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Protesters Close Don Muang Airport


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Thai protesters force closure of second airport: airport official

BANGKOK: -- Thai anti-government protesters have blockaded and shut down a second Bangkok airport, an official said Thursday, just over a day after they forced the closure of the main international airport.

Supporters of the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) started massing at the main entrance to the old Don Mueang airport Wednesday evening, and services there were cancelled at about midnight.

"Protesters have blocked the entrance to the terminal therefore we closed services until 6:00 pm (1100 GMT) Thursday," said Flying Officer Anirut Thanomkulbutra, director of Don Mueang.

Don Mueang operates a handful of domestic flights, and was the only airport left serving the capital after protesters swarmed the main Suvarnabhumi Airport late Tuesday, forcing the airport director to suspend flights.

A police official said about 3,000 PAD supporters were gathered outside Don Mueang airport.

Protest leaders had said Wednesday that they aimed to force the closure of Don Mueang to prevent ministers from flying to the northern city of Chiang Mai to meet with Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Somchai returned from a summit in Peru, landing in Chiang Mai on Wednesday evening, soon after the powerful army chief urged the premier to call new elections to end six months of turmoil in the kingdom.

Somchai refused, and called a cabinet meeting.

The premier had been holding cabinet meetings in a disused terminal at Don Mueang after protesters occupied his official Government House office in central Bangkok in late August.

But on Monday, PAD supporters besieged his temporary office as well as they upped their bid to topple the government, which they accuse of running the country on behalf of ousted and exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

-- AFP 2008-11-27

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Don Mueang Airport closed

BANGKOK: -- The services at the Don Mueang Airport were stopped since midnight Wednesday after the People's Alliance for Democracy seized control of the domestic passenger terminal.

Channel 9 reported that all passenger services at the Don Mueang Airport were stopped after the last flight left the airport at midnight.

-- The Nation 2008-11-27

Note: Thai Airways has canceled all international and domestic flights originating and terminating at Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports.

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Don Mueang Airport closed

BANGKOK: -- The services at the Don Mueang Airport were stopped since midnight Wednesday after the People's Alliance for Democracy seized control of the domestic passenger terminal.

Channel 9 reported that all passenger services at the Don Mueang Airport were stopped after the last flight left the airport at midnight.

-- The Nation 2008-11-27

Does anyone know if Fedex, DHL or Royal Post are operating international flights. News reports sometimes say passenger flights other times say all flights or as in this ridiculous Nation article mix both. What's the deal?

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According to the news reports on BangkokPost.com Suvanabhumi airports is closed to all passenger and cargo flights. Since this is the base for Fed Ex and most other shipping agents I would assume packages are not getting out.

However, I would imagine Fed Ex will probably find a way to route packages through Chaing Mai or Phuket to keep services flowing.

Aloha

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No cargo or courier flights are operating into or out of Thailand now. I'm sure there are plenty of people including myself who are seeing their businesses going down the tubes because of this. Together with the death of tourist season 2008, it makes me wonder what will be left of the economy if PAD actually get their way.

And if closing Don Muang was meant to prevent ministers from meeting with Somchai in Chiang Mai, I suppose they will also begin blocking all highways so that the ministers can't simply get into their Benz and take a seven hour drive up to Chiang Mai? This is ludicrous.

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What's PAD thinking with doing this? How will shutting down the airports get them what they want? Do they think if they piss off enough people by driving the tourists away and making it hard to do international business more people will join their cause?

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Why is it necessary for the Ministers to meet, surely they could use technology and have a video conference based in a military base?

Get agreement and return the country to some form of normality.

If the authorities will not take action then they surely are siding with PAD and a confrontation may take place by replacing them?

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Interesting that the PM (& Defence minister) seems unable to call for military flights to move himself & the cabinet around

look at the Thai history and try to find parallels .... maybe there will be an AHA effect for those who are questioning the rational behind this ????

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What's PAD thinking with doing this? How will shutting down the airports get them what they want? Do they think if they piss off enough people by driving the tourists away and making it hard to do international business more people will join their cause?

