Glass wall planned at Suvarnabhumi Airport to prevent suicide attempts

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SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT
Glass wall planned at airport to prevent suicide attempts
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Airports of Thailand has allocated a budget of Bt30 million to build a glass wall at Suvarnabhumi Airport to prevent suicide attempts.

Rawewan Netrakavesna, general manager of the airport said the wall would be built on the fourth floor of the departure lounge, according to Thai Rath online.

"During the five months I have been in this position, three suicide attempts have been made from the fourth floor," she said.

The last case involved a foreigner who was drunk, she said. However, she did not mention whether or not the attempt had been successful. Such stories were tarnishing the image of the Suvaranbhumi Airport, she said.

Most of those who have tried to take their lives have jumped from the fourth to the first floor near Gates 7-10, she said.

-- The Nation 2013-10-08

[nisakiman]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more aesthetically pleasing to string some decorative netting across the area? All this penning us in to save us from ourselves is getting a bit tiresome.

[Soutpeel]

A million dollars to prevent jumpers, one suspects its $100 for the net and the rest in someones pocket, further knowing swampy pretty well, were the h*ll are these people jumping from to kill themselves besides wouldnt have thought the terminal is high enough to be sucessful

[jbrain]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more aesthetically pleasing to string some decorative netting across the area? All this penning us in to save us from ourselves is getting a bit tiresome.

How about some trampolines ?

[pedro01]

How about trampolines instead? Entertainment value there!

[gemini81]

That's whacked- didn't know there was a high rate of suicide there to compete with Pattaya condos.

[chooka]

5 minutes in that place and people start thinking about suicide. It is an extremely depressing, glum and boring tin shed. Bulldoze the place and build a modern inviting and friendly place.

[lee b]

What about the bridges that conect the airport to the carpark? Are they going to put glass screens there too??

[slapout]

Just think what the cost would have been had any attempts been successful.

If I were a gambling man, I may put a wager that some part of the building plans were not followed/left out. Another look see for the government oversight groups who seem to be MIA recently.

[MMarlow]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more aesthetically pleasing to string some decorative netting across the area? All this penning us in to save us from ourselves is getting a bit tiresome.

"Decorative netting" wouldn't pen us in? Hang on, that's the idea isn't it?

[Chicog]

Isn't that from where flights to Saudi Arabia depart? In which case no surprise.

Or of course it might be someone allocating Bt30 Million for Bt1 Million of pointless work.......

[Swiss1960]

5 minutes in that place and people start thinking about suicide.  It is an extremely depressing, glum and boring tin shed.  Bulldoze the place and build a modern inviting and friendly place.

Departure lounge explains the suicide attempts and does not have to be inviting... tourists already spent the money, so why care...

Sent from my HTC One XL using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[h90]

such a nonsense....we all know it is the ghost of the airport and we need more lucky symbols

[bobo42]

5 minutes in that place and people start thinking about suicide. It is an extremely depressing, glum and boring tin shed. Bulldoze the place and build a modern inviting and friendly place.

I see this opinion a lot, but I am actually happy to see BKK, either entering or departing. My home airport is LAX - BKK is an absolute delight in comparison. LAX has all the class and warmth of a maximum security penitentiary, so I guess its all about what your accustomed to. Nothing personifies my reasons for not returning home more than the feeling I get going through LAX. I really don't get the hate for swampy, compared to the vast majority of airports in the world, its very nice (at least compared to the airports that I have had the misfortune to visit).

[jaltsc]

Now they need to do is find a way to prevent Thai Airways planes from crashing into the glass wall.

[Thai at Heart]

It's so damaging to the reputation that no one had heard of these suicides?

1mn USD for some hardened glass walls. Right oh....

[jbrain]

It's so damaging to the reputation that no one had heard of these suicides?

They were swept under the carpet .

[Thai at Heart]

It's so damaging to the reputation that no one had heard of these suicides?

They were swept under the carpet .

A carpet at svb? I thought its all stainless and brushed concrete.

[Greer]

5 minutes in that place and people start thinking about suicide. It is an extremely depressing, glum and boring tin shed. Bulldoze the place and build a modern inviting and friendly place.

I see this opinion a lot, but I am actually happy to see BKK, either entering or departing. My home airport is LAX - BKK is an absolute delight in comparison. LAX has all the class and warmth of a maximum security penitentiary, so I guess its all about what your accustomed to. Nothing personifies my reasons for not returning home more than the feeling I get going through LAX. I really don't get the hate for swampy, compared to the vast majority of airports in the world, its very nice (at least compared to the airports that I have had the misfortune to visit).

Totally agree - BKK is my home airport, and its a very nice and high quality modern airport - Ok, its not quite as pleasant as say HKG or AMS for example, but its way nicer than many. I used to hate going through SYD some years ago - its got a bit better, but still ordinary (maybe that's just because its Sydney haha!). Bangkok airport still provides a lot of good services and things - maybe the thing we should be trying to remove or reduce is the King Power monopoly...

[NongKhaiKid]

Who committs suicide at Swampy ?

Is it an arriving passenger who sees his wife / gf and her family waiting expectantly and can't face the expense OR a departing passenger who has been completely ripped off by wife / gf and various others and can't face family and friends when he gets home ?

I'm sure TAT could make something of this.

[JoeThePoster]

Such stories were tarnishing the image of the Suvaranbhumi Airport, she said.

Those jumpers left massive stains on the carpet.

[Cuban]

Those jumpers left massive stains on the carpet.

The only carpet I recall is at the VIP Passport Control on the Arrivals side, and within the First Class section of Thai Airways check-in and at the Gold Card check-in desks.

[Samaaw]

A few weeks back there was some article "best world airport" - way to go !! hahahahahaha

[simple1]

Who committs suicide at Swampy ?

Is it an arriving passenger who sees his wife / gf and her family waiting expectantly and can't face the expense OR a departing passenger who has been completely ripped off by wife / gf and various others and can't face family and friends when he gets home ?

I'm sure TAT could make something of this.

On the front page of today's BKK Post is an article on this topic. It claims that since 2006, seven people have committed suicide by jumping from the upper floor walkways. The report went on to say most suicides were an outcome of foreigners having domestic disputes, not wanting to return to their homeland or run out of money; doesn't state where they got this info.

[Chaam local]

What about the bridges that conect the airport to the carpark? Are they going to put glass screens there too??

Actually, yes, the construction has started, they're changing them into enclosed footbridges. It's a shame because I liked the view of the airport when you walked from the car park, though I admit I always held my kids hands when they were very young. It was the only view I liked, once you enter the airport the problems begin, with the overall feeling that everything is not working the way it was originally planned (or, rather, that it was planned so badly that it can't be used practically).

[circusman]

It's so damaging to the reputation that no one had heard of these suicides?

1mn USD for some hardened glass walls. Right oh....

I read a million BAHT not $

[tomross46]

In 2009 an Irishman committed suicide at the air port. This is the only reported suicide I can find. One death in six years, This sounds more life the title of a Hemingway book, " For Whole the Bell Tole ", but it is not the bell in the church, it is the bell on the cash register.

[AdamBangkok]

In 2009 an Irishman committed suicide at the air port. This is the only reported suicide I can find. One death in six years, This sounds more life the title of a Hemingway book, " For Whole the Bell Tole ", but it is not the bell in the church, it is the bell on the cash register.

I loved For Whole The Bell Tole.

As a work of fiction it's right up there with The Old Man and the Flea.

[thhMan]

After spending a holiday in Thailand, getting scammed every which way.. jumping off a balcony wouldn't seem so bad.

[Local Drunk]

"Such stories were tarnishing the image of the Suvaranbhumi Airport, she said."

Is anyone here familiar with the saying, "You can't make a silk purse of a sows ear."