World-class status continues to elude airport

       Suvarnabhumi airport is plagued by problems three years after it opened,making a mockery of claims it could soon be one of the world's top 10 airports.
       The airport, which opened commercially on Sept 28,2006, ran into problems even before construction began.
       Successive governments flip-flopped on where the airport would go before a location was finally agreed upon: a 215,000-rai area in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan. The construction cost was set at 120 billion baht.
       In its first few days, Bangkok residents flocked to see the world's largest single terminal airport.
       However, the bustling atmosphere soon gave way to chaos as the ticketing system and luggage-checking equipment malfunctioned.
       As problems mounted at Suvarnabhumi, many passengers wished the ageing Don Mueang airport, which it replaced, was still in action.
       The number of toilets was inadequate to serve the number of passengers. Direction signs were unclear, causing confusion. Up to 400 holes in the roof had to be plugged against leaks.
       The most serious problem was probably the small cracks which opened on taxiways and parts of some runways.
       Worries over safety forced the then Surayud Chulanont government to tell budget airlines to return temporarily to Don Mueang airport to reduce congestion at the new airport and clear the way for repairs.
       Airports of Thailand president Serirat Prasutanond insists on the safety of the taxiways and runways, arguing the cracks occurred only at the surface level.
       The whole structure was strong and met acceptable standards required to serve more than 800 flights a day, he said.
       In fact, what disturbs Mr Serirat and AoT executives more often are complaints from passengers about services inside the terminal. Passengers have complained to the AoT that their belongings have been stolen.
       AoT board chairman Piyapan Champasut asked police to crack down on the thieves.
       A gang backed by airport security officials was arrested as a result.
       However, despite more frequent patrols by the police, the AoT has failed to weed out the illegal taxis and tour guides. For three years, their numbers have grown, with up to 40 gangs at one point colluding with airport staff to cheat passengers.
       The AoT has transferred the staff responsible for supervising taxi and tourism services at the airport, which has provided a partial solution.
       Mr Serirat said the AoT had done its best to tackle the problems at the airport.He was still confident Suvarnabhumi could reach its goal of becoming one of the world's best airports.
       "Today we can say the Suvarnabhumi airport is in the heart of tourists worldwide," he said.
       He hopes the airport can make it on to the top 10 list in another one or two years starting from today, its third anniversary.
       The 10 best airports as rated by Skytrax this year are Incheon in South Korea,Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich, Munich,Kansai in Japan, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Nagoya and Auckland.
       Skytrax, which reviews airports and airlines, gave Suvarnabhumi three out of five stars, according to its website.