20 Malaysians stranded at Phuket airport

[Loh Wilson 0]

PETALING JAYA: About 20 Malaysians are stranded at the Phuket International Airport since last night when they went to check in early for their AirAsia flight to Kuala Lumpur.

 

Thai AirAsia’s chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said his team was trying to get the passengers safely out of the airport and into nearby hotels.

 

“We most probably have to cancel today’s flights as well,” he said when contacted in Bangkok last night.

 

He said most of the 107 passengers bound for Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia flight AK 877 were informed in time to avoid going to the airport and stay in their hotels.

 

AirAsia yesterday had also cancelled its Phuket-bound flight.

 

An AirAsia spokesperson said the passengers would be placed on the next available flights depending on how the situation in Thailand unfolds.

 

Malaysia Airlines had also cancelled its flights to and from Phuket yesterday

 

“All passengers who had checked in at both KLIA and Phuket airports were provided with hotel accommodation,” said MAS’ director of operations Datuk Tajuden Abu Bakar in a media statement last night.

 

What is going at Phuket Airport , airport close down???

[Louis L. 2]

By D. Arul Rajoo

 

BANGKOK, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines has cancelled its flight to Phuket as anti-government protests spread to provinces in the south, blocking roads to the airports in the resort island and Hatyai.

 

MAS operates two flights daily from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket, with the first arriving at 9.45am and the second at 6.45pm.

 

"Due to the situation at the Phuket Airport, we have cancelled the second flight and passengers were taken to hotels. We are not sure whether we can resume tomorrow's flight," a Malaysia Airlines officer said.

 

Information officers at Bangkok's Suvanabhumi Airport and Don Mueng Airports said all flights to Phuket and Hatyai had been cancelled after hundreds of supporters of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) blocked roads leading to the two southern airports.

 

Television footage showed foreign tourists confronting protesters at road near the Phuket Airport as they were stuck in traffic jam caused by the blockage while those arriving were stranded at the terminal.

 

Another report said protesters also stormed into the runway and the passenger terminals at the Phuket Airport.

 

The ambush on the two airports came in the wake of a failed attempt this morning by police to remove thousands of PAD supporters occupying the Government House here since Tuesday, while railway workers took sick leave to force the cancellation of train services to 35 destinations.

 

The airline industry is also facing possibility of serious distruption to both domestic and international flights as the Thai International Airways' Labour Union has asked its workers to go on strike to show solidarity with the PAD.

 

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whose has vowed to stay in power despite call for his resignation by PAD, and reluctant to use force to remove the protesters from his office compound, met army top guns in the capital.

 

Rumours of another coup remained strong as hundreds of people make way to the Government House to thwart any attempt by the police to storm the building.

 

Riot police remained around the Government House but was letting people into the compound after blocking them in the morning.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

Edited August 30, 2008 by Louis L.

[Ashmil Abd Ghani 0]

Situation at Thailand look becoming more serious and worst..People of Thailand keep give pressure to the government..

 

We as Malaysian should graceful with the current prosperity and happies situation..even the current politic situation at Malaysia face uncertainty also..

[Simon 3]

ow...i was plannig to Phuket year end hope by then will be peaceful.

.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Simon

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

Wow,looks like the situation is getting serious.Hope that the Malaysians stranded at Phuket managed to get a flight home later.

[kelvin L 1]

Now this is great, I 'm planning to go Krabi in a few days time and have arranged for accomodation...looks like my $$$ will be gone.

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

Now I have excuse to tell my friend we're not going to Koh Samui soon...

 

Looks like it's getting more serious there...

[Y. J. Foo 0]

Luckily Bangkok hasn't been shut down -yet, otherwise it'd be total havoc!! :help:

[KK Lee 5]

Situation at Thailand look becoming more serious and worst..People of Thailand keep give pressure to the government..

 

We as Malaysian should graceful with the current prosperity and happies situation..even the current politic situation at Malaysia face uncertainty also..

 

Peaceful demonstration is a democratic rights of the people to keep abusive gomen in check. History has show, those countries (Iran, Soviet Union) don’t permit peaceful demonstration is more likely to have regime change by revolution.

