trafficking and terrorism.

A source said since the airport's opening on Sept 28 last year, 214 Thai and foreign criminals have been arrested. Another 289 foreigners had been denied entry.

Dateline: Bangkok, April 28, 2007, 0800 hrs Thai Time:

April 27, Bangkok Post

Airport work going too slowly

By Amornrat Mahitthirook and Surasak Glahan

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont visited Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday and said he was not satisfied with the delays in solving problems that range from cracks on runways and taxiways to safety at the terminal and contract disputes with duty-free monopoly King Power International Group.

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Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was not satisfied yesterday with the problem-solving delays at Suvarnabhumi airport by Airports of Thailand (AoT).

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um quoted the prime minister as saying there had been no concrete solutions over the past seven months to the problems at the new airport.

He expressed his concern in a meeting of the committee overseeing policy on operations at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports of AoT.

It was the prime minister's second visit to the new airport which is plagued by problems ranging from cracks on runways and taxiways to safety at the terminal and contract disputes over commercial areas inside the building between AoT and King Power International Group.

The panel agreed to hold a meeting every month to speed up problem-solving.

It also agreed in principle on AoT's proposal for the government to shoulder the burden of compensation payments for households exposed to harmful aircraft noise from Suvarnabhumi, according to the deputy minister. A committee will be set up to determine compensation figures for affected residents, he added.

AoT has received 389 million baht to pay compensation to 71 households.

Four households which agreed to move from the area are expected to receive their compensation next month. Another 18 households want the airport agency to repair their houses.

Mr Sansern said AoT was asked to speed up talks with the remaining households.

On the termination of contracts with King Power, AoT has been awaiting a letter from the Attorney-General's Office to officially notify the firm about the nullification of the contracts.

King Power was granted the contracts to run duty free shops and commercial areas at Suvarnabhumi. But the AoT board terminated the contracts citing a lack of transparency. AoT also reported that 70% of the damaged runways had been fixed and experts will be hired to find the real causes of the damage.

The National Legislative Assembly's committee investigating problems at Suvarnabhumi led by panel chairman Bannawit Keng-rian and Praphan Khoonmee, head of the inquiry team, yesterday met the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) to consult on the investigation into King Power's contracts.

Adm Bannawit quoted ASC secretary Kaewsan Atipho as saying that the ASC had found wrongdoings involving the contracts and it will probe the matter further. It will file a criminal suit against the firm after the investigation is complete, he said.

Dateline: Bangkok, March 26, 2007, 0800 hrs Thai Time:

Don Muang reopening 'smooth as silk'

(agencies) -- Bangkok's former Don Muang International Airport, which was closed to commercial flights nearly six months ago following the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport, officially reopened Sunday for domestic flights.

Senior Transport Ministry officials, including Permanent Secretary for Transport Chaisawat Kittipornpaibul were on hand to welcome passengers boarding four Thai Airways International (THAI) and Nok Air flights.

They also welcomed the first group of passengers travelling by Nok Air from the northeastern province of Udon Thani to land at Don Muang at around 8.30 am.

Services offered to passengers and security measures at Don Muang on the first day of resumed operations were quite smooth, according to Kalaya Pakakrong, acting president of Airports of Thailand.

Only four commercial airlines, including One-Two-Go and Orient Thai airlines, are initially providing services at Don Muang, but other airlines wishing to use the airport will be welcomed as the passenger terminal could cater as many as 11 million people annually, Mrs. Kalaya said.

Patee Sarasin, chief executive officer of budget carrier Nok Air, confirmed that services offered by his airline Sunday morning went on smoothly and he was confident that the transfer of services to Don Muang from Suvarnabhumi Airport would help develop business for Nok Air.

This year