There was an interesting article in the Bangkok Post by Komsan Jandamit which suggested that Don Mueang airport is "looking weary" these days and suffering from wear and tear. Judging from readers' comments many agreed with this observation and suggested it could perhaps do with sprucing up.
I haven't used the airport in recent years and can't comment on its present state, but considering it has been in existence for 112 years and is one of the oldest functioning airports in the world it's hardly surprising it could be showing a few signs of old age.
Two decades ago it almost went out of business. In 2006 when Suvarnabhumi Airport emerged from the Cobra Swamp it was thought Don Mueang would be put out to pasture for good. Indeed, the headline for this column on Sept 17, 2006 read "A Fond Farewell to Don Mueang".
What we didn't know then was that the airport would receive a reprieve owing to Suvarnabhumi suffering a few "teething problems." It also coincided with the growth of budget airlines and found itself in demand again.
It did suffer a temporary setback in October 2011 when massive flooding in northern Bangkok swamped the entire airport and it was a very sorry sight. However after a few months it had recovered and once again became a busy budget airline hub catering primarily for tourists.
Something that has always been special about Don Mueang is the unique sensation that you are landing in the middle of a golf course and you just hope you won't end up in one of the bunkers. In fact in 1999 in windy conditions a plane did land on one of the fairways, thankfully without any injuries.
One night in Bangkok
I hold a certain affection for Don Mueang in that I spent my first ever night in Bangkok at the airport. It was April 1969 and I had arrived with some fellow overland travelers on a flight from what was then Calcutta, landing late at night. The combination of not having the faintest idea of where to stay, fatigue and being broke meant that we decided to grab some sleep at the airport and head into Bangkok in the morning.
It was a stiflingly hot night and naively we went up on the flat roof hoping a bit of breeze might help us sleep. Not a great idea. All that happened was that we were attacked by squadrons of mosquitoes so we retreated downstairs into the restaurant.
It was there we met a friendly Thai International flight crew who just before dawn gave us a welcome lift in their van to the Victory Monument.
That was my first taste of Thai hospitality and much appreciated.
The reluctant buffalo
Over the years there have been a few bizarre occurrences at Don Mueang. One of the most entertaining incidents occurred in the1980s when a buffalo found its way into the departure lounge.
It turned out the unfortunate creature was on its way to the slaughterhouse when the truck that was transporting it broke down right outside the airport. Spotting a last gasp opportunity for freedom the buffalo jumped down from the truck and trotted up the ramp to the airport before finding itself in the departure lounge.
Not surprisingly it panicked at the sight of all the people and started thundering up and down sending passengers scattering. Total pandemonium ensued as the buffalo charged around the departure lounge with airport officials in hot pursuit.
The creature was eventually subdued and despite its valiant efforts sadly ended up in the Great Meatball in the Sky.
Simply amazing
Another moment to savour at the airport occurred in 1999 shortly after the launch of the Amazing Thailand campaign.
An airport employee came across a room with video equipment and decided to put on a pornographic tape for his personal entertainment. What he didn't realise was that the video machine ws linked up to the airport's public television network and the naughty tape was suddenly appearing on all television screens throughout the terminal. It prompted considerable mirth amongst the passengers although airport officials were definitely not amused.
The fellow later claimed he didn't know it was a saucy tape and thought he was putting on a video promoting Amazing Thailand.
Whistle stop
With the football World Cup getting under way it sparked a reminder of when the tournament was previously held in the US in 1994. It coincided with Thailand being in the middle of a political crisis. The government was wobbly and a no-confidence debate had been called.
Out of the blue an opposition spokesman announced they would postpone the debate because the MPs wanted to watch the World Cup on television. They didn't fancy having their viewing pleasure disrupted by such an irritating thing as a government crisis.
Now that's true democracy in action.
Mellow Mosquito
In the old days in Thailand we had to be content with tapes of the World Cup. I have hazy memories of sitting in a dockside noodle shop in Klong Toey during the 1970 tournament watching England lose to West Germany. As distressed as I was at the result, after wandering across the road to the Mosquito bar and supping a couple of beers the defeat didn't seem quite so important.
