Flights resume as Thai protesters abandon airports

BANGKOK, (AFP) - - The first flight arrived at Bangkok's main airport Wednesday after anti-government protesters packed up and left, ending a week-long siege that crippled Thailand and stranded thousands of tourists.

ADVERTISEMENT

The exodus came a day after the People's Alliance for Democracy claimed victory in its six-month campaign against Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, when a court barred him from politics and disbanded the ruling party.

Hundreds of yellow-clad demonstrators streamed out of the Suvarnabhumi international and Don Mueang domestic airports in cars, taxis and buses after the royalist PAD handed over control after ending its blockade.

But with the former government vowing to regroup and vote next week to choose Thailand's third premier in three months, there was little hope of long-term stability for the kingdom.

"We will come back when the nation needs us," said Somkiat Pongpaibul, a key leader of the PAD, which groups Bangkok's urban elite and middle classes, backed by elements from the military and the palace.

A Thai Airways flight from the resort isle of Phuket became the first plane to land at Suvarnabhumi for a week, with international services to Sydney, New Delhi, Narita, Frankfurt, Seoul and Copenhagen due later in the day.

"We will try and get everything back to normal as soon as possible," Airports of Thailand chief Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana told reporters at the airport.

More than 350,000 travellers were trapped in Thailand by the chaos, with governments around the world operating emergency flights to evacuate desperate tourists.

Damage from the occupation of the gleaming three-billion-dollar airport since November 25 had not yet been estimated, Vudhibhandhu said. Suvarnabhumi opened with much fanfare in 2006 and last year handled 41 million passengers.

AFP correspondents saw hundreds of protesters piling their belongings on private vehicles, cabs and coaches at both airports, and most were gone by the early afternoon.

The movement's co-founder, Chamlong Srimuang, hugged and shook hands with the chief of the airport authority at Suvarnabhumi before bowing down in front of a portrait of Thailand's much-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

"Everybody came here because they love the king," said Neepirom Kunniam, 58, wearing the movement's trademark yellow clothes, which symbolise devotion to the monarchy.

A line of hundreds of protesters snaked through the departures area at the international airport as they got autographs from Chamlong and his PAD co-founder Sondhi Limthongkul.

Former ruling coalition members have vowed to form another government under a new banner after the toppling of Somchai, who was barred from politics for five years by the Constitutional Court in a vote fraud case.

Protesters accused Somchai's administration of acting as a proxy for exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006, and of being hostile to the monarchy.

PAD protests led to the coup which toppled Thaksin and the group took to the streets again in May this year.

"In the next two weeks I think we will come again," said protester Pas Apinantpreeda.

Analysts said the developments would bring a brief respite until the remnants of the government tried to name a new premier in parliament next week, but would not solve the kingdom's underlying problems.

Acting Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul said parliament would likely vote on a new premier on Monday or Tuesday.

The crisis in Southeast Asia's second biggest economy has caused international concern, especially after Bangkok was forced to postpone an ASEAN summit that was due to be held in December.

The United States said Tuesday it hoped for a resolution of the crisis while Japan said Thailand should "establish a stable government as soon as possible to restore calm."