Getting out of Thailand

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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Rush to Get Out

 

By Post Reporters

 

Tens of thousands of stranded passengers have been squeezing into the only terminal at U-tapao airport to catch flights out of the country.

 

Tents have been erected outside the terminal to provide shelter to the passengers and more mobile toilets have been installed.

 

Traffic to the airport, in Rayong's Ban Chang district, has been backed up for several kilometres.

 

Capt Kiatkul Suwan, who oversees the airport, said immigration officers are working around the clock.

 

On average, about 50 international flights have left the facility daily after the airport was opened for commercial flights. Each flight can accommodate 200-300 passengers.

 

Transport Minister Santi Promphat said the air force base in Don Mueang has also been opened for commercial flights to held stranded passengers get out of the country.

 

He said authorities were also negotiating with neighbouring countries to see if they can reroute passengers to their airports and send them home. He said the government is doing its best to resolve the crisis after People's Alliance for Democracy supporters continued their siege of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.

 

The tourism industry across the country has been dealt a massive blow with the shutdown of Suvarnabhumi, the country's main commercial gateway to the world, as well as Don Mueang airport, which mainly handles domestic flights.

 

Hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related business owners in key tourist destinations from Satun to Chiang Rai have reported cancellations.

 

They believe the shutdown of the airports has not only caused difficulties for tourists but has also undermined tourists' confidence in Thailand.

 

In Chiang Rai's popular Phu Chi Fah area, about 10 per cent of the hotel reservations have been cancelled.

 

More cancellations are expected as the crisis in Bangkok drags on.

 

Somkiat Chuenthirawong, the chairman of Chiang Rai's tourism association, said the tourism and service sector is losing huge amounts of income and any reopening of the two airports is nowhere in sight. He added that a massive drop in income from tourism is widely expected in the industry if the situation is not resolved soon.

 

Satun is already facing a grim holiday season.

 

About 50 per cent of the bookings during the Christmas and New Year festivities, mainly by foreign tourists, have been cancelled.

 

In Hat Yai, Songkhla's commercial district, a large of number of foreign tourists arrived to board planes out of the country.

 

The stranded tourists have headed to Hat Yai, from where they can fly or go overland to Malaysia and Singapore and return to their home countries from there.

 

"Several hundred buses to Malaysia and Singapore are fully booked. The tourists have been advised to come to Hat Yai for flights to Malaysia or Singapore and then return home," said Kriangkrai Samphankul, chairman of the Phatthalung tourism association.

 

"But some are taking the opportunity to explore Hat Yai as well while they are here."

[Guest MonkeySee]

I guess, if someone really had to get out, he could go to Laos or Cambodia by land and then fly out.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

From an AP article on Yahoo:

 

Hundreds of flights have been canceled, stranding up to 100,000 travelers, devastating the country's tourism-dependent economy and disrupting schedules and budgets of airlines around the world.

 

Some airlines were using the airport at the U-Tapao naval base, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Bangkok. But authorities there were overwhelmed with hundreds of screaming and shoving passengers cramming into the small facility, trying to get their bags scanned through a single X-ray machine.

 

All rescue flights — to Moscow, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket — were delayed, some by several hours. The parking lot was jammed with buses, taxis and vans. The Red Cross set up a tent in the parking area where women handed out sandwiches.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Olarn Chaipravat, who oversees economic affairs, said foreign tourist arrivals next year was expected to fall by half to about 6 million, resulting in 1 million job losses in the crucial tourism industry.

 

The Federation of Thai Industries has estimated the takeover of the airports is costing the country $57 million to $85 million a day. Some of its members have suggested they might not pay taxes to protest the standoff.

 

"The situation has gone from bad to worse, signaling that it (the government) is incompetent at ensuring peace and order," the Thai Chamber of Commerce said in a statement Saturday.

 

 

[Guest topjohn5]

Quite frankly PAD's greatest achivement so far has been to show that the Thai government IS totally incompetent since it is incapable of throwing them out of the airport, hahahaha.....what a crazy place!

I know so little about the politics in Thailand but from a seemingly very stupid act they have shown that there is really no need for the current government as it can't even do a simple thing to protect the economy of the country.

There is hardly any government in the world that couldn't control this situation in a matter of hours!!!Maybe they should hire the Russians for a couple of days if they don't have the stomach for it.....I assure you it would be delt with quickly!

 

[fedssocr]

Or the Chinese. They are even closer in the neighborhood.

 

I have been hoping for the US Marines, but they are a little tied up these days.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Maybe they should hire the Russians for a couple of days if they don't have the stomach for it.....I assure you it would be delt with quickly!

 

God help us!!!

[Guest MonkeySee]

I know so little about the politics in Thailand but from a seemingly very stupid act they have shown that there is really no need for the current government as it can't even do a simple thing to protect the economy of the country.

I agree this government seems very fragile and ineffective. I think they do not want to cause a riot, destroy the airport or give the military a reason for another coup. I hope you do not have to delay your trip topjohn.