Bangkok naar U-Tapao

Rush to get out

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."