Wozzit

Does Thai Airways use their own staff at Heathrow? Ten years ago when I left UK for good it was Air Canada who processed the travellers. A good job they made of it too. My luggage was well overweight but a smile and a nod and they let it pass.

No idea who handles TG at Heathrow. Ten years ago was before a lot of the extra payments started being introduced. I really can't imagine much overweight getting through nowadays without payments. In any case, handling long delays to 700 passengers requires quite a bit more than one check-in staff handling overweight baggage to a passenger's satisfaction, IMHO. CX had greater problems than TG because it flies out roughly twice the number of passengers each day. Yet CX got its act together fast, sent extra flights in to Manchester when Heathrow would accept none, bused its passengers there and got them to their destination. Did TG do anything apart from cancel flights and wait for Heathrow to reopen?

All the other airlines such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airline have

managed to get their passengers out of London with additional aircraft

arranged specifically for the stranded passengers

Since it could not get planes in to Heathrow, Cathay Pacific sent two of its extra flights to Manchester airport and bused its stranded passengers up the motorway. Its website says all remaining stranded passengers will be flown on an extra flight departing Heathrow today. It helped in other ways, as this item from its website mentions -

During the height of the disruptions, Cathay Pacific arranged to look after hundreds of young students and passengers with special needs in the ballroom of the Park Inn Hotel, sending staff from Hong Kong to help its London team look after those who were left stranded.

Did TG look after its passengers in London? Did the airline ever think of an alternative airport strategy, I wonder?

He is right to retire and call it a day while his ratings are still high

Sorry to disappoint you. He is being replaced precisely because his ratings have fallen so dramatically in recent years.

I wonder how much he pay the BiB. Just like when they are caught speeding. Money can buy Farang freedom.

That's a pathetic comment. If he was going to pay anyone anything, the time to have done that would have been prior to the case being made public by the authorities way back in early July. Did you ever hear of ANY driver going to court to fight a speeding charge - and then paying the BIB? That's just plain ridiculous. The BIB are paid in order to PREVENT the case getting near a court.

Whilst on the subject, why on earth would anyone, especially a wealthy man with a major international reputation like Pletnev, go through the worldwide humiliation he was subjected to, when he could have easily paid off the BIB at the outset? Remember, this man was accused of being the leader of a child pornography internet ring, of running a child prostitution ring for foreigners, of having child pornography in his possession - and goodness knowns what else. And he was only ever in the Kingdom for a few weeks every year! All those allegations were later proved to be total lies.

Why on earth would he return to Thailand no less than six times for bail renewal hearings at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, only then to offer up cash to the BIB to get off the hook? It makes zero sense.

Ever thought to ask why, since the case was effectively dismissed at the end of September, the authorities waited for more than 2 months to leak the announcement? Ever wondered why they then leaked the news late on a Friday afternoon (typically a 'dead' news time) just before the long week-end holiday to celebrate His Majesty's birthday? This whole case was full of holes when it first hit the worldwide media. Pletnev was set-up. I suspect the BIB reckoned they could make a bundle, but they picked the wrong man when he chose to fight the case to prove his innocence.

Any updates on this case? Seems like once there is a good possibility he was framed and could be innocent the story magically falls off the radar.

The Russian National Orchestra issued a statement last night with the following:

Investigation into the accusations made against Mikhail Pletnev closed without charge by Thai authorities

The Thai authorities informed us that the investigation surrounding the founder and music director of the Russian National Orchestra, Mr Mikhail Pletnev, was terminated on September 28 2010 and no charges were made to the Thai Court. Mr. Pletnev’s bail was lifted in October, and returned to him in late November.

Mr. Pletnev has always refuted the accusations made against him. He has been fully cooperative during Thai authorities’ investigations. Under the conditions of his bail he returned to the Thai beach resort of Pattaya (where Mr. Pletnev has owned a property for over a decade) numerous times since early July, to show his presence as instructed by the Pattaya District Court.

This has been reprinted in at least one major international news magazine. Yet, why nothing at all in the Thai media? The case was apparently "terminated" on September 28th!! Who is covering up whom? And why? And what of all the allegations of this man heading a child pedophile ring. And the statement from a senior official in the Immigration Department that he would never be allowed back in to Thailand - guilty or innocent - because of the damage he had done to the country's reputation?

