Tourists stranded after Thailand airport riot

[serfty]

Surely the PM would just fly into the old Don Muang Airport ...

The PAD have invaded Don Muang as well ...

 

[QF WP]

If they are smart (PAD) and have enough numbers, then they will have groups at both airports to try and obfuscate Thaksin. Ah the muddy waters of Thai politics ...

The problem is that they are actually harming the economy much more than anything they do to delay Thaksin. Quite often people don't realise the downstream consequences of their actions.

When is JohnK meant to be flying back to BKK? It might change his plans in the short term, depending on how long it goes on.

 

[winetraveller]

Well as expected, more flights cancelled out of Melbourne today, so I decided to hop on my old mate UA840 back to the US.

At least I'll get to try UA's new back to front config.

I hate to be the pessimist, but I don't see BKK opening for another week or so, maybe longer. Imagine the damage, intentional or otherwise to the equipment, and the safety checks necessary to get a very busy airport up and running again.

It appears that most of the staff have abandoned the airport, so getting staff back and making sure everything is in order will take a long time.

More broadly this is potentially a disaster for Thailand, in the past there has been an economic imperative for the cracks to be smoothed over for the sake of the tourism industry, and the overall wellbeing of the country. In this instance paired with the economic downturn the likelyhood is that there will be a downturn regardless, so I think the PAD will fear less the negative outcomes.

I would not be surprised if this comes to blows is a pretty serious way.

 

[JohnK]

Not again. It is never about freedom. Greed and corruption continues to flourish even in these tough times. I feel sorry for the travellers stranded but the people that will lose out the most from this ridiculous and pointless protest is the common people relying on tourism to survive.

But then again the Thai elite have never cared about tourism as tourism helps the peasants not the elite. The elite already have more than enough money via corruption and if the people remain oppressed they will continue to have more than enough money.

When is JohnK meant to be flying back to BKK? It might change his plans in the short term, depending on how long it goes on.

I am not due to fly into BKK from SIN until 21 December. I hope this has blown over by then but if not then I will try to find a flight from SIN to HKT or USM and then on to UTP. This incident is not going to spoil my 2 week golf holiday. Well not if I can help it anyway....

 

[drron]

Well I am putting into place Plan B as I doubt that BKK will be open by sunday night.Original plan was-
30/11 BA10 SYD-BKK
2/12 PG905 BKK-REP
Now it looks like it will be BA10 SYD-SIN
3K599 SIN-REP
Then due to fly LPQ-BKK on 9/12-hopefully things will have settled by then.
We were in Bangkok in the early nineties during one of the frequent coups of those times.There were tanks in the streets and students killed-we were not affected physically,so I have no major fears this time.
I agree wholeheartedly with JohnK about the causes.Was Thaksin corrupt-no doubt.Was he more corrupt than his predecessors who are backing the PAD-unlikely.

 

[dajop]

I have 4 Thai colleagues joining a region wide meeting next week in Cairns. Two of them are already stranded in Ho Chi Minh City, so they'll won't go home first. The other two are catching a bus to Cambodia, from there flying to SGN where they'll join the other two for the flight to SYD then CNS. And another SIN based Aussie colleague stranded there, whose plan consisted of settling in to the hotel bar ....

 

[winetraveller]

And another SIN based Aussie colleague stranded there, whose plan consisted of settling in to the hotel bar ....

Now that makes me want to be in Bangkok, I love Melbourne, but a nice view from the bar at the Millenium Hilton is preferential to the partly obscured view from the Melbourne Airport version, after three days it's getting very tired......

 

[NM]

Now that makes me want to be in Bangkok, I love Melbourne, but a nice view from the bar at the Millenium Hilton is preferential to the partly obscured view from the Melbourne Airport version, after three days it's getting very tired......

As a QF Plat you could always park yourself at the bar of domestic Qantas Club for the duration .

 

[winetraveller]

As a QF Plat you could always park yourself at the bar of domestic Qantas Club for the duration .

A good option. Hadn't thought of that.

At the moment there is an alarm going off at the airport, I think because of an impending thunder storm and lightning. There are a few very spectacular strikes hitting the ground to the north.

 

[dajop]

Now that makes me want to be in Bangkok, I love Melbourne, but a nice view from the bar at the Millenium Hilton is preferential to the partly obscured view from the Melbourne Airport version, after three days it's getting very tired......

Now that is cr#p, I could take three days being stuck at the Melbourne Hilton, or any 5* hotel in/near the CBD, but the Airport Hilton ... well you must be somewhere in between and :evil: or maybe by now it's just

 

[kpc]

Am due to fly to BKK on BA10 on Mon. Am now waiting for BA to waiver cancellations fees before I cancel my trip. My brother and his wife are currently in Bangkok, and were due to leave BKK on Saturday. They have just bought train tickets to Penang, a journey of 23 hours!:shock: The word on the street is that the airport is not going to open anytime soon, and Monday is the earliest they can get a train out of Bangkok

The hotels are receiving massive cancelllations, but in the city itself, you wouldn't know that anything untoward was happening

 

[winetraveller]

Now that is cr#p, I could take three days being stuck at the Melbourne Hilton, or any 5* hotel in/near the CBD, but the Airport Hilton ... well you must be somewhere in between and :evil: or maybe by now it's just

OK, so it's slightly tongue in cheek. I'm not the most patient of people, and the unknown of sitting at waiting with very limited info drives me mad. I just love Bangkok, and as others have related, the city itself is pretty calm, so I think I would still have a good time while there, although I'm not sure a 23 hour train trip to Penang would be all that fun though.

