How Safe Is Suvarnabhumi?

[OJAS]

The ease with which PAD demonstrators took over Suvarnabhumi this week certainly raises major concerns in my mind at least. What, if Heaven forbid, they had been Al Qaeda terrorists instead mounting a co-ordinated attack and seeking out American, British and Israeli passport holders as in the Mumbai atrocity? Would the Thai authorities have still stood idly by while hostages were being taken and murdered?

I for one shall certainly be looking over my shoulder from now on whenever I am waiting to fly out of Suvarnabhumi (assuming, of course, that the airport is re-opened before the year 3000 AD).

[Carib]

Not difficult to see where you come from.

And yes if al queda comes with 4000, and blocks the roads at any airport/hospital/hotel/whatever, and wherever in the world, it will show the same "fundamental security weaknesses" .

Keep looking over your shoulder and you will get a stiff neck.

[ITF]

Are you really asking if authorities would do anything if people were being killed or taken hostage? Come on..

The protest has been very peaceful and not a single (to my knowledge) tourist has been singled out in any way, and I do not see this changing were it to become hostile. The PAD stance is apologetic to tourists -- their issue is with the government and unfortunately for tourists, takes precedence over any side issues resulting from the protests.

[cali4995]

That was the 1st thought I had as well. If a bunch of unarmed folks can waltz into the airport

and take it over it doesn't say much about security (and their cause is irrelevant). The thinking

that just because they're Thai they're harmless is wrong, as we've already seen in the South.

[ITF]

Keep in mind this is Thailand. It may well be the first time the airport has been shut down but it isn't the first, nor the last large scale politically driven protest. Life and expression of life is different here than your home country - heck it's probably one of the reasons you came, no?

Had the motives for taking the airport been different (read: anything but major political protesting), or had things been aggressive, rest assured there would have been a completely different display of "security" displayed. Don't assume a lack of security..

[GlenOrd]

As long as you do not hold American or British passport, you should have no problem anywhere in the world. Swampy included.

[joskydive]

It has crossed my mind, that with the ease of the airports being taken over and brought to a standstill with minimal response from the government, police or military and then the problems in the south, this would be the ideal time for a neighbouring country who may covert Thailand to just walk in and take it.

Already, there are a few problems with Cambodia and a some with Laos and with this new preoccupation, it would be the ideal time while they are so distracted/lethalgic.

At least then, no-one would have to worry about what either party or Thaksin are doing anymore.

Edited November 29, 2008 by joskydive

[Rinrada]

If a couple of thousand protesters..(thats all it is really) tried to blockade any other international airport in the world they would have been loaded into the fanny wagons and carted off to the nick within 20 minutes.

This lot however were allowed to simply roll up with their bags of rice and frying pans ready to re create the equiv.of the Woodstock pop festival.......Songbird turned yet.....No hes on tonight.....

........and nobody bought a ticket?.......................whos the paymasters.........yesw we know...but mai phut......

[old wanderer]

Have you ever considered in your equation where are the sympathies of the airport workers...(or the Police)

All live around BKK, they are very aware of the ongoing protests, and the fact that Thaskin is the behind the scenes government.

So ask yourself, would you try and fight a protest that many agree with?? Or maybe take off your uniform put on a yellow shirt and grab a "Happy Clapper".

Certainly not a uniform opinion, but I believe enough to shape the response of the airport in general.

Were there police at the airport....of course.....observe the Al Jezeera video of the police van coming to the airport yesterday. A little discussion with the protesters, no blows were struck, no fighting, 50/50 men and women protesters, it did not appear that anyone except one police officer tried to bar the door to the driver of the truck, the driver opened the door, smiled and walked away....and the PAD promptly unloaded a large truck load of riot gear.

The police response to the above was to move the checkpoints back futher away from the airport, then last night the PAD talked to the police again for 20 minutes and the police again relocated up on the bridge on On Nut road.

So we see a Thai perspective vs the farang perspective of the airport protest.

(And if you have not noticed, TIT, so your opinion may not count for much)

[adjan jb]

And yes if al queda comes with 4000, and blocks the roads at any airport/hospital/hotel/whatever, and wherever in the world, it will show the same "fundamental security weaknesses" .

Best answer - Chosen by voters

[deepskyfreak]

old wanderer,

brilliant remarks! your are one of the few farangs who really seem to get it.

most folks here in TH don't know what's going on round them.

someone else recommended to read bbc to learn about the protest and updates - i recommend: do not do exactly that...

bbc is just as blind as 90% of farangs living in TH.

before you all hate me for the farang remarks - i'm farang just like you folks. and i enjoy (most of the time) TH since 1993.

Cheers!

[Danton]

old wanderer,

brilliant remarks! your are one of the few farangs who really seem to get it.

most folks here in TH don't know what's going on round them.

someone else recommended to read bbc to learn about the protest and updates - i recommend: do not do exactly that...

bbc is just as blind as 90% of farangs living in TH.

before you all hate me for the farang remarks - i'm farang just like you folks. and i enjoy (most of the time) TH since 1993.

Cheers!

Obviously the brainwashing has taken its toll on you and Senile Wanderer . Sorry for you Mates .

[IMA_FARANG]

As long as you do not hold American or British passport, you should have no problem anywhere in the world. Swampy included.

