This letter was submitted to the Bangkok Post’s Post Bag in regards to recent allegations that Thai Airways executive chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut and his wife travelled from Tokyo's Narita airport to Suvarnabhumi airport on Nov 14 with more than 40 suitcases weighing 390kg without paying excess weight charges! It should have cost them hundreds of thousands of baht.
In a country where everyone from public school teachers to government officials all have a hand in corruption this is just another one of those scandals. Thai Airways has long been marred in scandals involving nepotism, cronyism and favoritism. However, I resent having to unpack my luggage at the check-in counter when I am 1kg over the 20kg limit for international flights and then hear about assholes like this skirting the law. Someone needs to wallop Mr. Wallop into the unemployment line!
“I have resided in Thailand for the last four years and fly home to the US for visits once or twice a year. I have spent lots of time searching ticket prices for international flights and have never once flown Thai Airways whose ticket prices are almost double the cost of China or EVA airlines. Costs aside, I have heard nothing but complaints about the service of Thai airlines as well.
Now we have the excess baggage scandal regarding the Thai Airways executive chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut beginning to surface. For all the good it may do, if this little man is not fired from his position for this massive abuse of his authority, which is likely just the tip of the iceberg, I will never fly Thai Airlines and dissuade everyone I know from ever flying with this corrupt airline.”
