Bangkok's airport paralyzed after protesters' intrusion, big loss expected
26/11/2008 15:59
Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport was paralyzed today, with
most flights canceled for the day, after protesters led by the People's Alliance
for Democracy (PAD) expanded their besiege on state agencies to the airport
yesterday evening in a showdown to topple the government led by premier Somchai
Wongsawat. The escalated political confrontation is expected to cause more
loss to the country's image and tourism industry. Thousands of passengers,
many of them foreigners, were stranded at the airport after the PAD stormed into
the passenger terminal, blocked the tollway towards the airport yesterday
evening, prompting the Airports of Thailand (AOT) to shut down the airport' s
operation after 9:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) for now. To add to the tensity, four
explosions happened early this morning near the Suvarnabhumi International
Airport and Don Mueang domestic airport, injuring at least 12 people. The PAD
announced today that the protesters would occupy and shut down the Suvanarbhumi
airport until Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns. Some foreign
embassies, including those of China and United States, have warned its citizens
against travelling to Thailand for now or staying away from demonstration sites
in the country to avoid possible harm. Thai airliners today canceled most of
their international flights outbound or inbound. Last night, some international
flights heading to Suvarnabhumi were forced to shift destinations to land at
nearby countries like Singapore or other provincial airports in Thailand like
Chiang Mai, or return to origins. Thai Airways International (THAI), the
country's flagship carrier today that its 16 flights initially scheduled to land
at Suvarnabhumi Airport on the day were diverted to Don Mueang airport and
U-Tapao airport in Chon Buri province, some 200 kilometers from Bangkok. All
its inbound and outbound flights from Suvarnabhumi are temporarily suspended
until the airport resumes normal operations, the company's statement
said. Bangkok Airways announced that it canceled 24 domestic and
international flights to and from the Suvarnabhumi Airport today. The budget
airliner Thai Air Asia said its 28 flights to and from Suvarnabhumi today were
canceled. Serirat Prasutanon, director of the Suvarnabhumi airport, said the
PAD besiege caused the airport to lose about 50 million baht ( US$1.43 million)
of income daily. Some 700 flights use the airport daily, but now most of them
were canceled. The PAD protests, especially the intrusion into airports, are
expected to deal another big blow to the already sluggish Thai economy, which is
foreign-investment and tourism-oriented, at a time just weeks away from the peak
tourist season during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Olarn Chaipravat,
Deputy Prime Minister overseeing economic policy, acknowledged that the PAD
protests would undermine the country's image abroad and hurt investor
confidence. "They (PAD) have the right to protest, but they must consider the
rights of others. And they should also consider the damage caused to the entire
country," Olarn was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying. The PAD stormed
airports in key tourist hubs in the country, prompting brief shutdowns of Krabi,
Phuket and Hat Yai airports in Thai south in August when they seized state
agencies and occupied the Government House, in their first mass battle to bring
down the Somchai government, which the PAD said is a proxy of ex-premier Thaksin
Shinawatra. The government had to set up a temporary office at the Don Mueang
airport, the former Bangkok International Airport before Suvarnabhumi opened in
September, 2006, and now used for domestic and military use. Yesterday, the
PAD besieged Don Mueang airport at initial reports that the charter plane
boarding Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from Peru was to land there. But the
flight was reportedly delayed and the premier was expected to arrive in Thailand
today en route a yet-to-confirm provincial airport. Apichart Sankary,
president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), predicted that the
Thai tourism business will suffer great loss next year because of the political
turmoil. Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat said authorities were
working with the Thai Travel Agents Association and Airports of Thailand to
assist tourists and advise on alternative travel routes to Suvarnabhumi
airport.
Xinhua
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