Flying with an outdated boarding pass

I did choose to travel to Bangkok on June 18 and return to Phuket on June 20. I did not realise that I had made an error during the online booking process. The return e-ticket was issued with the return trip to Phuket for June 18 instead of June 20.

I checked in at Phuket airport to go to Bangkok on June 18, and right after the check-in process, I was asked if I would like to check in for my return Bangkok-Phuket flight. I said yes. I was given a boarding pass for Bangkok-Phuket, which I did not bother to check.

On June 20, I arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport for my trip back to Phuket and did go straight through the whole security process (I had my boarding pass issued in Phuket). The security guard checked my boarding pass and my passport to ensure all are correct. (I know well they never check anything, they just do what they are told to do which is 'just make a mark on the boarding pass with your pen').

At the x-ray machine area, I watched the person in front of me being asked to remove his trouser belt but he did not have to remove his notebook computer. Strangely I had to remove the computer but nobody bothered about my trouser belt.

I did go straight to the gate, and boarded the plane after my boarding pass and passport had been checked again. If I remember right, I had a K18 or K19 seat.

One gentleman claimed that I was sitting on his seat. I proudly showed my boarding pass with the seat number.

The crew apologised to us saying that there must be an error. As the plane is only half full, the crew offered the other person to sit wherever he wants.

About 10 minutes later, close to take-off, the crew discovered that I had gone through all the security processes and boarded a plane on June 20 with a boarding pass issued for a flight on June 18.

So, in summary, I made it with an out-dated boarding pass through all security checks at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

That's a secured airport indeed.

KLAUS R RAUTER

BANGKOK

Cartoonist's explanation not convincing

I fully agree with the contents of the letter to the editor of a "very offended reader" from Bangkok (Friday June 26, 2009) concerning Stephff's cartoon of Thursday June 25. Stephff's explanation is not encouraging either. I do indeed think that the majority of the millions of people who are looking at the video do care about Neda. The media, in general, tend to shock their viewers and Stephff's views are no exception lately.

I recall the shocking cartoon some days ago about the three farangs killed by a panda for certain acts.

I wish he had put some more human touch in his cartoons. Hopefully, he will do that in the future.

A PERSON WHO DOES CARE

MAE TANG

Why Jackson is more appealing than Whitman

Walt Whitman once said to have great poets there must be great audiences, too.

The real genius of Michael Jackson was that all he required was, well, the rest of us.

FORREST GREENWOOD

NAKHONSAWAN