S. Korean handball team secures flight out of troubled Thailand

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's women's handball squad has secured a
flight out of Thailand from an airport away from Bangkok where anti-government
protesters have paralyzed air traffic, stranding at least 100,000 travelers, an
official said Monday.
After winning an Asian championship tournament that ended on Sunday, South Korean
players were concerned they may join the large crowd of travelers blocked from
accessing two major air terminals in the Thai capital.
Thousands of protesters calling for the resignation of Thailand's prime minister
have seized the sites, including Suvarnabhumi Airport, since Nov. 25, and some
media reports said as many as 300,000 visitors remain stranded.
Kim Jin-soo, vice head of the Korea Handball Federation, said the team has looked
to airports in other cities and managed to find a Tuesday flight out of the
southeastern resort city of Pataya.
"I was very worried, but the delay turned out to be not as bad as I expected,"
Kim said on the phone, adding the turmoil in Thailand has even forced the Qatari
team to fly back home without playing a remaining match.
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