Thanks to the Thai authorities, Mr Pletnev has been vilified in the world's media. If the above information is true, the Thai and international media who were quick to brand him an international criminal should immediately offer page 1 apologies for the lies they spread and the damage to this man's career and reputation.

I was under the impression that the only chance of such a member regaining full function would be for it to be packed in ice quite soon after excision. I don't know the geography in this case, but it seems as though it was some considerable time before the police could find it. Poor guy!

It was a long time ago but I often wonder - how did Singapore do it? Surely that place was just as corrupt as any other SEA country at one point? Now they are usually in the top 5 of countries with the least corruption...

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Hong Kong. That was certainly one of the most corrupt places in the region until the government finally decided to take action in the early 1970s. More accurately it was the Governor of the day, as the UK then 'administered' the territory. The plan which was set in motion almost overnight was the establishment of an independent anti-corruption commission (ICAC), This was independent of both the civil service and the police but with many of the same powers. The basic theory seems to have been that anyone accused of being corrupt was guilty until proved innocent, rather than the other way around. The results were spectacular, with many top police and government figures caught in the net. Hong Kong is also now regarded as one of the least corrupt territories in the region. Interestingly, at the end of the 20th century when Hong Kong citizens were polled on the most important developments in Hong Kong over the past 100 years, the establishment of the ICAC was in the top 10.

Community education has always been part of the Hong Kong campaign. But without the legal clout and the stiff jail terms, public education on its own will achieve absolutely nothing! For the adviser of the NCCC to come out with the following statement is just ridiculous in my view. Social sanctions?????

The public need to be guided on how they should act against it. Social sanctions exist in Thailand, but mostly against nonsense issues like actors. Thailand shows the capacity in exercising the sanctions in a positive way, but there is no guidance on this," said Utis Kaothien, senior adviser of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NCCC).

Well, I wouldn't like the person next to me talking on the phone on end.

Do you realise the level of background ambient noise level on board an aircraft? Anyone using a telephone on board will almost certainly have to talk louder than normal. Imagine a few conversations going on around you when you are trying to sleep!

If this facility is available throughout their aircraft, I for one will never fly SIngapore AIrlines again. Period.

Thats around 1,500 people a day.... tall order!

Have you ever seen the huge queues that form daily outside Madame Tussaud's in London?

This is a very tall order for Thailand.very few Thais recognise or have interest in International stars..or even care about antything kaang nock Patet Thai.

Those that queue in London are largely tourists!

Thats around 1,500 people a day.... tall order!

Have you ever seen the huge queues that form daily outside Madame Tussaud's in London?

For me it is fine, I never feel uncomfortable there. But then I never sleep with air-conditioning, even in places like Saudi, Iran, Libya. I appreciate a little cooling but I realise that I am in SE Asia and not at the South Pole.

In which case, I'd suggest you are hardly the best person to judge how it affects most other passengers.

My number one complaint would be it's too hot in there.

As would all glasshouses in the tropics...

Then how come the glasshouse that is Hong Kong's airport does not suffer from that problem?

Where do you people come from? If you hate everything about Thailand, leave!

On the subject of Airports, BKK will not make the top ten for a lot of reasons, but I can name a lot of major airports in other parts of the world which are much more unpleasant.

I agree with Beaneater in almost every respect - but one. Most of the airports he mentions were originally built many decades ago. To cope with expansion, the available cash has mostly gone on additional terminals and satellites; not so much on upgrading existing facilities. They are therefore bound to be more chaotic than a fully integrated airport designed from scratch on a new piece of land. Suvarnabhumi may have been in the planning stages for 4 decades, but it only opened 4 years ago. Many of its many faults are slowly being remedied, but the fact is they should never have been there in the first place if the right people had been making decisions. Hong Kong - around 12 years old - and KL even younger, both had major opening problems, but they were solved within a week or so. Their designers and architects got almost everything right for a fully integrated airport. Sure, each still has its problems, but they are very few and far between compared to BKK.

My criteria for a good airport are security, signage that is easy to read and, importantly, at the right height (BKK still has too many signs at eye level - useless in crowds), efficiency, the speed with which I can get from arrival at the terminal building to the plane and vice versa, a pleasing atmosphere and helpful staff, excellent communications about flight arrivals, departures and delays as well as wifi etc. for my personal use, comfortable lounges for those able to use them and a range of other F&B outlets for those who can't - and a simple mode of exiting the terminal with a variety of different types of transport. I use Suvarnabhumi at least 24 times a year. I always get the impression that it was designed from the outside in, rather than first taking into account all the special requirements of the multitude of departments, airlines, public etc. who have to use it.

I have a similar story. Not long ago, I left Bumrungrad Hospital with a stock of quite expensive medication which had been given to me in one of those little brown bags with rope handles. Returning home, I took my shopping with me but completely forgot about the medicines. It was only as I opened my apartment door that I realised my stupidity. By the time I got to the street, the taxi had disappeared. If I had left a bag with money, I would not have expected to get it back. With medicines, I was 100% certain It would not be returned. Yet, ten minutes later the taxi came back. I tipped him generously.

As adept as the French or the Canadians or Americans or Japanese are at building nuke plants, none have come up with a good method for disposing of nuclear waste. Can the Thais do better?

The answer has to be a definite "no". I have no concerns about nuclear plants being built, as long as it is by overseas companies with a great deal of experience in such construction and operations. But I am concerned as to where the waste is going to be stored. The chances must be that poorer countries will be paid to store it

How can Thais build a nuclear power plant. Sure, the engineering and construction management will be done by another country (US, Germany, France, maybe even Japan or Korea), but trusting Thai workers to do the actual work is toooooooo risky!! Thai engineers, supervisors, all the way down to the lowest laborer do a baaaaaaad job. They have no concept of quality work and will make too many mistakes and never build it in strict accordance with the plans.

The safest way is to bring in all foreign workers to build the nuclear plants and then bring in foreign workers to operate them. That's the only way Thailand won't have a huge nuclear disaster.

I remember when the Chinese decided to built a nuclear plant at Daya Bay some 25 years or so ago - only a decade or so after the country had begun to settle down after the Cultural Revolution. Not only was the location only about 50 kms from Hong Kong, the prevailing wind in winter would drive any emissions right into the city. There were huge outcries, but the plant was built anyway. The two reactors were designed by the French and built by the French and Chinese. No radioactive monitoring stations in Hong Kong have ever picked up any increased levels of radioactivity since the plants opened.

There are strict international controls on these sort of plants. They will certainly be built largely by a foreign entity with expertise in such construction and safety.

In some poorer countries, if the children do something wrong, the parents are held accountable. There is some merit to those ideas.

How about in most civilized countries in the world.

Parents are responsible for the actions of their children until the come of legal age.

Not sure where you came up with poorer countries, but you are way off the mark.

I find it strange that most of the posts on this thread are about schools and society. The fact is that parents should be held firmly accountable for their children. If they choose to have children, it is their responsibility to bring their children up and instil in them values which will stand them in good stead throughout their lives. Thailand is rather like Japan, in my view. Younger children are cosseted and doted upon, people give up their seats on public transport to them, the little darlings can do absolutely no wrong. If they are constantly to be found in Starbucks after school, as many of them from wealthier families are, and are getting fat, as many are, parents seem to regard this as just a phase. But once a child is no longer a child and moves into his/her teens, it seems parents virtually abandon them. In Japan, after all the freedom and can-do-no-wrong of their early years, the military-style uniforms and hard discipline that the boys go through in schools must do some damage to the psyche in many cases. In Thailand, it is the opposite. Too much freedom, parents abandoning their responsibilities.

Of course this is a generalisation. But I do believe it is the root cause of many of the problems with Thai youngsters.

I cannot come close to conceiving the grief this poor man must have gone through after the death of his beloved son. That it was to lead to his death is doubly tragic. I am not a religious man, but I sincerely hope their souls are now reunited again.

The BTS as we know is already massively overcrowded, and i pity the poor sod fresh off a 16 hour flight trying to find a spac for him, his wife, kids and bags on the 6pm BTS on a friday evening. The railway link will work, i think to BTS bit won't.

