Bangkok airport back to normal
2008-12-05 09:49
Bangkok - Thailand's main international airport officially resumed full operations on Friday, two days after anti-government protesters ended their paralysing blockade, an airport spokesperson said.
Although flights began leaving Suvarnabhumi international airport on Wednesday hours after protesters packed up and left, passengers were still having to check-in at a convention centre east of Bangkok.
"Suvarnabhumi has officially resumed operations. All of the staff here are so happy to return to work," the Airports of Thailand spokesperson said.
"Thai Airways TG971 bound for Moscow officially marked the full and smooth resumption of the airport."
A short ceremony at 04:00 GMT with puppet shows and classical Thai dance marked the official reopening of the gleaming two-year-old hub, with most restaurants and duty free shops now open after a clean-up operation.
A week earlier, thousands of protesters from the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were setting up food stalls, tents and stages inside the futuristic steel-and-glass terminal.
The PAD shuttered Suvarnabhumi and the smaller Don Mueang domestic hub last week in their efforts to force out the government elected almost one year ago.
They abandoned their crippling sieges after a court on Tuesday dissolved the ruling party and forced premier Somchai Wongsawat out of office.
The blockades left an estimated 350 000 travellers stranded, and was a huge blow to Thailand's booming tourist industry.
Don Mueang has been open since Thursday.
Suvarnabhumi cost three billion dollars and first opened in September 2006 to much fanfare. It is the world's 17th busiest airport.
It was the pet project of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the focus of the PAD's wrath. They accused the government of running the country on his behalf.
Thaksin was ousted just over a week before the hub was opened.
- AFP