Thai economists predicted approx. 1,000,000 more people unemployed next year. These people probably all wear a yellow t-shirt :o

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On the ""Suvarnabhumi"" airport topic I posted this article, earlier:

Breakingnews -The Nation

AIRPORT CLOSURE

AirAsia cancels 58 more flights

Published on November 26, 2008;

AirAsia will cancel 58 more flights, due to leave Bangkok tomorrow for domestic and overseas destinations.

In a statement, the airliner said the cancellation of flights until 2pm of Thursday would affect 36 domestic flights and 22 international flights.

On Wednesday, the airline cancelled more than 100 flights.

Some anti-government protesters have gathered in front of the domestic terminal at Don Mueang Airport, amid speculation they would siege the facility to add more pressure on the government.

Some 18 incoming flights were diverted to the airport as Suvarnabhumi Airport was besieged.

Thai PBS reported at midnight that Patee Sarasin, CEO of Nok Air, asked the protesters to spare the company's flights particularly those that cover the Southern region. He said many southern Muslims must leave Thailand for the Haj.

Nok Air's flight is scheduled to leave Don Mueang at 6am on Thursday.

The TV channel said a protester leader agreed not to block Nok Air's operations.

- The Nation

************************************************************

PS: does anybody know if the flight from NOK AIR, bound for Saudi Arabia for the Haj was allowed (by the PAD) to leave Don Muang Airport at 06.00AM this morning -""because many southern Muslims must leave Thailand for the Haj"" ? :o

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Suvarnabhumi...49#entry2358149

LaoPo

Edited by LaoPo
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Thai protesters force closure of second airport: airport official

BANGKOK: -- Thai anti-government protesters have blockaded and shut down a second Bangkok airport, an official said Thursday, just over a day after they forced the closure of the main international airport.

Supporters of the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) started massing at the main entrance to the old Don Mueang airport Wednesday evening, and services there were cancelled at about midnight.

"Protesters have blocked the entrance to the terminal therefore we closed services until 6:00 pm (1100 GMT) Thursday," said Flying Officer Anirut Thanomkulbutra, director of Don Mueang.

Don Mueang operates a handful of domestic flights, and was the only airport left serving the capital after protesters swarmed the main Suvarnabhumi Airport late Tuesday, forcing the airport director to suspend flights.

A police official said about 3,000 PAD supporters were gathered outside Don Mueang airport.

why isn`t the milatary steping in and and declareing marshail law.anybody that doesn`t have bissness being in the airport be put in jail for many years then forced to clean up bangkok on a chain gang for 5 years.something like this has to be done.right now the world is laughting at such lack of security at a airport what a shame i hate to see the good people of thailand suffer from criminals takeing everything over.why not ask for help from some on thailands allies im sure it would take much of an effect to crush these criminals

Protest leaders had said Wednesday that they aimed to force the closure of Don Mueang to prevent ministers from flying to the northern city of Chiang Mai to meet with Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Somchai returned from a summit in Peru, landing in Chiang Mai on Wednesday evening, soon after the powerful army chief urged the premier to call new elections to end six months of turmoil in the kingdom.

Somchai refused, and called a cabinet meeting.

The premier had been holding cabinet meetings in a disused terminal at Don Mueang after protesters occupied his official Government House office in central Bangkok in late August.

But on Monday, PAD supporters besieged his temporary office as well as they upped their bid to topple the government, which they accuse of running the country on behalf of ousted and exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

-- AFP 2008-11-27

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i think what they have show the world is in thailand Mob rule can take over the govement and stop the country.

Somchai should have put an end to this the 1st day they blockaded the gov house. It never showed have been allowed to escalate .

Interesting that the PM (& Defence minister) seems unable to call for military flights to move himself & the cabinet around

They have not taken control of the planes only the airports.

What amazes me is the stupdity of 50% of posters on this forum.

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I love Thailand, I really do. But (yeah but) how a country can ruin itself just a little more, when there's already a global crisis going on is beyond me.

