Airport taxis have yet again become the talk of the town. Last month, when a Japanese man took an airport taxi, instead of being charged the standard 35 baht fee, the driver insisted on a starting rate of 75 baht.
The fallout from this and a previous incident involving a Japanese tourist resulted in some airport taxi drivers refusing service to Japanese tourists. Other drivers have said that they want to add a further service charge for taxi vans, and a service fee for those with extra baggage.
Whenever I open the newspaper and see another story on this matter, I am incredulous that it has happened again.
I am not sure if high ranking officials have ever before tried using airport taxis. But anyone who regularly uses Suvarnabhumi airport know that there is a very slim chance of finding a good taxi.
Taxi drivers prefer foreign passengers who they can easily rip off. They treat Thai passengers as if they're invisible, and drive like characters from The Fast And The Furious if the journey is too short.
These incidents have reminded me that not all airports are friendly to travellers. Airports are a place of adventure, but can also be maddening, especially for travellers on a tight schedule.
Suvarnabhumi airport is a huge, busy, confusing airport. Parking lots are crowded and you have to walk a long way to the terminal.
Renting cars is also a confusing process. Do not expect the car you booked to be parked in line, waiting for your arrival. After managing to find the car rental booth, you will be taken by van to a designated area for car rentals, which is about 2km from the terminal. Customers have to go through the same time-consuming process when returning the car. Be sure to spare plenty of time, otherwise you will likely miss your plane home. Thankfully though, the excellent Airport Rail Link is super convenient.
I have flown to China many times and experienced many old, crowded, smaller airports where local passengers often jump lines. On top of this, there are pickpockets, poor sanitation and many unclear signs.
In the old Kunming Wujiaba airport, all signage and passenger announcements were in Chinese. Upon learning that my flight had changed gates, I discovered none of the airport staff could speak English. I remember having to rush, trying to find someone who could.
Thankfully, most airports in China these days are much better developed. They are modern and spacious, with travelators so long I often forget where I am going.
Another memorable airport-based moment for me was at Frankfurt Airport, the transportation hub of Germany. I took the subway to the airport, dragging huge pieces of luggage with me, only to be stunned that it consisted of two terminals with six different zones. When I asked people who worked there, they sent me in the wrong direction.
It took an hour to find the right check-in counter, and by the time I got to the right gate, it was only a few minutes before departure time.
But arriving at the wrong terminal is not as bad as going to the wrong airport.
As I now know, Moscow has three commercial airports, plus five private and military airports.
Not all airports are busy and stressful.
At Inchoen International Airport in South Korea, there is a shower room where passengers can bathe or even take a nap.
Be aware, however, that most men in this room remain naked most of the time.
Personally, I prefer small airports where everything can be easily reached.
There are many small airports in Thailand where parking areas are just a short walk to the check-in counter.
Staff in restaurants and shops are friendly, and products for sale are not expensive. The gates are also close together.
A car rental service is available right at the passenger exit, and you can negotiate with local songthaew drivers without worrying about whether a surcharge is legitimate or potential extra bag fees.
Peerawat Jariyasombat is a travel writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.