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 2006, was supposed to transform the Thai capital into Southeast Asia's leading air hub.

Critics at home have derided the 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 on September 28, 2006.

"There is so much bad news about this airport - and so much that needs to be fixed," said Yodiam Teptaranon, a board member of Airports of Thailand, or AOT, the national airport authority. "Everything seems to be happening all at once. It makes everyone concerned."

The growing problems prompted Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen to recommend on January 29 that Bangkok's old and now shuttered Don Muang airport reopen for domestic flights. The reopening, which still needs Cabinet approval, would help ease congestion while repairs are made at Suvarnabhumi and could be permanent, he said.

Authorities insist that the problems at Suvarnabhumi pose no threat to safety, but the timing couldn't be worse for Thailand, which is struggling to buffer its tourism industry from a spate of bad publicity, including months of anti-government protests that culminated in the military coup and deadly bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve.

Since opening, its growing list of problems has revived accusations that Thaksin rushed the airport through despite warnings that it wasn't ready for business.

Dirty Tricks

Thaksin "wanted the new airport to become a hallmark of his government's success," Thanong Khanthong, a senior editor of The Nation newspaper wrote in a recent column. "Now that Thaksin has gone, all the dirty tricks that occurred while the airport was built have become evident."

All told, there are 61 glitches, problems and design flaws that need to be repaired at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion baht (US$45 million), according to a study conducted by the board of AOT, which hopes to fix the problems within six months.

There is a shortage of toilets for passengers, which drew outcries about dirty bathrooms. It prompted authorities to earmark 40 million baht to build 200 new toilets throughout Suvarnabhumi.

Problems with the baggage-handling system and computerized check-in services have led to lost luggage and long lines for passengers.

Signs in many areas are confusing or non-existent. The air conditioning and revolving doors don't always work.

Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation decided last week to hold off on renewing the airport's international safety certificate, known as its Aerodrome Certificate, because needed repairs to taxiways were not yet finished. However, the airport can continue to operate without the license.