Suvarnabhumi Still Plagued By Problems

[speedways]

regarding londons 5 airports they all work because heathrow,gatwick,luton and stansted all have a mix of international and domestic flights

bangkok is way behind in providing this

[sriracha john]

New Airport Agency Chief Vows to Rush to Resolve Problems at New Airport

The incoming President of the the Airports of Thailand vows to quickly resolve the problems plaguing Suvarnabhumi Airport as a major part of his campaign to restore the image of the authority.

Newly appointed President of the Airports of Thailand (AoT), Air Vice Marshal Chana Yusataporn announced that for his first month in office, he wants to urgently rebuild the AoT's image and find resolutions to Suvarnabhumi airport's problems.

Chana said he will provide a speedy resolution to the dispute over the concession of commercial space in the new airport.

He also asserted he would launch a campaign to foster better co-operation with Thai Airways International - a major client of the AoT.

However the appointment process for the AoT's President has yet to be completed as Chana must still meet the executive board about his employment conditions.

A source from the AoT said the new President will have less power. For example, he will not be allowed to appoint an advisor unless he agrees to take responsibility for the position's salary and welfare.

AoT board member Chirmsak Pinthong asserted that Air Vice Marshal Chana must accept the new employment conditions as previous AoT executives brought in outsiders to work as AoT officials and abused their administrative power.

Air Vice Marshal Chana, who once served as the Director of the Air Force's Logistics Department, is considered a close aide to Air Force Commander Chalit Phukpasuk. The two were classmates at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.

- Thailand Outlook

[grantbkk]

From the Bangkok Post front page on Sunday, September 30th:

UNSETTLED AIRPORT - SLEEPING BAG CITY

Airport immigration staff suffer bad air, lack of rest space

Story by AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK and ONNUCHA HUTASINGH

For immigration police who offer 24/7 services at the lavish Suvarnabhumi airport, the facilities available to them offer a far from decent working environment.

Sleeping on a cold floor and breathing in bad air are familiar problems for immigration police at Suvarnabhumi airport, but the scene is so pitiful that Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um called it "unbelievable".

The working conditions of these officers were in need of immediate improvement, Mr Sansern admitted as he recalled his inspection of the airport.

The airport's immigration checkpoint chief says he was shocked to walk into visa control one night, and find no one there.

"It was quiet," Suvarnabhumi immigration checkpoint chief Tawisak Tujinda recalled.

"I was stunned when I saw no immigration officers there. But when I went a bit further, I noticed they were actually all sleeping on the ground," he said.

The officers were in sleeping bags placed in a line along the floor. Pol Maj-Gen Tawisak was told that this was their makeshift "relaxation room".

Immigration officers who work the night shift rest or get sleep while waiting for arriving passengers. But the airport does not provide any area for them to take a break, so they end up lying on the ground.

"I can't believe the airport has no place for the immigration section. There are no work desks nor rest space. There is nothing at all," said immigration police officer Kannika Kongdee.

They were all crowded into a small working area.

"We've also encountered an air problem," she added. "Ventilation in here is bad."

The airport had a poor air circulation system which turned the place into a breeding area for germs carried in by passengers, Pol Maj-Gen Tawisak said.

Worst of all was the investigation room for passengers with passport or visa problems, which presented a bad first impression for arrivals passengers.

The area is on the underground floor. The room was roughly built with walls made of gloomy concrete blocks. The ceiling is low and there are only two ventilators.

"We are finding a way to deal with these problems, but it will take time because it's not easy. Now we have no space left for them," said airport director Serirat Prasutanond.

A vast area of the terminal covering 563,000 square metres is now fully occupied. Some areas are used for ground services while other spaces have become food and shopping zones for passengers.

Outside the terminal, Pol Maj-Gen Tawisak added, all areas were fully booked.

However, Mr Sansern promised the government would improve working conditions at the airport, not only in the immigration section, but all other areas as well.

He was concerned about the area on the underground floor, where luggage is transported to a conveyor, as air circulation there was poor.

"But I've already ordered changes and the situation has improved," he said.

Rachathewa police, who are involved in providing security at the airport, had complained about the increase in crimes they had to investigate since the airport opened.

A flourishing taxi mafia operates at the airport, despite police attempts to snuff it out.

They have only a small police unit at tambon Rachathewa in Samut Prakan, but at the airport have to handle foreign criminal suspects with whom they could not communicate in English.

One policeman said some officers even had to spend their own money to hire interpreters if they wanted to process cases more quickly.

Response to the article in the Bangkok Post:

Your report on the working conditions for the immigration police at Suvarnabhumi Airport didn’t go far enough in describing the deplorable environment these dedicated officers must endure. The officers routinely work 16 hour days manning the checkpoints and must remain at work for training and official celebrations. You expose failed to enlighten your readers regarding the toilets set aside for the officers that have no water or that they must buy their own stationary and pens.

Each of the officials and administrators interviewed expressed shock and awe when confronted with the facts and said they would immediately take measures to improve conditions and facilities. However, this is what the press is always told in the face of incontrovertible evidence of their past failures. One official tells us that the 563,000 square meter facility lacks space to adequately provide facilities for their own officers. A simple solution could be to build temporary facilities, including restrooms with water, above the high-end stores in the shopping mall area. It might destroy the sightlines the architects envisioned for our world class airport but necessity dictates an immediate resolution to the problem.

These men and women, who are the first faces visitors see as they arrive in Thailand, must be treated with the respect they have earned and be given the tools and facilities necessary to get the job done. The officials and administrators responsible should be held accountable for not doing their job. The immigration officers should be commended for their extraordinary service under harsh conditions that might be considered human rights violations in developed countries.

[londonthai]

if emmigration officers are treated in such way - we may only imagine how the cleaners, baggage handlers or even check-in stuff are treated

[bendix]

The ironic thing is I was one of the biggest defenders of the airport in my local boozer! Now I am one of its most vocal critics!

And the most mind-numbingly boring.

And your contribution to this thread has been what exactly?

Nada, as per usual.

Do one Bendix, I'm not in the mood for your childish remarks today.

What is there to add? You've been banging on about the outrageous treatment you received at the hand of some (in your words) unofficial customs people. It was pointed out to you by some very patient posters that they were in fact official and quite within their rights to check what you are bringing into their country.

But, still you whinge and whine about the same subject, around 2 months after making the first post.

Gawd, give it a bloody rest, will you?

Edited October 1, 2007 by bendix