It's Not Only Thailand With These Problems

[pgs]

If this is in the wrong spot, please move & remove this line.

From the Sydney Morning Herald, Jan 8, 2008

Urination incident hits Fiji tourism badly

Michael Field

January 9, 2008

An incident in which a Fijian soldier urinated on a Japanese woman on a plane has ended up doing "untold damage" to Fiji, the country's main daily says in a strongly worded editorial yesterday.

It was commenting after the international carrier Air Pacific published its annual report saying its Fiji-Japan route was performing poorly and was struggling.

The report made no mention of the incident in March last year when a drunk Fiji soldier on a flight from Japan exposed himself and then urinated on a Japanese woman in her seat.

The incident made major headlines in Japan.

In its editorial today the Fiji Times said it was an "appalling incident" that was an urgent reminder to every person in this country.

"This unforgivable offence has caused untold damage in Japan a market which Fiji has strived for decades to cultivate," the newspaper said.

"All it takes is one moment of stupidity to paint a black picture of this nation and her people in a lucrative market. The incident has generated widespread, negative publicity at a time when we need it the least."

The newspaper said the whole country had to "share in the shame he has brought upon his uniform and to this country".

"Urinating on a tourist on an international flight is a high-profile incident which gains global notoriety.

"It is a brief moment which brings unwanted exposure and deprives the economy of millions of dollars in revenue."

The newspaper said every day Fiji citizens "commit dastardly acts which have a direct impact on tourism".

This includes people throwing trash out of buses and cars and taxi drivers cheating visitors.

"They charge exorbitant prices, claiming that somehow visitors and locals pay different fares."

At the airport tourists are greeted by guitar strumming men in traditional Fijian garb, singing local melodies and shouting a loud "bula".

"But just a few steps down the arrivals hall are a bunch of usual grumpy immigration officers with the annoying national habit of chewing gum while at work. This is not the welcome to paradise that tourists hope to receive.

"On the list of visitor turn-offs are the shop assistants and sword sellers who rudely hassle tourists in an effort to gain quick sales."

stuff.co.nz

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/urination-...9554641235.html

[torrenova]

The fact that other crap holes in the world are also preying on tourists does not make it any the more acceptable here. With the new airport, Thailand had a great chance to create a good first impression but chose to make the situation even worse than Don Muang. Short termism is short sighted but whilst corruption exists at the top levels, nothing will improve.

In the island destination mentioned by the OP, they are already way over priced and all they do to screw things up even more must be good for other tourist destinations.

[vam-pire]

torrenova.....

Well said does not make it any the more acceptable here.

and we have to remember TIT NWI ( This Is Thailand Nothing Will Improve )

VP

[jackr]

Well the japs have to expect a little payback.

[Captain Chaos]

Well the japs have to expect a little payback.

Don't think they got as far as Fiji did they?

[Onnutrd]

I think corruption exists in every country.

The only thing different between Thailand and most western nations in regards to corruption is the Western nations are good at actually covering it all up. Sometimes I wonder who tries more to save face, the asians or the western people.

[Onnutrd]

Also, what was a soldier doing on a commercial flight?

[Onnutrd]

The fact that other crap holes in the world are also preying on tourists does not make it any the more acceptable here. With the new airport, Thailand had a great chance to create a good first impression but chose to make the situation even worse than Don Muang.

Just read an article from the UK Telegraph.

Below are the 20 of the worlds worst Airports:

1 = Worst

19 = Least Worst

*1.London, Heathrow Airport / Chicago, O'Hare International

2.New York, JFK

3.Atlanta, Hartsfield Int

4.Los Angeles Int

5.Miami Int

6.New York, La Guardia

7.Paris, Charles de Gaulle

8.Dallas Fort Worth

9.Neward Liberty Int

10.London Gatwick

11.Cancun Int

12.Toronto Pearson Int

13.Las Vegas, McCarran

14.Frankfurt Int

15.London Stansted

16.Orlando Int

17.Denver

18.San Franscisco Int

19.Amsterdam Schipol

*Heathrow and Chicago Airports were both voted the worst airport of a total of 20.

Reference: Telegraph.co.uk

Article can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jht...airport-130.xml

Edited January 10, 2008 by Onnutrd

[PhilHarries]

Polls like that are misleading to say the least. They are skewed because they reflect the airports that most people use most often. How the list doesn't include Ninoy Aquino (Manila) is beyond me and obviously nobody who took part ever passed through Caracas or New York Newark or any mid east airport (don't tell me they are all super places).

Anyway the list looks to be another bash America event with 12 out of 20 entries.

[naka]

It's patently obvious that the person who fabricated this list is not very well travelled and has never

been east of Zurich

Naka.

Edited January 10, 2008 by naka

[ignoramus]

Doubtless this'll be moved soon, but while no one's looking: was in Fiji many years ago, and the people were super nice. One drink waiter even refused a tip. Peace-keeping, or whatever they call what they do, is a verrry big earner for (native) defence personnel. It may even be their biggest earner. (Point being that an airfare would present no prob).

