Tourists still stranded in Bangkok
2008-12-03 08:05
Pretoria - While the first cargo plane took off from the international airport in Bangkok on Tuesday, many South African are still stranded there.
The Suvarnabhumi airport was closed by anti-government protesters last Tuesday, but they were due to withdraw on Wednesday, after a court ruled that the government must resign.
It is still not clear when passenger flights will resume.
Bundit Saralamba, Thai Airways managing director in South Africa, said after the protesters leave, the airport will have to be cleaned before it is ready for passengers, and he could not say how long that might take.
Reuters reported that flights will not resume completely until December 15.
Saralamba said every day of the shutdown cost the airline R100m.
South African foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said it is impossible to say how many South Africans are affected, as the number changes every day.
South Africans look forward to returning home
Ginger Hinchliffe, 61, and his wife, Rina, 56, have been staying at the First Hotel in Bangkok after they spent an evening sleeping on chairs at the airport.
The were on a connecting flight from Phuket en route to Johannesburg after a holiday.
Rina said when they arrived at the airport tourists were sitting on the floor and some of the doors were locked.
"We had no idea what was going on."
Her cousin then sent her an SMS, telling her about the political unrest. The next day, "literally hundreds of buses stopped and took people away".
And although they are staying in the hotel at the cost of Thai Airways and the Thai government, Hinchliffe said they are really looking forward to returning home.
- Stranded travellers are urged to contact the embassy in Thailand at +662 659 2900.