Cracks, leaks, corruption: Amazing Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand: The taxiways are cracked, the terminal has leaks
and some airlines even wonder whether it's safe to fly into Thailand's
new international airport.

Bangkok's sleek and modern Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened to
great fanfare in September, was supposed to transform the Thai capital
into Southeast Asia's leading air hub. To say it's had a rocky start
would be an understatement.

Critics at home have derided the new airport as a national
embarrassment and as a monument to the alleged corruption of deposed
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, whose administration handed
out most of the airport's building contracts, was ousted in a coup just
days before Suvarnabhumi opened Sept. 28.

Last week, the IHT was referring to Thailand as the teflon country, because no matter how much it screws up, Thais never seem to face any consequences.