PBL - thanks for the explanation. Puzzling though given that wet runways (hot or cold) have always been around and operating procedures would have been honed over decades of jet operations in all weather conditions.
I could be imagining it but I do seem to vaguely recall reading a report at the time of the BKK incident which referred to maintenance savings Qantas could achieve through less frequent/extreme use of flaps/reverse thrust on landings. I stand corrected if this is not true.