The Japanese people, many of whom kindly grace our Aussie shores as tourists, are not taught evvverything about their history, bless'em. (Many of the girls we see here are pure delights. I wouldn't ever have the heart to wise'em up about stuff - assuming we could communicate...).

[bottleymike]

Whilst I am not in a position to say that the worst airport list is either accurate, or complete, I can say that in my opinion Heathrow terminal 3 is pretty poor.

As an airport that is a gateway to England its a dump, and in many ways makes BKK look good by comparison.

The last time I travelled through there in October 2007, half of the terminal area prior to passport control was boarded off. There were very few seats for waiting passengers, and very few baggage trolleys available.Chasos reigned, with passengers milling about blocking what little space was left for people to walk through, to get to passport control.

Merely getting into the car park to park was a herculean task in its self.

Once you eventually got through passport checks and security checks to the departure area, there were again very few baggage trolleys, and half of the walkways were not working.

And as normal; the flight was delayed by an hour until a take off slot was available.

So, whilst Heathrow might not be the worste airport experience going, I reckon it rates a silver medal in the "places to avoid" list

[joskydive]

Well, if anyone pee's on me, they would definately be minus their reproduction organs within seconds!

[tw25rw]

Well, if anyone pee's on me, they would definately be minus their reproduction organs within seconds!

What if it was a woman?

[Rinrada]

All depends where you are coming or going from....purely bu co-inc I have been to the following excl.the Russian one and at the time didnt think that they were too bad...was younger of course and life maybe simpler........anyway...

The List:

The World’s Worst Airports ..2007 ...from the FP...(with thanks)

Hate flying? You’re not alone.

But often, it’s not the crowded, overly air-conditioned airplanes themselves that are the problem:

Just getting on and off the plane is the real nightmare.

FP looks at five airports around the world that make traveling hel_l.

SEYLLOU DIALLO/AFP/Getty ImagesLéopold Sédar Senghor International Airport

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Firsthand account: “There is only squalor, an unnerving sense of confinement, and to some extent danger.”

—Patrick Smith, Salon.com, May 25, 2007

Why it’s so bad: Because it’s standing room only. As a regional hub, an ordeal at Senghor is often unavoidable for travelers to West Africa. Once you’re in the terminal, don’t plan on relaxing:

There are no seats, and guards will advise you to stop loitering if you hang around in one spot too long. Immigration lines can take up to three hours. And in any event, it’s best to keep moving since you can expect to be surrounded by vendors selling counterfeit goods and unofficial “porters” who will pressure you into hiring their services if you happen to come to a standstill. But the good news is that help may be on the way.

The Senegalese government has begun construction on a new airport set to open in 2010, which will double the country’s air passenger capacity. No word yet on whether the new terminal will actually have chairs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images

Indira Gandhi International Airport

Location: New Delhi, India

Firsthand account: “Of all the regional capital airports this one takes the cake … a piece of crap ... bring the bug spray.” —Anonymous commenter, The Budget Traveller’s Guide to Sleeping in Airports, Dec 11, 2005

Why it’s so bad: Because it’s sheer chaos. The IT boomtowns of Hyderabad and Bangalore have built shiny new airports in recent years, but old standbys like New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have failed to benefit from India’s economic expansion. Visitors report aggressive panhandlers, filthy bathrooms where attendants charge for toilet paper, and used syringes on the terminal floor.

The main terminal building was even closed to visitors for a few months in 1999 after a flight from Nepal was hijacked. Things have hopefully gotten a little safer since an Australian tourist was murdered by a taxi driver leaving IGIA in 2004, prompting the Indian government to form a special tourist police force. But there’s still a danger of things going slightly awry: In 2005, an act of sabotage in an ongoing feud between cable television providers led to a pornographic film appearing on the airport’s television monitors.

Let’s just hope it provided a much-needed respite from CNN International.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VLADIMIR RODIONOV/AFP/Getty ImagesMineralnye Vody Airport

Location: Mineralnye Vody, Russia

Firsthand account: “Mineralnye Vody airport is a lower circle of hel_l.” —The Economist, Dec. 19, 2006

Why it’s so bad: Because nobody told Mineralnye Vody that the Soviet Union is no more. Most of Russia’s airports have come a long way since the bad old days of communism, as new construction at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport attests. Competition from increasingly popular Domodedovo International Airport finally induced its cross-town rival to build two new terminals including cafes, electronic displays, and a new train service. But Mineralnye Vody, in a war-torn region of the Caucasus not far from the Chechen border, remains a stubborn throwback, right down to the large map of the Soviet Union that hangs in the departure hall. The airport seems to have earned a special place in the hearts of Russia’s foreign journalists, including the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, who wrote in 2005, “Rather worryingly there’s a man selling Caucasian swords and daggers in the departure lounge and opposite him, over on the wall, is a list of local criminals wanted for murder.”

