ID :
34102
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 19:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34102
The shortlink copeid
Departing Aussies praise Thai officials
Australians departing Thailand have praised Thai authorities for their handling of disruption to travellers during the week-long closure of the main international airport. Suvarnabhumi International Airport officially resumed flights on Friday, the Thai national day holiday, just two days after anti-government protesters vacated the
airport.
The week-long seizure of the premises was part of a campaign to force the
government's resignation.
Thai tourism and travel industry authorities were on hand for the official reopening
that also marked the start of a $A460 million new campaign to win back international
travellers and recoup millions of dollars in financial losses and damage to the
country's tourism image.
At the official opening, acting Transport Minister Santi Promphat said the airport
was 100 per cent secure before he led officials from the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on an
inspection tour.
One of the early scheduled flights was a TG 999 to Melbourne as well as flights to
Sydney later in the day. Other regional flights were scheduled for Macau, Hanoi,
Seoul, Shanghai, Phuket and Tokyo.
Gary Radcliff, heading back to Australia by way of Singapore, was grateful to be
departing.
"I am very pleased about (the reopening). I'll be glad to get home," Radcliff told
AAP at the Suvarnabhumi Airport ceremonies.
Radcliff had been scheduled to fly out on Thursday a week ago but said he had
received good support from authorities and Singapore Airlines.
"Under the circumstances I've got no complaints", he said.
But he said it could be some time before he returned to Thailand.
"Not for a while, I'll wait till the government problems are sorted out", he said.
Julie Hannon from the NSW town of Coffs Harbour was more supportive of the Thais and
the recent political crisis that led to the seizure of the airports.
"If they feel they have a reason to demonstrate, fair enough.
"I don't have any antagonism towards them for the demonstration at all", Hannon said.
She said Thais had apologised to them regularly for the problems.
Ross Tingle and his wife Ruth also from Taree in NSW were also preparing to fly out
in the late afternoon.
Tingle said he would be telling people in Australia it was all fairly peaceful with
no signs of guns or anything like that at the airport.
"There was no damage here. As soon as the (protesters) left it really just took a
couple of days to get back into action again. And we're really pleased to see that
it is as good as it is", he said.
airport.
The week-long seizure of the premises was part of a campaign to force the
government's resignation.
Thai tourism and travel industry authorities were on hand for the official reopening
that also marked the start of a $A460 million new campaign to win back international
travellers and recoup millions of dollars in financial losses and damage to the
country's tourism image.
At the official opening, acting Transport Minister Santi Promphat said the airport
was 100 per cent secure before he led officials from the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on an
inspection tour.
One of the early scheduled flights was a TG 999 to Melbourne as well as flights to
Sydney later in the day. Other regional flights were scheduled for Macau, Hanoi,
Seoul, Shanghai, Phuket and Tokyo.
Gary Radcliff, heading back to Australia by way of Singapore, was grateful to be
departing.
"I am very pleased about (the reopening). I'll be glad to get home," Radcliff told
AAP at the Suvarnabhumi Airport ceremonies.
Radcliff had been scheduled to fly out on Thursday a week ago but said he had
received good support from authorities and Singapore Airlines.
"Under the circumstances I've got no complaints", he said.
But he said it could be some time before he returned to Thailand.
"Not for a while, I'll wait till the government problems are sorted out", he said.
Julie Hannon from the NSW town of Coffs Harbour was more supportive of the Thais and
the recent political crisis that led to the seizure of the airports.
"If they feel they have a reason to demonstrate, fair enough.
"I don't have any antagonism towards them for the demonstration at all", Hannon said.
She said Thais had apologised to them regularly for the problems.
Ross Tingle and his wife Ruth also from Taree in NSW were also preparing to fly out
in the late afternoon.
Tingle said he would be telling people in Australia it was all fairly peaceful with
no signs of guns or anything like that at the airport.
"There was no damage here. As soon as the (protesters) left it really just took a
couple of days to get back into action again. And we're really pleased to see that
it is as good as it is", he said.
