Britons resume Thailand travels

Protestors have called for the resignation of Mr Samak

Many British tourists are hoping to resume travel plans after the reopening of three airports in Thailand that were closed by anti-government protests.

The Foreign Office said it did not know how many Britons had been affected, but Independent newspaper travel editor Simon Calder estimated many thousands.

Up to 15,000 people were stuck in the island resort of Phuket, where one of the three airports was shut on Friday.

The Thai parliament is to meet later to discuss the demos, in their sixth day.

Thousands of demonstrators have occupied government offices, with the protests also disrupting railways and airports.

The Foreign Office website said rail services in north, north-east and southern Thailand were suspended.

Phuket airport, Thailand's second busiest after Bangkok, and those in Krabi and Hat Yai were forced to close on Friday.

Hat Yai reopened the following day, with Phuket and Krabi resuming operations on Sunday.

Emergency debate

"There will be many thousands of British passengers trying to get back from this beautiful island [Phuket]," said Mr Calder.

"They would normally fly straight up to Bangkok and transfer to their flights.

"The airport at Phuket has been closed for the past two days. I understand the airport is now open and they expect people to start going through.

"Although that means we have thousands of people trying to get back to Europe who are simply out of position."

Map of key protest areas in Bangkok

The parliament in Thailand is due to meet later on Sunday to discuss how to end the demonstrations, led by a conservative group called the People's Alliance for Democracy.

The group says the the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is a front for the exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Sundaravej has refused to resign and has called the special session of parliament.

He condemned the closure of Phuket airport, the main international gateway to Thailand's southern beach resorts.

We are lucky we have a good travel agent here who has been trying to get things sorted out for us Honeymooner Carrie Bassett

"They [airport authorities] have been trained to handle terrorists, but what happens? How have they allowed these people to encroach on the runway?" he said.

Mr Sundaravej said the protests threatened the country's tourist industry, which accounts for 6% of gross domestic product.

The Foreign Office said tourists were not being told to stay away from Thailand, but to regularly check their travel advice.

Britons should also avoid large gatherings in the country, the department advised.

Mr Calder said that although Thailand could be politically volatile it was unusual for unrest to disrupt travellers' plans.

'Business as usual'

Advertising account co-ordinator Carrie Bassett has been stuck in capital Bangkok, as she endeavours to fly to Phuket with her husband for their honeymoon.

The 23-year-old from London said she had been told to wait at her hotel in the capital in preparation for the reopening of Phuket airport.

KEY EVENTS Sept 2006: Bloodless coup by military sees PM Thaksin Shinawatra removed from office April 2007: New military-drafted constitution approved Dec 2007: General election won by People Power Party (PPP), seen as reincarnation of Thaksin's now banned Thai Rak Thai party Jan 2008: Samak Sundaravej chosen as PM Feb 2008: Thaksin returns from exile May 2008: PAD protests against Samak begin July 2008: Thaksin goes on trial for corruption; his wife is found guilty of fraud. By mid-August the family has fled to the UK August 2008: PAD protests escalate

"The situation here seems very calm and normal, very much business as usual, but in Phuket there were people on the runway on Saturday," she said.

"We are lucky we have a good travel agent here who has been trying to get things sorted out for us.

"We have now been told that we will be able to fly to Phuket early on Monday morning and that the airport there is reopening."

In 2007, some 860,000 Britons travelled to Thailand

A spokesman from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said the majority of British holidaymakers travelling to Thailand flew into Bangkok airport, which has stayed open.

He said tour operators had been organising alternative travel arrangements - such as charter buses - to take people to and from the areas where the airports had been closed.

The Abta spokesman added that it would be the responsibility of the airline to put anyone who had missed their plane through no fault of their own onto a later flight.

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