Logistics has never been a Thai strongpoint, but we should at least make an effort with the facilities that visitors first encounter
There is an old saying in Thailand that warns people about "drowning in shallow water". The gist of it is that the strategy may be sound, but if the logistics are not there, the end result could prove to be disastrous.
Unfortunately, logistics has never been Thailand's strong point, and the recently launched high-speed train that is supposed to link central Bangkok to the main international airport at Suvarnabhumi in 15 minute is another example of how we just can't seem to get things right. In fact, we can look at just about every public transportation system here and make the same argument. But because the airport link is the latest in a long line of massive infrastructure projects, it makes a good peg to the argument that this country is amateurish when it comes to logistics and public planing.
For years, Thailand has touted itself as the springboard to other countries and regions in Southeast Asia. Foreign visitors and investors would come here, take trips elsewhere in the area, then return here before heading home. We love to think in strategic terms because it allows us to fantasise about the "big picture" and our central place in the region and the wider world.
But strategy and logistics are the language of professionals and those with a sense of responsibility and accountability. Like it or not, these small details are the very thing that will prevent us from "drowning in shallow water".
The State Railway of Thailand and others have argued that the new airport link is fast, cheap and technologically sound, that it will greatly reduce the time needed to get the airport, and that it will be a huge boost to the country's tourism industry. It could eventually be, but at the moment these claims may be a little overstated. There are still issues with lights, walkways and pedestrian crossings at some of the stations, like Ramkhamhaeng for example. Limited space may be an issue at others, which could create security concerns. No doubt there will be teething problems, but we hope that these will be resolved with all due haste.
Transport is one thing, but then there are the numerous problems at the airport itself. The old complaints from the days of Don Mueang have never been dealt with. Today, the "ghost" taxi-drivers and touts are still permitted to roam the arrivals hall looking for victims they can rip off through inflated fares. And how many times are authorities going to relocate the legitimate metered taxis? Common sense tells us that the metered taxis should be waiting right outside the arrival hall so travellers don't have to drag their luggage down to the first floor. But no, this is Thailand, and we just have to make things inconvenient.
There are scam artists at the metered taxi stand, too. If a person with one too many bags is unlucky enough to be assigned a taxi with a natural gas cylinder in the trunk space, a hatchback, van-like taxi is waved over. Meter? What meter? A normal ride to Sri Nakarin Road that would cost about Bt160 then goes as high as Bt600.
Inside the terminal, the amount of space dedicated to common use is extremely small compared to that allocated to shops, shops and more shops. One has to wonder, as the old joke goes, if this isn't a shopping mall with an airport attached to it. It's not uncommon to see people with long stopovers sleeping on the available floor space. Not exactly a welcome sight in a country that likes to boast about its hospitality.
Overpriced food is another oft-heard complaint, and the reason for the extortionate prices is because rent and other overheads are too high. And for a public place with so many food outlets, there aren't nearly sufficient toilets.
But the price of all this to travellers is more than just money. It has to do with a feeling, and the helplessness that stems from the fact that there isn't much you can do because this is the way things work in Thailand.
But of course, the people overseeing the logistics and strategy will always get their cut, leaving one to wonder how high up of the chain of command the baht goes.
Perhaps Newsweek was right all along. Our comparative advantage appears to be golf and sex tourism. The sad reality is that all of us are to blame - the scam artists, the corrupt officials who turn a blind eye and the rest of us - the silent bystanders who observe this, day in day out, indifferent or choosing to say nothing.