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Protesters shut down Bangkok airport, emergency possible
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by Sanjay Jha | November 25, 2008 at 10:59 pm
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Anti government Protestors have closed down the Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international Airport after hundreds of protesters armed with metal rods stormed Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International airport Tuesday night and briefly held the control tower. The Airport will will remain closed until at least the end of Wednesday. The protesters on Wednesday tightened their hold on Bangkok airport, where two people were wounded in a blast and thousands of travellers left stranded by demonstrators vowing to topple the government.
Airlines have started to cut flights to and from Bangkok's international hub, Suvarnabhumi Airport after anti-government protesters staged a blockade and chaos ruled inside the terminal, halting all flights.
Citing the deteriorating security situation and a lack of operational service staff at the airport, Singapore Airline cancelled all flights to and from Bangkok from Wednesday .
Cathay Pacific Airways also issued a statement Wednesday stating that its flights between Bangkok and Singapore, as well as Hong Kong have been cancelled while others which transit in the Thai capital will be turned into direct links.
Regional carrier Tiger Airways cancelled all its scheduled flights and is offering affected passengers the options of a change of flight date, a change in destination or a full refund.
Thousands of passengers are stranded in Bangkok on Wednesday after Suvarnabhumi Airport was closed following the storming of the main terminal by anti-government protesters. Confused foreign tourist wandered aimlessly in search of food and help while others, wrapped in beach towels, slept where they could at the crowded airport. More than half a dozen airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled Bangkok flights on Wednesday. The chaos is not likely to end before the return of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, whose resignation they are demanding.
Across the vast departure area tourists sat miserably on piles of luggage. Clumps of holidaymakers stood glumly around the departures screens desperate for upbeat news -- but saw only red cancellation signs, blinking hopelessly.
In the arrivals hall, a young woman stood alone, forlornly holding a placard for a passenger who is unlikely to arrive anytime soon. The airport director said about 3,000 tourists have been stranded at Suvarnabhumi since the blockade started on Tuesday night, and the protesters said that all airlines must now ask them for permission to land.
With the flagship airport now firmly at the centre of an often violent six-month campaign to topple the government, it was a scary experience for travellers who arrived amid the chaos.
"We couldn't see faces but we could hear an awful lot of noise and chanting and banging," said Marie Pritchard, who was trying to make her way home to Wales.
The airport officials urged tourists and relatives to call +66-2-132-1888 and call tourist police at +66-2-643-5522 to find out latest developments at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
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Milieunet
Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Sanjay Jha
New Delhi, India
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Milieunet
Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Paschen
Narita, Chiba, Japan
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 23:28 on November 25th, 2008
Thats the power of people, if not through ballot then off course through satyagrah.
at 21:51 on November 27th, 2008
Always the same in Thailnad. May the most corrupt country in the world.
at 06:01 on November 28th, 2008
The Prime Minister gave a pathetic speech on TV last night when he hardly dwelt on the airport problem. He ordered the Metropolitan Police to get out the thousands of PAD supporters in the airport, with the support of the Navy and the Airforce (now that the Army have refused - since the Commander supports the PAD): no mean feat since there are so many PAD people in the airport. This afternoon he sacked the Chief of the Police so I don't where that leaves the police. I can't imagine a new acting-Chief can easily take over the task of clearing the airport. So again millions of Thai currency will go down the drain tonight as more flights get cancelled. The whole thing is a disaster. A decent crack army team could easily clear the airport if they used the right tactics and surprised the people by doing it differently from the people inside the airport expected to happen. But I doubt whether the Thai Army are that skilled. I have to disagree with Milieunet's assertion about the corruption in Thailand. The country is certainly not the most corrupt! But it is a very open society where we know what goes on. The trouble is the PM is weak, the Army Commander is slow to act and hence weak, and I can't see anyone around with both the will and the capacity to sort it out! I think it will take weeks before someone comes up with a 'solution'. In the meantime, Thailand is becoming the laughing stock of its neighbours!
at 07:29 on November 28th, 2008
Ive just heard that the Prime Minister (safely hidden away in Chang Mai) has asked the new Police Chief to "be gentle" with the PAD protesters! And, after 48 hours, the government has just stopped unlimited supplies of food and water from reaching the PAD supporters at the airport. So the government any advantage it had at the start by giving the PAD enough to get themselves properly organised. They were even permitted to take in iron bars to the airport so that they could defend themselves. I would categorise the government as the most inept at dealing with a protest so far!