Suvarnabhumi – 1 Year Later

It has been 1 year since Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in Bangkok on September 28, 2006. At that time touted to be a rival for the airports in Singapore and Hong Kong, Suvarnabhumi has instead been nothing but an embarrassment to the Airports of Thailand (AoT) agency.

Built at an official cost of 121.4 billion baht (with some estimates as high as 155 billion baht), and still climbing due to necessary repairs, Suvarnabhumi has been covered in allegations of corruption and favoritism during it’s entire life due to connections with the former PM Taksin Shinawatra.

A recent report from the AoT shows 61 problems identified in a 104 page report. Of these only 30 have been addressed thus far and these are said to be the most simple problems. The AoT has had little time to focus on larger issues at Suvarnabhumi due to the breadth of the problems being encountered which range from runway cracks to a shortage of restrooms.

Indeed the problems with passenger flow have been so great that the 94 year old airport Don Muang has been re-opened in March 2007 to serve domestic flights within Thailand. Even this has not been sufficient to stem the passenger problems at Suvarnabhumi and recently the suggestion to route some International flights back to Don Muang has been made, although this is being fought by the airlines, most notably by Thai Airways who would incur significant costs.

Honestly when you consider the way things work in Thailand none of this is surprising. Look at the ghost towers that dot Bangkok or the abandoned pylons for the BTS that was supposed to connect all the way out to Don Muang. Corruption, payoffs and saving face are so common in Thailand that you can’t expect it will change and honestly why should it? It’s the Thai’s country and their culture. They can conduct business anyway they see fit and who are we to judge, because it seems to work very well for them. We seem to have the idea in the West that we do everything the best way possible, and that may be true, IF YOU’RE IN THE WEST. As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

Just don’t expect to see any sweeping changes at Suvarnabhumi anytime soon…if ever.

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