Lounges are an absolute ZOO!
 

I am here at the KAL lounge at TBIT and there is a baby wailing nonstop at the top of it's lungs, then there is a couple who is arguing at 100 decibels with no regard to who is around and right beside me is a "gentleman" who is watching some sort of tennis match on his mobile phone at full volume creating a huge disturbance to me as I am trying to get some work done. Do we now live in a world where basic etiquette and respect is no longer practiced? Unbelievable! What is the purpose of coming to a lounge if there is so much ruckus? Also, they should put up signs that people need to talk softly and sounds emanating from any kind of speaker is disallowed.

I do get where you're coming from. Lounges imply being an escape from the bustle of the terminal, but often in practice they're just as crowded as the concourse, but with a more comfortable seat and an open bar. Those two factors are enough for most of us to head right for the lounges, time permitting; just set your expectations correctly, they aren't libraries. I suspect your work was still easier done at the KAL lounge than at, say, Gate 136. And when a lounge is crowded, even if everyone is talking quietly that all adds up to quite the ruckus.

I have, though, experienced lounges the way you desire so maybe it's luck of the draw. The Flagship Lounge in LAX T4 was fantastic, in ambiance, quiet, and food. The lounges in VIE (BA) and FRA (LH) all you could hear were the clinking of dishes and some muted conversations. But the Galleries lounge in LHR was loud and there are often threads about even the F lounges having boorish passengers.

Lounges are not libraries.

Some lounges have designated - and depending on which country you're in, enforced - cell-free zones and/or quiet zones.

well. basic etiquette still applies and most lounges expressively forbid to play electronic devises w/o earphones or use speaker phones. Yeah, I mean if everyone did that? I have had twice someone escorted out of a lounge because said person was such a nuisance. Not a library, but not a zoo either ... basic rules apply and I have no issues having someone removed who thinks a lounge is their living room.

Thanks to bloggers and the fact that almost every mid-range and up credit card comes with some sort of Priority Pass or lounge benefit don't expect them to get any better anytime soon. That said, you are flying commercially in 2018- temper your expectations of any aspect of commercial air travel accordingly

lounges can be quiet, can be noisy. With the increase in air travel, it just means more people for the same size places. As airports often don't keep up to speed with demand - except of course Changi [Building ahead of demand key for Changi Airport to keep up with competition], which seems to be really planning ... I mean really really planning!!!
And we can't even build another runway at Heathrow after 20years of arguing

I've been to two or three SQ lounges at SIN, but they were all lackluster. On the other hand, SIN is one airport where the lounge isn't necessarily more tolerable than the rest of the terminal.

Still, if only they could get a non-stop metro connection downtown instead of this spur line hullabaloo...

Agreed, I've done it a few times and getting off at Tanah Merah with luggage is not a great experience.

check out airport VIP services, especially when flying paid business/first

In my experience, it really depends on the lounge and the time of day. For instance, on a recent long layover at IAH, the KLM lounge was fairly quiet when I entered and slowly got busier over time. I suspect the most popular lounges are planning on having time restrictions for PP etc., if they don't already.

Unfortunately more access means more ruckus. I do agree that some amount of decorum enforcement should be in place. But it really depends on the lounge, just a few feet from the KAL lounge is the QF lounge which is amazing and extremely tranquil. The difference is in who gets in and how much money goes per guest.

True.

TP flagship lounge at LIS Schengen is a joke of a zoo.

It is also not a library. I tried to borrow a book but they wouldn't let me. They don't even issue library cards.