Hercules rescue may not be needed

TV1 , TV New Zealand

Dec 3, 2008

The long, slow journey home continues for the hundreds of thousands of tourists stranded in Thailand, including many New Zealanders.

Even though anti-government protestors have abandoned their blockade of Bangkok airports, it will be days before things get back to normal.

The decision by anti-government protesters to end their blockades means a New Zealand Air Force Hercules on its way to rescue stranded Kiwi tourists in Thailand may not be needed.

Around 200 New Zealand tourists are believed to have been caught up in the chaos.

The Hercules spent Tuesday night in Brisbane and flew to Malaysia on Wednesday with the intention of ferrying Kiwis out of Thailand.

It will stay in Asia until the situation is clearer.

Prime Minister John Key said on Tuesday the Hercules was being dispatched in case it was needed, with stranded kiwis encouraged to continue trying to get out on commercial flights.

Key said due to the period of time it takes for the Hercules to be in place, it was prudent that it is deployed as soon as possible, as the Air Force's two Boeing 757s are currently being repaired in the US and unable to be used.

He says the government is also exploring the use of a charter flight into Bangkok if it's viable to operate.

A trickle of travellers are finding their way home to New Zealand, glad to be getting out of the increasingly bloody situation.

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was banned from politics for five years and his party disbanded spurring jubilant anti-government protesters to end their blockades of Bangkok's airports.

Government party members said they would switch to a new "shell" party, already set up, and vote for a new prime minister on December 8, setting the stage for another flashpoint in Thailand's three-year political crisis.

Chavarat Charnvirakul, a construction mogul and first deputy prime minister, was named interim leader, an official said.

Anti-government protesters cheered Somchai's fall after only two and-a-half months in power, brought down by a Constitutional Court ruling that disbanded the ruling party for vote fraud.

Protest leaders said they would halt all rallies, including crippling sieges of Bangkok's two airports which have stranded a quarter of a million foreign tourists.