 

Although PAD protesters occupied Thai Government buildings, airports and railways but they are not violent.

 

It is undisputable that Thaksin Shinawatra abused his power and corrupt. Without people power, he will still be in power today. There is no doubt, King Bhumibol was consented to the demonstration and military coup that removed Thaksin from his power.

 

Whether King Bhumibol consented to the current demonstration is still unclear.

 

[Chan CS 0]

Thai AirAsia’s chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said his team was trying to get the passengers safely out of the airport and into nearby hotels.

 

I never realized that Thai AirAsia is good in handling their stranded passengers. I wonder if AirAsia Malaysia will be the same?

[Naim 6]

Now this is great, I 'm planning to go Krabi in a few days time and have arranged for accomodation...looks like my $$$ will be gone.

 

Yup, Krabi also kena.

 

Thai airport closures strand thousands of tourists

Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:31pm IST

 

By Vithoon Amorn

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of foreign tourists are stranded at Thailand's Phuket beach resort and a nearby tourist town, tourist officials said on Saturday, more than 24 hours after anti-government protesters forced their airports to close.

 

Phuket and Krabi airports became targets of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) after thousands of its supporters clashed with riot police at Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's official compound in Bangkok on Friday.

 

Hundreds of supporters of PAD, a motley group of businessmen, academics and activists seeking to oust Samak from office, invaded runways or blocked roads at the two airports and another at Hat Yai in the south. The latter reopened early on Saturday.

 

"This really comes at a bad time as most European tour agents are starting to choose country packages for the year-end festive season," said Suparuak Surangkura, director of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

 

"We are concerned that media coverage of the protests may persuade tour agents to look at alternative destinations like Bali or Vietnam," he said.

 

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/id...0080830?sp=true

 

[MIR 2]

Cancellation Of Firefly Flights In/out Of Phuket

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (Bernama) -- Firefly Sunday cancelled its flight operations in and out of Phuket as rioting has forced the closure of the Phuket Airport.

 

The airport was closed Friday afternoon after anti-government protesters set up a blockade and marched down the tarmac, forcing authorities to suspend flights to and from the island.

 

In a statement here, Firefly managing director Eddy Leong said flights from Penang to Phuket scheduled for departure at 10.30am and the return flight departing Phuket at 11.25am were cancelled.

 

"Affected passengers are being informed of the flight cancellation and services will resume once Phuket airport is re-opened for flight operations," he said.

 

For further updates, customers can contact Firefly's call centre at 03-78454543 between 8am and 9am, or surf its website at ww.firefly.com.my.

 

Firefly, Malaysia's community airline, was launched in April last year.

 

It is operated under FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airline System (MAS) Berhad.

[Ashmil Abd Ghani 0]

Emm wounder how about Malaysian and others FY customer at Phuket Aiport..Did they get hotel accommodation as MAS and AK passenger deserve??

[Pieter C. 5]

Flights Resume To Thailand's Phuket

 

September 1, 2008

Flights to the Thai resort island of Phuket resumed on Sunday, an airport official said, two days after anti-government protesters forced the airport to close and stranded thousands of foreign tourists.

 

A Thai Airways flight landed at Phuket Airport at around 3:40 pm local time, the official said.

 

(Reuters)

 

According the Dutch news on TV, it was a TG 777-300 in old colours; correct ?

[Rozhan 0]

Wonder how the airports could be 'forced' to close. If such were to happen in Malaysia, I believe the police, or even the army, would take control as it is a matter of 'national security'.

[KK Lee 5]

Wonder how the airports could be 'forced' to close. If such were to happen in Malaysia, I believe the police, or even the army, would take control as it is a matter of 'national security'.

 

Labour strike or picketing caused closure of airports, railway, roads is detrimental to economy and irresponsible but still don’t justify the use of brutal force to resolve it. History has showed, these protests will disperse after they have made their points.

 

Only apartheid regime will use ‘national security’ to suppress different opinion e.g. pilots union

 

 

[kelvin L 1]

Manage to check-in @ lcct, another 2 hrs to board. Finger cross I could land in kbv. The chances should be positive looking at the next gate to bkk that just left.