04 December 2008

THAI threatens to sue airport protestors

BANGKOK - Thai Airways International will sue People's Alliance for Democracy for compensation, for the huge revenue losses during the eight-day closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Transport permanent secretary Surachai Thansitthipon, who is chairman of the national airline, said after the board's meeting yesterday that during the closure THAI had to cancel all scheduled flights.

Services were slowly returning to normal at both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports today but Suvarnabhumi is not expected to be fully operational until the weekend.

Thai International Airways flight to Australia yesterday was the first international flight in a week to leave Bangkok's main airport after protesters ended their siege which stranded up to 250,000 tourists.

The end of the blockade came a day after the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) claimed victory against premier Somchai Wongsawat, when a court barred him from politics and disbanded the ruling party.

Thai Airways International was operating limited services out of both Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi today. Bangkok Airways also announced the resumption of flights at Suvarnabhumi.

AirAsia will resume its commercial flights to and from the Thai capital via Suvarnabhumi tomorrow, Friday.

AirAsia has agreed that passengers affected by the cancellations will automatically receive a credit that can be used to book new AirAsia flights. The credit is to be redeemed within three months for their future travel to any AirAsia destination (except AirAsia X).

Passengers who have purchased the AirAsia GoInsure Travel Protection are advised to call the 24-hour AIG Travel Assist at +603-27725622 if they need help in obtaining accommodation or other forms of travel assistance, or want to file a claim.

Emirates will operate two additional flights to the military U-Taphao Airport tomorrow as well as re-instating its scheduled flight EK372/373 (Dubai-Bangkok-Dubai) effective Saturday.

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Thai should Sue Taksin and his Family

As usual, TG got it all wrong. First off, I want to sue them for the worse tasting coffee in the skies on my last flight. I used to promote TG for the "Best Coffee In The Sky" but on my short flight to Phuket just before the PAD demonstration, the coffee was so bad that a gallon of Listerine couldn't get the bad taste our of my mouth for days! Until that experience I thought nothing could be worse than Nescafe, whose inventor should be shot! The great American radical and civil rights activist Saul Alinsly once shut down O'Hare airport by blockading all the pay toilets. It took less than two days for tough-guy Mayor Richard Daly to cave in and grant Alinsky his requests. The difference in Daly and Taksin is Taksin took vote buying to new heights to get his criminal cronies back into power, an estimated US$3 billion in Esan alone. The Court was to easy - all those bad boys should be in jail now, not just out of office. As usual, everybody (Especially TG) is pointing fingers at the wrong guys. Well T.I.T. (This Is Thailand). We like to say Thailand is a "Newly Emerging Democracy". If so, where is the Democracy? There can be no Democracy where there is vote buying, so if there is any finger pointing, point at the PPP. I feel sorry for their sheep if they believe they are on the side honor and justice. CNN's Dan Rivers called the PAD mob rule, but like Gandhi's followers they never rioted, even when gernades, Chinese tear gas and guns were fired into their crowds. What amazing self-restraint! Then 24 hours after the Mob Rule comment, Rivers had to change his face and called the cleared airport "pristine" - and it was. I was very impressed that through all the hassles, PAD never defaced or tore apart the Taksin corruption throne and flights were able to proceed within 24 hours after estimates said it may take two weeks. Luzi is correct. All my customers filled my inbox today telling me their flights were arranged and please not cancel their bookings. They can't wait to visit the Land of Smiles, and they understand that the fight for democracy isn't won in just one day. Welcome back, everybody! Ling Yai, Phuket, Thailand

By John Gray, Thursday, December 4, 2008