Still Dull if Thai Protesters to Close Airports

Sovannaphumi Airport looks unusually quiet

Story and photos by Chhay Sophal
Cambodia News & New Youth

Bangkok (14 Jan, 2014): Though they have occupied the central of Bangkok and several government buildings for the third day since Sunday, the Thai antigovernment protesters on Tuesday do not give any clue if they are attempting to shutdown their busy International Sovannaphumi Airport.

Speaking in his speech to thousands of his supporters on Tuesday, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban — from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) — who has led the protest with support from the opposition Democrat Party said “Don’t ask me how long this occupation will last…We will not stop until we win.”

Mr. Suthep said he and his supporters need Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign by accusing that Yingluck’s government that it has been controlled by her brother – former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted by a coup in 2006 and sentenced to jail in absentia for abuse of power in 2008. According to Reuters, the former telecoms tycoon looms large over Thai politics and is the dominant force behind Yingluck’s administration from his home in Dubai.

On 28 November 2008, thousands of protesters from yellow-shirt group of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stormed into and closed the two main airports in Bangkok — Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airports. The takeover of the airports led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and represented a dramatic escalation of the demonstrators’ efforts to oust Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his government. The closure of the international Suvarnabhumi Airport — which hosts 14.5 million tourists each year – was one of the most disruptive actions the protesters had staged in six months of protests.

Xinhua reported by quoting Serirat Prasutanon, director of the Suvarnabhumi airport, as saying that most of about 700 flights use the airport daily were canceled, and the PAD besiege caused the airport to lose about 50 million baht (1.43 million U.S. dollars) of income daily.

On Tuesday evening, Sovannaphumi Airport looks a bit quiet which is different from the time before the protest started and according to Suvarnabhumi Airport website, the airport has a Passenger Facilitation Plan to help passengers travel to and from the airport during the political protest in Bangkok.

The website quoted Mrs. Rawewan Netarakavesana — the General Manager of the – as saying that “Suvarnabhumi Airport would like to advise passengers to prepare to travel to the airport 4 hours in advance of flight departure time during the ongoing political protest in Bangkok. Also, we would recommend the usage of the Airport Rail Link to connect with the BTS SkyTrain and MRT Metro as the most convenient mode of transport to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport”.

“Furthermore, we have a Passenger Facilitation Plan in place to help passengers travelling to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, including the changing of travelling route for the Shuttle Bus service between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang International airports, coordinating with the airport’s public transportation providers to have a contingency plan in case of passengers being unable to travel to and from specific areas in Bangkok where there are political protests, etc.,” Rawewan said, adding that the airport would deploy personnel and information boards to advise passengers on how to travel from the airport.