And I bet those people blocking the airports will be be completely surprised when there's even less food on their table pretty soon.

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I think it's working on the same principle that chemotherapy uses.

And coincidentally, I just posted this in the Suvarnabhumi thread a couple of minutes ago:

I spoke with a friend last night who is a physician at Bumrungrad. They were urgently awaiting some sort of perishable chemotherapy medicines that were couriered from the USA day before yesterday. Needless to say, it won't be arriving and his patient lies dying in hospital.

This is going far beyond loss of tourists and failing businesses when seriously sick people begin dying because of PAD's actions.

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What's PAD thinking with doing this? How will shutting down the airports get them what they want? Do they think if they piss off enough people by driving the tourists away and making it hard to do international business more people will join their cause?

As we know despite all this the Thai economy will remain unaffected by the turndown in the world economy and the Baht will continue to remain strong. Any other country which suffered these current woes would be dead on it's feet!

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I spoke with a friend last night who is a physician at Bumrungrad. They were urgently awaiting some sort of perishable chemotherapy medicines that were couriered from the USA day before yesterday. Needless to say, it won't be arriving and his patient lies dying in hospital.

This is going far beyond loss of tourists and failing businesses when seriously sick people begin dying because of PAD's actions.

To be honest that sounds kinda dumb. If I had something that important I wouldn't send it through the mail. Someone sent me a package from England two weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived.

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I understand your frustrations, but is this outbreak of civil disobedience, a good or a bad thing for Thailand, most importantly, has the immenent arrival of ex PM Thaksin in Thailand prompted this escalation of violence......????

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And if closing Don Muang was meant to prevent ministers from meeting with Somchai in Chiang Mai, I suppose they will also begin blocking all highways so that the ministers can't simply get into their Benz and take a seven hour drive up to Chiang Mai? This is ludicrous.

I bet many are thinking this. If they DID close DM just for that purpose, that in itself sums up what kind of idiots we are dealing with here. Obviously their IQ and that of their supporters on tv has severe limitations. How on earth could anyone even expect them to have a plan for a transition into a "better" govt? Ironically, knowing better doesn't make life better here.

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I spoke with a friend last night who is a physician at Bumrungrad. They were urgently awaiting some sort of perishable chemotherapy medicines that were couriered from the USA day before yesterday. Needless to say, it won't be arriving and his patient lies dying in hospital.

This is going far beyond loss of tourists and failing businesses when seriously sick people begin dying because of PAD's actions.

To be honest that sounds kinda dumb. If I had something that important I wouldn't send it through the mail. Someone sent me a package from England two weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived.

I didn't say it was sent by post. It was air couriered, presumably by airline door to door service since he said it was extremely urgent.

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I spoke with a friend last night who is a physician at Bumrungrad. They were urgently awaiting some sort of perishable chemotherapy medicines that were couriered from the USA day before yesterday. Needless to say, it won't be arriving and his patient lies dying in hospital.

This is going far beyond loss of tourists and failing businesses when seriously sick people begin dying because of PAD's actions.

To be honest that sounds kinda dumb. If I had something that important I wouldn't send it through the mail. Someone sent me a package from England two weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived.

Doesn't this type of thread bring out the stupidity in some people? The guy said 'Couriered' nothing to do with mail.---- Go back to bed so as we can keep this topic on track! :o
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Attention!

New and groundbreaking proposal to end the turmoil in Thailand and make everybody happy:

Let Somchai/Taksin govern the North from Chiang Mai while Sondhi and his Yellow People can govern the rest from Bangkok. The North can than separate and be known as Lana-land or Lalaland. Issan can join them if they wish after a referendum. The Bangkok run part may be called Krungthep-land or Moomooland.

Actually the South may split from Bangkok as well. Apart from Patani state which will surely go to Muslims the Phuket and Samui islands can perhaps became independent Farang Kingdoms. The names for them can perhaps be decided later after few drinking competitions.

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