Bangkok Airport Reopens

International SOS 12/04/2008

Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok reopened to commercial flights on yesterday following resolution of Thailand's political crisis by the removal of Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from office for electoral fraud.

Just hours after People's Alliance for Democracy demonstrators left the international gateway, the first commercial flights landed at the Suvarnabhumi airport with travellers from the island resort of Phuket.

Airport authorities warned it may take days before flight services return to normal as 230,000 tourists were trapped by the eight-day protest. The domestic airport in Don Muang is expected to reopen early today.

Somkiat Ponpalbil, a leader of PAD, warned that protests may resume if needed. Rattipron Nimitraporn, a PAD member who was part of the crowd that took over the airport from the first day, added, quoted by Guardian Unlimited, "The PAD has stopped now because we want the country to work. We will see what next step the government takes. We still have work to do to clean up the country."

« Back