OPINION

Simple solution

Re: "Suvarnabhumi can shine again", (Editorial, March 10).

It's encouraging that officials, including Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, are paying attention to improving Suvarnabhumi International Airport. As part of this process, there has been a fair amount of soul-searching and hand-wringing over the tumbling of Suvarnabhumi in the global rankings of airports, from a high of 10th best in the world by Skytrax in 2010 to the current rating of just 68th.

But let's face the truth. Suvarnabhumi has never been all that great an airport and was undoubtedly way overrated even back in 2010. From the beginning, Suvarnabhumi was plagued with inadequate air-conditioning, insufficient toilets with flawed fixtures splashing water over floors, too few terminal gates requiring many flights to be boarded and deplaned using buses, scarce seating at departure gates, broken airbridges, horrendously slow immigration processing and security screening, extremely high-priced food and drink options, confusing access to public transportation, and chronic scamming and overpricing by taxi drivers. Some progress has been made to rectify these problems, but most remain to one extent or another.

The keys to building and managing a truly great airport are not some grand secret. Anyone who passes through the exceptional airports of the world, such as Changi in Singapore, can readily see the attributes that make for a stand-out airport. What's preventing Suvarnabhumi from becoming a leading airport is a lack of willingness to invest in the things that travellers actually need and want rather than simply jamming the terminal with duty-free shops.

Incorrect species

Re: Photograph taken at Birds and Blooms Festival, (BP, March 11).

For the sake of ornithological exactitude, please be advised that your caption naming these birds as lovebirds (Agapornis) is incorrect.

The birds in the photograph are sun conures (Aratinga solstitialis), probably the most common pet parrot in Thailand, much loved for their lively and amusing behaviour.

Censorship?

Re: "Israel demolishes West Bank home of Palestinian 'attacker'", (World, Feb 5) and "Hamas heads to Cairo talks", (World, Feb 15).

I hope it is just a coincidence that there have been no letters by Eric Bahrt since Gimme A Break wrote his vicious letter complaining about Eric's letters. Who gives those trolls the right to tell us what we can read?

After reading about Israel's killing of 104 Palestinian civilians, can anyone deny that Eric was right in what he's written about Israel?

And while people eating meat might not like to be reminded about the harm they're doing to the animals and the environment, that doesn't mean Eric doesn't have the right to expose these injustices.

Wrong targets

Re: "Srettha maps air hub goal as Songkran festival nears", (BP, March 1).

It was recently reported that Thailand's water supply had been depleted by 20%. And once again I ask what kind of sane country would have a festival where millions of people for several days waste as much water as humanly possible? Why can't they celebrate Songkran in the traditional way when it was a dignified festival instead of turning the streets over to hooligans who have no respect for the rights of those who want to be left alone?

Finally, what kind of farang would travel halfway around the world for no other purpose than to get drunk 24/7 and create havoc for an entire week engaging in behaviour that would get him thrown in jail in another civilised country? Are these really the kind of tourists that Thailand wants to attract?