Suvarnabhumi Airport Faces Partial Shutdown

[barryofthailand]

They should have started construction of the ifastructure while building the airport, instead of waiting until the airport opened, but again TIT.

Barry

[Tordy]

Corruption in Thailand is no better/no worse than in the U.S. or Europe. In the U.S. and Europe, much of the money ends up in the hands of highly overpaid, highly underworked UNION/SYNDICAT employees, that may be paid $100 an hour, when they could easily be replaced with a NON union employee for 1/10 that wage. Don't forget the 34 hour work week in some parts of Europe, and the six weeks paid vacation. You don't consider that CORRUPT? In Thailand, at least some of the money ends up in the investor's /risk takers pockets, and yes, some crooked government officials' pockets, who probably aren't overpaid that much.

I prefer the crooked Thai ways to the crooked US and european ways... at least in Thailand, they don't pretend they aren't corrupt like in the U.S. and europe.

And compare the airport taxes in Thailand to those in Europe... it's a bargain here. I recall in Europe, you could find fares for like $1 one way, plus $100 each way in "taxes and fees". That's not corrupt?

I agree Don Muang would make a great budget airport, and Bangkok is big enough to support two airports, which are far apart from each other. U-tapao airport, past Pattaya, is the one that should probably close, since the new Bangkok airport is much closer to Pattaya/Rayong areas.

My complaints with the new airport: air conditioning seems to be insufficient and spotty in certain areas, and the arrivals area is already drastically overcrowded. They had a chance to make a spacious arrivals area, and they didn't. It's a frickin' zoo most of the time.

I think someone here has not understood the definition of corruption! High wages are certainly not corruption! Check your facts before writing stupid contributions!

[ThomasHOL]

Corruption in Thailand is no better/no worse than in the U.S. or Europe. In the U.S. and Europe, much of the money ends up in the hands of highly overpaid, highly underworked UNION/SYNDICAT employees, that may be paid $100 an hour, when they could easily be replaced with a NON union employee for 1/10 that wage. Don't forget the 34 hour work week in some parts of Europe, and the six weeks paid vacation. You don't consider that CORRUPT? In Thailand, at least some of the money ends up in the investor's /risk takers pockets, and yes, some crooked government officials' pockets, who probably aren't overpaid that much.

I prefer the crooked Thai ways to the crooked US and european ways... at least in Thailand, they don't pretend they aren't corrupt like in the U.S. and europe.

And compare the airport taxes in Thailand to those in Europe... it's a bargain here. I recall in Europe, you could find fares for like $1 one way, plus $100 each way in "taxes and fees". That's not corrupt?

Can you tell me what country union workers receive 100$ an hour to work? I think I will move to that country Also I think that that any country that have union workers for a high price will have non union workers working for a similar amount. For example here in Denmark the minimum pay for anyone is about 100 kr a hour (17$) and I believe that union workers is about 150 kr a hour ( 25$) I was also under the impression that we were one of the highest paid countries in the world but I guess that I am very wrong.

Also I think that you have to find a dictionary as to the meaning of corruption. Corruption is when people need to pay a certain amount to the civil servant etc for a service that is supposed to be free. Not letting unions find better terms for the workers that are fully public.

[Weho]

Without this organisation employees have no rights and would probably still be underpaid and working seven days a week.

But employees are not owners. Shoudln't the owners/operators have more "rights" than those they HIRE to work for them? It's not the other way around.

it's one thing to have a union that seeks out some justice, and another than forces employeers to pay them ten or twenty TIMES what it would cost to replace them in five minutes, as is often the case in the US and europe. Typical example in the U.S. is that garbage men are usually paid twice what teachers get.

[Weho]

Can you tell me what country union workers receive 100$ an hour to work?

Try any plumber's union in any big city in the U.S.... want your toilet fixed? Probably around $300 minimum charge. I just read that prison guards in California are now making over $100,000 per year, and one of them, with union overtime, made over $250,000 per year... more than Governor Schwarzenegger's salary.

[Weho]

High wages are certainly not corruption! Check your facts before writing stupid contributions!

Cretin, you must be a union member, right? Nothing wrong with high wages, if one is paid what the free market will bear. In the case of unions, it's extortion, intimidation, threats, and CORRUPTION to get high wages for often stupid people, who can easily be replaced in five minutes by someone happy to work for 1/10th of what the union member extorts.

[endure]

Stop the personal insults please.

[Jaxxeh]

Nothing really surprises me anymore... viva la thailand!

I am concerned with the shutdown affecting my travel to Samui in April, I don't want to book my overnight stay in BKK till I know which airport I will be flying from. Does anyone know for certain yet if they are changing the domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang?

[dwwin]

Nothing really surprises me anymore... viva la thailand!

I am concerned with the shutdown affecting my travel to Samui in April, I don't want to book my overnight stay in BKK till I know which airport I will be flying from. Does anyone know for certain yet if they are changing the domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang?

'Certain' and 'Thailand' in the same paragraph.

You taking the pee?