Dream on. The people who walked into the Taj hotel in Mumbai just started shooting without asking. A lot of Indians were killed. And bombs don't ask for passports before they explode.

But as for "security" in an airport, it is an illusion. All it takes for terrorist is to want to do it enough. An airport is make for public access. That means anyone can get into it. Anybody who is willing to take a small risk can cause a major incident. You just need to be willing to kill, and die if required.

[janneman]

What baffles me even more is that they took over Don Muang airport. I thought this was controlled by the army? Now hopefully they will not do the same to Utapao airport. I was at a function at the Amari Hotel in Pattaya yesterday and the lobby was full of various airline staff that were stranded in Thailand. They have all been transferred to Pattaya awaiting to finally fly back out of Utapao. The airport has the longest runways in Thailand but can only handle 150 passengers at a time although they claim to have upgraded to 400.

For that matter -with the expectation that hardly anyone will come to Thailand - they might as well continue to use Utapao as the international airport and either revamp Swampy or turn into a Thaksin museum.....

[pampal]

As long as you do not hold American or British passport, you should have no problem anywhere in the world. Swampy included.

Dream on. The people who walked into the Taj hotel in Mumbai just started shooting without asking. A lot of Indians were killed. And bombs don't ask for passports before they explode.

But as for "security" in an airport, it is an illusion. All it takes for terrorist is to want to do it enough. An airport is make for public access. That means anyone can get into it. Anybody who is willing to take a small risk can cause a major incident. You just need to be willing to kill, and die if required.

Not all airports, some airports have metal detectors at the entrances with lot's of armed Police and Army personnel.

[easyride]

Not difficult to see where you come from.

And yes if al queda comes with 4000, and blocks the roads at any airport/hospital/hotel/whatever, and wherever in the world, it will show the same "fundamental security weaknesses" .

Keep looking over your shoulder and you will get a stiff neck.

Exactly right. Thais generally fight Thais and leave us foreigners alone,

don't impose western paranoia where its not wanted or deserved! These

days all things nasty are blamed on al queda (had you heard of them before 9/11??)

And I'll bet Mumbai turns out to be 'local'

[exalll]

Not all airports, some airports have metal detectors at the entrances with lot's of armed Police and Army personnel.

I believe the Taj Mahal Palace had metal detectors with guards, probably armed. But it seems likely that those nasty terrorists cheated - instead of trying to smuggle their arms and bombs into the hotel they shot the guards and walked through the metal detectors (setting them off in the process).

[pampal]

the terrorists who stormed the Taj Hotel entered through the back(Kitchen) where there are no metal detectors or guards(according to Mr. Tata the owner who was speaking on CNN tonight). But more importantly, if you have been to Istanbul airport you will see what I am talking about. They don't employ armed guards, they use military and heavily armed police which is different than armed guards.

[GlenOrd]

As long as you do not hold American or British passport, you should have no problem anywhere in the world. Swampy included.

Dream on. The people who walked into the Taj hotel in Mumbai just started shooting without asking. A lot of Indians were killed. And bombs don't ask for passports before they explode.

But as for "security" in an airport, it is an illusion. All it takes for terrorist is to want to do it enough. An airport is make for public access. That means anyone can get into it. Anybody who is willing to take a small risk can cause a major incident. You just need to be willing to kill, and die if required.

Not all airports, some airports have metal detectors at the entrances with lot's of armed Police and Army personnel.

If a thousand american woman, children and elderly march toward JFK or LAX. Do you think the American armed police and army will shoot? The problem here in Thailand is not ordinary. Never happen before. I don't think any law enforcer (even American) have been trainned to control this.

[PhilHarries]

Easyride...

If you haven't heard of Al-Qaeda before 9-11, than that makes you the biggest imbecile in the world.

Are you on drugs or was your breakfast Chang not cold enough?

This must go down as the most imbecilic statement ever made, even Dubbya's speech writers weren't that stupid.

Addressing the OP's question on security at Suvarnabhumi. This exact subject has been discussed and reported in the newspapers before and the answer is : The security systems at the airport are seriously lacking in a number of areas.

So, could a bunch or armed terrorists storm through security and create mayhem? Answer : yes, as they could in just about any airport in the world. If a group is determined enough and well organised enough, and we know they can be that, then they can breach just about any line of defence at a civilian airport. As someone remarked airports are designed to let people pass through therefore they are inherently insecure and that's before we consider the weak point of airport employees.

The bottom line is don't be paranoid about it, there are a thousand other potential targets for terrorists, nutters or just plain old criminals where you could get caught out. Best just to concentrate on your own personal security and leave the big stuff to the agencies who's job it is.

[ThaiEye]

The ease with which PAD demonstrators took over Suvarnabhumi this week certainly raises major concerns in my mind at least. What, if Heaven forbid, they had been Al Qaeda terrorists instead mounting a co-ordinated attack and seeking out American, British and Israeli passport holders as in the Mumbai atrocity? Would the Thai authorities have still stood idly by while hostages were being taken and murdered?

I for one shall certainly be looking over my shoulder from now on whenever I am waiting to fly out of Suvarnabhumi (assuming, of course, that the airport is re-opened before the year 3000 AD).

If you think that about Suvarnaphumi, then you could think the same about virtually ever other airport in the region! Comparing the PAD to the al Qaeda is just scare-mongering. Not once have the PAD ever targeted tourists and they never will.