Thai protesters release empty aircraft

1 Dec 2008, 5:57 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Anti-government protesters have allowed 37 empty airliners to leave Bangkok's besieged main airport, officials say.

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Anti-government protesters have allowed 37 empty airliners to leave Bangkok's besieged main airport after agreeing to a request by Thai authorities, officials say.

A total of 88 aircraft had been stranded at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport since demonstrators stormed the terminal and forced it to close last Tuesday, an Airports of Thailand spokeswoman said on Monday.

"Thirty-seven aircraft have left Suvarnabhumi since the first aircraft of Siam GA (a regional airline) took off on Sunday evening," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the Australian government was working with Qantas to get about 300 Australians out of Thailand on a flight from Phuket on Monday night, as the department of foreign affairs advised holiday-makers to think twice about heading to Bangkok.

The airports spokeswoman said that of the original 88 stranded planes, 29 belonged to flag carrier Thai Airways, 16 to Thai AirAsia and 15 to private-run Bangkok Airways.

The remaining 28 aircraft were from various other airlines, 12 of them belonging to the airlines of foreign countries.

No passengers were allowed to leave through Suvarnabhumi, officials said.

The People's Alliance for Democracy protest movement has refused to leave the airport, and the smaller Don Mueang domestic hub in Bangkok which it has occupied since last Thursday, until the government resigns.

Thailand's political crisis escalated on Sunday when thousands of pro-government activists converged on Bangkok to counter rival protesters who seized the two airports last week and have forced the prime minister to run the country from outside the capital.

About 15,000 red-shirted pro-government activists had converged on city hall in downtown Bangkok on Sunday night, and about 1,500 of them remained there on Monday morning, police said.

"We will rally again this afternoon at the same place. Right now we are allowing our people to rest," Chinawat Haboonpard, a leader of the pro-government group, told Agence France-Presse.

Their presence had raised fears that further bloodshed could deepen Thailand's bitter political crisis, with clashes between the two camps in a northern city last week leaving one person dead.

Chinawat said the group had not yet decided whether to launch a blockade of the Constitutional Court, which is due Tuesday to wrap up a case that could see the ruling party disbanded for vote fraud and Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat banned from politics.

"We have to consult among ourselves for the best solution," said Chinawat, whose pro-government group is called the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).

Meanwhile, the anti-government protesters started Monday to abandon the prime minister's offices in central Bangkok, which they have occupied since late August, a spokeswoman for the demonstrators said.

Supporters will now move to Bangkok's airports to reinforce the blockade, said Anchalee Paireerak, a spokeswoman for the People's Alliance for Democracy protest movement.

"It's too risky to stay at Government House because of repeated attacks against us," Anchalee told Agence France-Presse.

"All of us have started to move now, we expect to complete the movement this evening."

About 100,000 travellers have been stranded in Thailand by the protests, with the main exodus point so far being the Vietnam War-era Utapao naval base 190 kilometres south-east of Bangkok.

Acting national police chief General Prateep Tanprasert said the agreement to let the empty planes leave Suvarnabhumi was helpful, adding that negotiations with the demonstrators were "progressing".

"There are positive signs such as the releasing of planes and allowing Muslim pilgrims to leave. We may still have a positive end at this stage," Prateep said.

Hundreds of Muslims who were trapped at Suvarnabhumi for days as they headed for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia were taken to Utapao by bus on Sunday.

Foreign passengers began checking in Monday at special desks set up by airlines at hotels in Bangkok and a major convention centre in the capital, as part of a bid to ease the backlog, officials said.

Travellers have also been flying from regional hubs including the southern tourist town of Phuket and the northern city of Chiang Mai, where Somchai - who is himself stranded - is currently running a virtual government-in-exile.

Local newspapers said protesters allowed the airliners to leave Suvarnabhumi airport starting Sunday, but that the departing planes nevertheless dimmed their lights to avoid notice of anyone potentially violent.

Some countries evacuated nationals by land.

The Australian embassy was helping stranded tourists in Bangkok travel to Phuket, where air traffic has not been disrupted, for onward travel to Australia.

However, the evacuation mission requires a 14-hour bus ride to the tourist resort.

"This is my 47th birthday today. This is also my first trip out of Australia and it is also my last," said a woman waiting for the buses who asked not to be named.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has upgraded its advice for Bangkok, suggesting Australians reconsider their need to travel to the city.

The overall advice for Thailand is to exercise a high degree of caution.

Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Crean said Australian authorities were continuing to negotiate more flights with their Thai counterparts.

"We are making every effort to use alternate approaches, not just the Phuket option, but also Utapao airport ... (and) Chang Mai," Crean told ABC Television on Monday.

He said the government was very "frustrated" with Thai airport authorities.

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