[GOLD COAST DOWNUNDER]

Perfectly said LOZ , there is an old saying which I assume is still in fashion ( "IF THE HEAT IN THE KITCHEN GETS TOO SEVERE , GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN") Where in the hel_l do we think there are no problems??? , please tell me ??? until that time I'm extremely happy and contented here in Isan,and like LOZ often lament on the CRIME, CORRUPTION, and many DRAMAS,that happened in My, LAND of OZ, Down Under and I'm sure in most other parts of the World -----that in most cases make everything that happens here look like KINDERGARTEN CLASS, meanwhile to everybody in the "LAND of SMILES" MERRY XMAS and a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR.

[Jaxxeh]

Nothing really surprises me anymore... viva la thailand!

I am concerned with the shutdown affecting my travel to Samui in April, I don't want to book my overnight stay in BKK till I know which airport I will be flying from. Does anyone know for certain yet if they are changing the domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang?

'Certain' and 'Thailand' in the same paragraph.

You taking the pee?

Now that I read my post quoted, I see the irony. Wish I could say I was being sarcastic...lol. I'm going to go with halfway between the airports and hedge my bets....

wheee

[robert2]

Talk about losing face, big time

[Cool Water Palace]

I think someone here has not understood the definition of corruption! High wages are certainly not corruption! Check your facts before writing stupid contributions!

Give him/her a chance! Only his/her third post! (But I agree with you!)

Seriously though, re the FOs on taxiways/runways, would airlines as Qantas/ BA/ Lufthansa fly in and out if they were as worried about this? On runways FOs certainly would be serious, but on taxiways they may cause damage without catastrophe. But what do I know? What do the aviation experts on ths forum think?

I have views on the general corruption issue, but that calls for a post on another forum some time.

Edited December 27, 2006 by Cool Water Palace

[LoveThai]

Lee Kuan Yew did Singapore a great service by saying (around 1960): "We won't thrive in a globalised world unless we get it accepted that we are 'squeaky clean'---so we will start by paying a proper level of salary to public servants, but insisting that they maintain the levels of Civil Servant probity that the British have demonstrated. And we'll root out corruption in commerce."

(He also saw to it that those levels were maintained, and even honed, over the years whilst they were slipping in the UK. But that is an aside.)

It was a case of: "The hardware and software only produce the results if the orgware is in place". And this publication of the report on the deficiencies at the new airport could be a result of the same thinking.

Politically, in Thailand, 2006 was 'interesting times'. Maybe that will carry on into 2007.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

" squeaky clean"???? The LKY govt now is what i call legalized corruption, worse that whatever corruption that exists. Minister dun get paid millions, even USA president dun get a million $ salary a year. Is that what you call clean? A white collar crime. British govt minster dun get $ million salary ,why dun he follow that? British demostrate human rights and democrarcy , why he dun follow that?

I don't normally post on this forum, but I can't pass up a comment on your post.

I think you have the wrong impression of Singapore and I have to wonder how much time you have really spent there. They pay Minsters the salary they would get for their qualifications in the Private Sector. If they did not, you would not have the high caliber of Ministers in the Cabinet. This is why Singapore has been such a success.

BTW, I have spent the past 36 years in the region, most of it between Thailand and Singapore. so I think I have some idea on this subject.

Well, you dun pay a minister millions $ when his son LHL tell his people that he is going to raise the GST from 5% to 7% and the reason for that is to HELP THE POOR how the hel_l is raising the gst is gonna help the poor and there are many things that seems foolish too. For example restrict protest to not more than 4 person. you call that a protest or else it is call illegal gathering. making policies that dun even give any respect to its people like the casino issue. WHy do i know all that?? becos i am a SINGAPOREAN and i am sick of the govt and moving over to stay in thailand where at least there is some democratic sense and human rights. At least thailand dun control the media whereas singapore OWNS the media and brainwash its citizen.

Edited December 28, 2006 by LoveThai

[Martin]

Singapore is like the curate's egg: "Good in parts".

I said "around 1960" because I didn't know (or have a way of finding out) how early in his thinking and advocacy LKY was pointing to the necessity of a reputation for nil corruption would pay off for a country that needed to attract Foreign Direct Investment in order to build up its employment base.

He may well have said it earlier that 1960. I have seen it written that , when his cohort were at Cambridge, he was thinking ahead (and involved in discussing) what sort of leadership Singapore would need when independent.

In the years that I worked in Singapore, I found it to be a fascinating place for an expat to work for a while. That's all.

[Donno]

The reason most projects in Thailand are not built to the standards you would expect is that when they need repairs there is more money to be made. There doesn't seem to be any accountability so the graft/corruption continues.

[chuchok]

AIRPORT BOASTS FADE TO IGNOMINY

Slipshod work could force partial closure

Suvarnabhumi airport's opening on Sept 28 was a major event of 2006. But boasting about its world-class facilities quickly faded as revelations of slipshod construction led to a countdown to its partial closure for repairs. Planning for the airport, at Nong Ngu Hao (cobra swamp) in Samut Prakan, began over four decades ago, with its opening repeatedly postponed from 2000.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra took a personal interest in pushing for its early opening, including putting pressure on the builders by camping out at the site with his cabinet........

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/30Dec2006_news07.php