Cost Of The Airport Fiasco

[nightgoat]

The cost of this mess to Thailand will be enormous, as noted often in this forum and in the press. "Incalcuable" was the word I saw in a quote from the AOT head. Well here's a breakdown of what this mess has cost me, personally:

2 escape tickets to Seoul on Thai Airways special flights from UTapao - $1150

2 brand new one way tickets from Seoul to Florida - $2300

1 week lost wages from work - $1100

This is in addition to the money already spent for my original airfare for me and the wife which I'm PRAYING will be refunded in full. Of course, an extra week in Bangkok has been lightening the wallet up with all the Bia Singh needed to take the stress off while this thing played out. I dont think I'll be back next year. In fact, I'm thinking class action suit against the AOT

[tw25rw]

I don't think there will be any trouble getting refunds for cancelled flights. Just need to be patient.

As long as they don't go out of business anyway.

[samiinjapan]

I don't think there will be any trouble getting refunds for cancelled flights. Just need to be patient.

As long as they don't go out of business anyway.

I always hope and pray that Thai Airways will go out of Business.....

[bbudd]

Is there a class action suit being seriously considered??

Cost us over $1000 to re-route from Soul to Kaula Lampour then overland transit to get home to Chiang Rai.

This dosn't include the extra costs(meals and such) and frustration of the additional 5 days travel

[khunron13]

Class action law suit against AOT? That's funny! On what grounds? Which court would you file the suit in? The Thai courts would tell you to take a hike and any other farang court would be a waste of time and money. You might get a judgement to your benefit, but thinking you could collect is laughable.

I sympathize with everyone who lost money during this cluster@&$%, but get real.

[ProZakky]

I finally got a full refund from my flights (ANA & American) and insurance, but wasted a few $ elsewhere. About $600(US) on meds (Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Malarone, booster), and a few hundred here and there on gear I bought for my 2-week Thailand trip (new pack, clothes, Deet stuff, and other odds & ends). I suppose I can use them all later, but right now I'm still a little cheesed that my long-planned vacation got burned.

[horizon]

Hotel costs for unplanned extra time soon add up, too.

I feel especially sorry for young folk with kids and older folk.

[samgrowth]

Cost Of The Airport Fiasco - Priceless. I hope you are carrying MasterCard.

[tangoll]

AOT is blaming PAD for the takeover of the airport, but ultimately it is AOT that should be held accountable. Every ticket routed thru Suvarnabhumi is charged baht 700 as an airport service charge built into cost of ticket. That airport service charge is to provide services, including security, for a functioning airport. So where was the security, including those machine gun toting guards, that roam the hallways? Security is not just for shooing away taxis tryiing to pick up passengers on the departure level, but to protect the integrity of the airport. AOT failed miserably in that respect, and the fact that they are gloating over their success in re-opening the airport after recovery, is obscene.

A class action suit should be based on some specific damage or failure, and it seems that the way to go is to claim against AOT for failure to provide a functioning airport, thereby demanding the refund of the baht 700 airport service charge. That's 300,000 affected individuals, 700 baht eacht = 210 million baht.

I would be willing to go along with a class action suit on something very specific like that.

Those who wish to complain or send suggestion to AOT can do so by email to <[email protected]> or write to:

Miss Dalad Asaves

Vice President

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Administration Department

for President

Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited

tel. 66-2-132-5142, Fax 66-2-132-5105

Doubt if it will do much good though.

Edited December 10, 2008 by tangoll