Other amenities include snow and ice inside the terminal, feral cats wandering around, and Brezhnev-era copies of the Kama Sutra in the gift shop.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GERALD HERBERT/AFP/Getty ImagesBaghdad International Airport

Location: Baghdad, Iraq

Firsthand account: “Before jumping out of your seat to complain to the pilot, consider the good news: You’ve just avoided being shot down by a missile.” —Alan T. Duffin, Air & Space magazine, Oct./Nov. 2006

Why it’s so bad: Because it’s in a war zone. The Baghdad International experience begins before you even touch the runway. That’s when you’re treated to the stomach-churning effects of a Vietnam-era landing technique known as the corkscrew, used to avoid projectiles like the shoulder-fired missile that took down a DHL Airbus cargo plane in November 2003. The corkscrew involves an abrupt roll during final approach that twists into a spiraling, straight-down descent until the plane flattens out and lands at what feels like the last possible moment before crash landing. The terminal at the former Saddam International Airport is itself apparently not that bad, having been refurbished after the war by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Homesick American troops can even chow down at a food court featuring Burger King and Pizza Hut.

But that feeling of comfort ends abruptly after leaving the airport, as visitors have to brave the infamous “highway of death” between the airport and downtown Baghdad.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty ImagesCharles de Gaulle International Airport

Location: Paris, France

Firsthand account: “Charles de Gaulle is a disgrace … it’s like a third-world airport.” —Michel-Yves Labbé, president of French travel company Directours, Aug. 14, 2007

Why it’s so bad: Because a city this great with an airport this bad is just plain embarrassing. It may not have surface-to-air missiles or feral cats, but visitors to Paris should expect more than the grimy terminals, rude staff, confusing layout, and overpriced food that they’ll find at Europe’s second-busiest hub. Charles de Gaulle’s most recent attempt at modernization, the construction of futuristic terminal 2E—you might remember it from U2’s “Beautiful Day” video—led to tragedy when its roof collapsed in 2004, killing four people. In June, President Nicolas Sarkozy opened a new facility capable of handling up to six Airbus superjumbos at one time, or about 8.5 million passengers per year. Normally, such a move would be welcome, but CDG already boasts eight terminals and handled 57 million passengers in 2006.

Making the airport bigger only makes the problem worse ...

[tijnebijn]

Interesting read Rinrada , thanks for that .

My personal worst experience is very easy , New Delhi , its even worse then described here .

Also not nice were Medan(or how was it called) in Sumatra , and Frankfurt was not nice as well .

Never been to Heathrow , but sounds pretty awful , not even thinking about Russia etc .

Guess looking back at some memories good or bad is worth gold nonetheless .

[selftaopath]

If this is in the wrong spot, please move & remove this line.

From the Sydney Morning Herald, Jan 8, 2008

Urination incident hits Fiji tourism badly

Michael Field

January 9, 2008

An incident in which a Fijian soldier urinated on a Japanese woman on a plane has ended up doing "untold damage" to Fiji, the country's main daily says in a strongly worded editorial yesterday.

It was commenting after the international carrier Air Pacific published its annual report saying its Fiji-Japan route was performing poorly and was struggling.

The report made no mention of the incident in March last year when a drunk Fiji soldier on a flight from Japan exposed himself and then urinated on a Japanese woman in her seat.

The incident made major headlines in Japan.

In its editorial today the Fiji Times said it was an "appalling incident" that was an urgent reminder to every person in this country.

"This unforgivable offence has caused untold damage in Japan a market which Fiji has strived for decades to cultivate," the newspaper said.

"All it takes is one moment of stupidity to paint a black picture of this nation and her people in a lucrative market. The incident has generated widespread, negative publicity at a time when we need it the least."

The newspaper said the whole country had to "share in the shame he has brought upon his uniform and to this country".

"Urinating on a tourist on an international flight is a high-profile incident which gains global notoriety.

"It is a brief moment which brings unwanted exposure and deprives the economy of millions of dollars in revenue."

The newspaper said every day Fiji citizens "commit dastardly acts which have a direct impact on tourism".

This includes people throwing trash out of buses and cars and taxi drivers cheating visitors.

"They charge exorbitant prices, claiming that somehow visitors and locals pay different fares."

At the airport tourists are greeted by guitar strumming men in traditional Fijian garb, singing local melodies and shouting a loud "bula".

"But just a few steps down the arrivals hall are a bunch of usual grumpy immigration officers with the annoying national habit of chewing gum while at work. This is not the welcome to paradise that tourists hope to receive.

"On the list of visitor turn-offs are the shop assistants and sword sellers who rudely hassle tourists in an effort to gain quick sales."

stuff.co.nz

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/urination-...9554641235.html

I wonder what the "headline" would have been had someone been shot and killed by perhaps a policeman?