The irony is that my GF and I were due to fly from New York to Bangkok for a vacation yesterday for thanksgiving, and I thought it possible that this would happen and canceled the trip. We are off to St. Maarten next friday instead. I'm also a bit edgy about getting out of here and back to Boston as I just found out three days ago that I'm to be a father for the first time

I bit the bullet and paid for a new flight back to US, and will get a refund from Thai, in 12 weeks! I do have to say that I'm less than impressed with service in Australia.

Oh well back to Boston isn't so bad.

 

[winetraveller]

The hotels are receiving massive cancelllations, but in the city itself, you wouldn't know that anything untoward was happening

I cancelled my booking at the Westin Grande, and they were indicating that the place was only busy because people had departed the airport.

 

[drron]

Just had notification that BA10 on 30/11 has been cancelled.There goes another booking for the Westin Grande.

 

[winetraveller]

While the government has asked the army to step in under state of emergency powers the head of the army has stated that he would undertake a coup or intervene only if he though it would produce a lasting result, and that he doesn't think it would.

Therefore I really think there will be no resolution on the horizon, and that the airport and the Thai economy are in deep trouble. I heard that a naval air base near Bangkok was being used to land some flights, but it appears that this is only Thai flights getting back home and offloading passengers from other locations, essentially repositioning flights.

Anyhoo, writing this from the Red Carpet Club at MEL ready to finally get underway. A nice touch in the lounge, Pumpkin Pies for thanksgiving, the in laws were very impressed by this when I spoke to them in freezing northern Massachusetts a few moments ago.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FOR ALL THOSE THAT PARTAKE!

 

[drron]

Am due to fly to BKK on BA10 on Mon. Am now waiting for BA to waiver cancellations fees before I cancel my trip. My brother and his wife are currently in Bangkok, and were due to leave BKK on Saturday. They have just bought train tickets to Penang, a journey of 23 hours!:shock: The word on the street is that the airport is not going to open anytime soon, and Monday is the earliest they can get a train out of Bangkok

The hotels are receiving massive cancelllations, but in the city itself, you wouldn't know that anything untoward was happening

Well we were on BA10 on Sunday.Told earlier it was cancelled.BA have now said full refund without cancellation fees if done in the next 72 hours.
I guess you have to wait until they officially cancel.

 

[QF WP]

I'm also a bit edgy about getting out of here and back to Boston as I just found out three days ago that I'm to be a father for the first time

I bit the bullet and paid for a new flight back to US, and will get a refund from Thai, in 12 weeks! I do have to say that I'm less than impressed with service in Australia.

Oh well back to Boston isn't so bad.

Excellent news winetraveller and I'm sure you'll get brownie points from your GF and her parents when you arrive back.

 

[drron]

Well it probably is about to get nasty- this from the Bangkok Post -

"The emergency decree orders the police to restore order and gives the military the right to help to "restore order, allow the suspension of civil liberties, ban public gatherings of more than five people and bar the media from reporting news that causes panic."

The primary operation is to be conducted by Bangkok metropolitan police under supervision of Interior Minister Pol Gen Kowit Wattana, the premier said.

Using the emergency decree gives the military the authorisation to clear out and reopen both airports, which were attacked, occupied and closed by the People's Alliance for Democracy on Tuesday night and Wednesday respectively. The Navy and Air Force may be used if the army continues to disobey orders."

Though if the police do move the army may not just stand idly by.The former Chief of Staff was on record as saying the army is the friend of PAD.

And again as reported in the Bangkok post-

"If there is bloodshed when the police try to clear out the airports, the military might have to step in. That could mean a de facto coup, even though the Royal Thai Army does not want to take power.
"The government is in a corner," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. "If the police cannot do a clean job (of clearin the airports), I’m quite certain they will step in."

 

[JohnK]

Does anyone have any news on the riots from expats? I know a few people that own businesses in Thailand and they are not going to be too impressed with what is happening. Low season just keeps getting longer every year and with high season approaching they would have been looking forward to seeing more tourists.

If this riot continues much longer it is going to hurt the lower working class badly if it has not hurt them already. The lower working class does not have a concept of saving or planning for the future. They have enough problems trying to survive on a day to day basis and when they do have more than enough they try and help someone else in need.

PAD is not interested in holding new elections, as it is almost guaranteed that Thai-Rak-Thai will be swept into power again, they just want to be put in power un-opposed. I don't know about anyone else but personally I would not want power in Thailand to return to the middle class, elites and bureaucrats....

 

[kpc]

Well we were on BA10 on Sunday.Told earlier it was cancelled.BA have now said full refund without cancellation fees if done in the next 72 hours.
I guess you have to wait until they officially cancel.

Just rang BA who said I can cancel this flight wIthout penalty. Rang travel agent who also will waive cancellation fees. Wait for this....it can take up to 12 weeks to see the money back in my credit card account!!!:evil: