The state of the new airport means a probable, at least partial, return to Don Muang. According to this article http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=116716 it seems that the Govt is trying to get out of paying compensation to the airlines.

Do the airlines have a case for claiming?

I believe the people in government who know the full story of what is wrong with the airport already know that it is necessary to shut Suvarnabhumi down completely.

The top legislator involved with Suvarnabhumi Airport refused to back down from Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on Sunday, and repeated his belief that the troubled airport should be closed entirely during repairs to avoid inconvenience and risks to passengers.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=116723

By declaring it optional for airlines to move back to Don Muang the government hopes that the airlines will find it financially advantageous to make the move voluntarily and the question of possible compensation will not even arise. Just imagine how much business an airline will lose, particularly with connecting passengers, if it remains one of a few left at Suvarnabhumi.

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Maestro

In an age of $6-8 billion international airports, a $1B airport is suspicious. Thailand could have had something similar to the Hong Kong airport, and it has something considerably less than most regional airports in the US. The new international terminal at SFO cost as much as the Suvi, and it has style and grace beyond compare. AOT should have given Sir Norman Foster $200 million, and have him adapt the HK airport blueprints to the Suvi site. I didn't bring a tape measure with me, so I can't verify that the concourse is the longest. However, with glasses my eyesight is 20/20, and I can verify that the concourse is one of the ugliest manmade objects to pollute the earth. The AOT should be ashamed, and Thailand has a good reason to be embarrassed. Fabric roofing is good for a tent or an outdoor pavillion. It is a bad choice for a permanant installation. Here's a bet you can take to the bank: within 10 years (I'm assuming that it will take AOT to admit to the problem and another 5 years to take care of it), the fabric roof will be replaced with a hard roof, and it the retrofit will cost twice the original cost of the concourse construction.

I guess my Ghengis Khan approach will not be popular, but if i was in charge i would round up every high ranking officail that was involved with that project, that clearly has assesets greater than his salary would provide, and confiscate every thing the family owned.

Unless the government (i.e. military or HRM) comes down with the fist of Thor on this, it will never change.

I love Thailand and its people, but like someone said in another post, it is doomed to be a 3rd world backwater country until corruption is stamped out.