Absolutely correct, The BTS and the MRT are now very overcrowded at rush hours. Some posters have pointed out that the BTS will start putting on 4-carriage trains. How long, I wonder, has the BTS authority been aware of the Airport Train service? Longer than most of us, I am sure. So why have they waited until now to put on the 4-carriage trains? These should have been in service long before now, but as so often happens, no one has taken the responsibility for making the decision in time. Even with 4 carriages - and remember these will only be on "some" trains, not all - there are going to be a lot of very frustrated Airport Train passengers angry that they and their luggage just cannot get on board.

As for the Hong Kong train comparison, are you joking? It's a nightmare in HK, and their train only takes you to the least likely places you need to go. NONE of the hotels on the actual HK Island are connected or near. Are you confusig Kowloon with HK?

Hong Kong a nightmare? That in itself is a huge joke! You clearly have little experience of Hong Kong, for its one of the most user friendly airport train systems anywhere. The AIrport Express stops at three urban centres, including Kowloon and Hong Kong. At Hong Kong station, you link under the same rood with the subway system which takes you to much of the urban area (apart from the west and south of the island). At Kowloon and Hong Kong stations, Airport Express passengers have free shuttle bus door-to-door service to a large number of hotels. If that's not good enough for you, the taxi facilities are there - once again under the same roof. Unless it is peak rush hour or typhoon-type rain, I never have to wait more than a few minutes.

its a conventional train until about 125mph then it goes in maglev mode.

The Transrapid technology used on the Shanghai line does not require wheels at all as it is based on EMS (electromagnetic suspension). Other systems which use EDS (electrodynamic suspension) roll on wheels until about 30kph.

Having travelled on this train, I can assure you it is in maglev mode a lot earlier than 200kph......

Last week I was on both the older Maglev and new rapid rail system out of Shanghai (opened in July). The Maglev reached a speed of 431 kph and took 7 minutes and 20 seconds to cover approx. 30kms from the airport. The rapid train runs on conventional but specially built track. Shanghai to Suzhou took 22 minutes for a journey of approx. 100 kms, most at a speed of between 320 and 330 kph. Both trips cost approx, 190 Baht.

One of the simple truths must surely be that Thaksin is desperate - and when his moves backfire, he just quits. He bought Manchester City Football Club, seemingly a good PR move. That got him nowhere and so he quit before he was forced out by the Football Association regulations, even though he made a tidy profit from the deal. He became an adviser to Cambodia. That got him nowhere and so he quit. Wait for more news about his next exploit, and then sit back for news that he quits that as well.

King Power has clearly upped prices at its Duty Free stores to help with this Leicester CIty venture. Yesterday at Suvarnabhumi a bottle of premium vodka (Belvedere, Grey Goose etc.) cost 1,750 Baht. That's almost US$55. It used to be 100 Baht less - and the Euro has been falling for some months now. So it's now US$10 more than Singapore and Hong Kong airport Duty Free Shops.

If you can publish Ritchie's web link details for payment - I for one will contribute - and I know others like "Wozzit" will - how about some of the other thousands of members? if 1,000 members all donate the 2,000 Baht each Ritchie is covered - ADMIN how about getting behind this? I'm in...

Thank you. I definitely will, and am talking with some others who may be able to make larger donations.

The Fines carry a max of 1,000 Baht WOW, at this rate 211,000 a day over 6 million a month, even if you half the fine that's a lot of cash in one month.

Can any legal mind tell me why many countries list "maximum" fines? Surely it is far more of a deterrent to list both a minimum and a maximum. WIth the minimum, you always know you'll be stung at least for that. WIth a maximum, it could be anything!

If he's found not guilty, I hope he sues the hel_l out of his accusers. If he's guilty and they can prove it, no issue whatsoever.

Is he allowed to sue under the defamation laws in Thailand? If he's found not guilty the damages done to him in terms or reputation are enough, the financial implications will run a long way too. Accusing people on tittle tattle cannot be allowed.

And you think the accusers would posses sizable assets ???

The rep. for the NGO might have...

Since the NGO is headed by a very important lady in Thai society, I wonder if she becomes liable?