Thailand tourists still waiting for planes

Calcutta News.Net
Saturday 29th November, 2008

Tens of thousands of tourists in Thailand have not been able to go home because of the airport blockades.

Anti-government protesters have shut the country's primary international and domestic airports, grounding all commercial flights in and out of the city.

About 100,000 people have been stranded by the closures, and officials are projecting the tourism industry will now lose custom to the tune of $4.2 billion.

Hundreds of people have been camping at the Thai Airways' office in Bangkok, desperately seeking a way out of the country.

Some tourists have taken buses hundreds of kilometers to airports on the southern island of Phuket or in the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Some have even travelled overland to neighboring countries, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.

Others were sent to U-tapao military base, which is located about 190 kilometers southeast of Bangkok and has been opened for commercial traffic.

Thai Airways has begun to arrange flights from U-tapao and some airlines including Malaysia, China Eastern, Emirates, SAS and Cathay Pacific have sent planes to pick up their passengers there.

VIP passengers, Denmark's Prince Frederik and his wife, Princess Mary, flew out from the military airport on a small corporate jet on Friday.

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