More than 400 haj pilgrims stranded at Suvarnabhumiairport pick up their belongings yesterday before being taken to U-tapao airport for a flight to Saudi Arabia early this morning. SOMCHAIPOOMLARDBangkok Post
Monday December 01, 2008
Planes will help get passengers back home
International and local airlines were removing their aircraft from Suvarnabhumi airport last night after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) agreed to release 88 planes stranded there, at the request of Airports of Thailand (AoT).
AoT acting president and Suvarnabhumi airport director Sereerat Prasutanont yesterday urged the PAD to free the fleet, both local and foreign-owned, so the airlines can take home passengers who have been marooned by the closure of the airport.
He said foreign airlines were ready to remove their planes immediately.
To ease congestion at U-tapao airport, where foreigners are queueing for flights out of the country, AoT plans to turn Bitec convention centre in Bang Na into a temporary check-in terminal or city terminal, he said.
The Bitec facility is expected to be ready soon.
Suriyasai Katasila, PAD coordinator, said the alliance had no problem if the airlines wanted to take their planes back. The PAD was also concerned about the security of the aircraft.
Airlines began flying out of the airport about 10 o'clock last night.
Earlier, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat said about 300,000 passengers had been left stranded. These included 100,000 foreign tourists caught in Thailand, and 60,000 Thais who were overseas trying to get home.
The rest were foreigners who planned to travel to Thailand but cannot get here.
Flights operating from U-tapao airport have so far sent only 30,000 passengers back to their home countries. It will take 10 days to send back all passengers.
Thai Airways International plc (THAI) yesterday arranged 31 special flights from U-tapao airport.
Hat Yai airport has begun sending flights to U-tapao airport, for passengers in the South who would like to get to Bangkok.
THAI would put on one flight a day from the southern airport to U-tapao.
The government is spending 40 million baht a day taking care of passengers left stranded following the closure of the two main airports.
Earlier yesterday, a PAD member said PAD had dispatched security guards to prevent people entering the area where aircraft are parked. The PAD has also asked AoT to send officials to guard aircraft and runways at the two airports.
PAD leader Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang yesterday wrote to Mr Sereerat asking him to beef up security for aircraft and runways at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.
Tourists wanting to leave the country are also flocking to Songkhla's Hat Yai district to catch buses and vans to neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Malaysian and Singaporean tourists visiting the South are catching buses and vans in Hat Yai back to their countries.
Some tourists from European countries are also heading for Hat Yai, where they catch vans to Malaysia and Singapore for flights to their countries.
Monday December 01, 2008
Planes will help get passengers back home
International and local airlines were removing their aircraft from Suvarnabhumi airport last night after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) agreed to release 88 planes stranded there, at the request of Airports of Thailand (AoT).
AoT acting president and Suvarnabhumi airport director Sereerat Prasutanont yesterday urged the PAD to free the fleet, both local and foreign-owned, so the airlines can take home passengers who have been marooned by the closure of the airport.
He said foreign airlines were ready to remove their planes immediately.
To ease congestion at U-tapao airport, where foreigners are queueing for flights out of the country, AoT plans to turn Bitec convention centre in Bang Na into a temporary check-in terminal or city terminal, he said.
The Bitec facility is expected to be ready soon.
Suriyasai Katasila, PAD coordinator, said the alliance had no problem if the airlines wanted to take their planes back. The PAD was also concerned about the security of the aircraft.
Airlines began flying out of the airport about 10 o'clock last night.
Earlier, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat said about 300,000 passengers had been left stranded. These included 100,000 foreign tourists caught in Thailand, and 60,000 Thais who were overseas trying to get home.
The rest were foreigners who planned to travel to Thailand but cannot get here.
Flights operating from U-tapao airport have so far sent only 30,000 passengers back to their home countries. It will take 10 days to send back all passengers.
Thai Airways International plc (THAI) yesterday arranged 31 special flights from U-tapao airport.
Hat Yai airport has begun sending flights to U-tapao airport, for passengers in the South who would like to get to Bangkok.
THAI would put on one flight a day from the southern airport to U-tapao.
The government is spending 40 million baht a day taking care of passengers left stranded following the closure of the two main airports.
Earlier yesterday, a PAD member said PAD had dispatched security guards to prevent people entering the area where aircraft are parked. The PAD has also asked AoT to send officials to guard aircraft and runways at the two airports.
PAD leader Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang yesterday wrote to Mr Sereerat asking him to beef up security for aircraft and runways at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.
Tourists wanting to leave the country are also flocking to Songkhla's Hat Yai district to catch buses and vans to neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Malaysian and Singaporean tourists visiting the South are catching buses and vans in Hat Yai back to their countries.
Some tourists from European countries are also heading for Hat Yai, where they catch vans to Malaysia and Singapore for flights to their countries.
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