U-TAPAO – With one luggage scanner and a tiny check-in hall, this Vietnam War-era naval airbase in Thailand has been struggling to cope with thousands of tourists left stranded by a political crisis.
The government began shuttling travellers by bus to U-Tapao, 150km (90 miles) east of Bangkok, as an alternative landing site for airlines after protesters forced the closure of the capital’s two main airports this week.
Nearly 60 flights had left by yesterday afternoon, while inbound flights were expected to bring tourists for the peak holiday season, pushing the air base to its limits.
“Don’t forget we’re not Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang airports,” Rear Admiral Surapong Ayasanond told Reuters at the base, which normally handles 14 flights a day. “The convenience and speed of services should be not be the same.”
People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters laid siege to Suvarnabhumi, Thailand’s main hub for nearly 15 million visitors a year, and the Don Muang domestic airport this week.
The airport sit-ins have forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, stranding thousands of tourists and grounding millions of dollars of air cargo.
Built in the 1960s as a major staging area for the US war in Indochina, U-Tapao’s single runway can handle aircraft as large as an Airbus A380 superjumbo, Adm Surapong said.
However, with only four check- in counters, one baggage scanner and a flight schedule hand-written on a white bulletin board, service was painfully slow in the cramped terminal building.
Some travellers took the delays in their stride.
“I don’t have a visa, but the airline helped me to stay at a hotel. It’s no problem, but I’m glad I will go home,” said an Iranian businessman stranded in Bangkok since late on Tuesday.
Several major carriers have announced special flights to pick up passengers and crew.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it would operate two flights yesterday and today.
South Korea’s Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines said they had begun sending flights on Thursday to carry up to 1,100 stranded passengers.
Malaysia Airlines has also put on flights, while a decision was expected soon on whether Kuala Lumpur would also send a military aircraft to pick up stranded passengers.
Taiwan’s Eva Airways also said it would put on two round trips yesterday and today.
The country’s other major international carrier, China Airlines, put on a flight from Taipei to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand yesterday and it will use a larger aircraft for its scheduled Taipei-Chiang Mai flight today.
Manila’s second largest carrier, Cebu Pacific Air, said it had cancelled all its flights to Bangkok until next Wednesday. Philippines Airlines also stopped flights, but said it would review this decision daily.
The airport invasions have angered Thai tour operators and airlines as both domestic and foreign tourists cancel trips, threatening big financial losses and tarnishing Thailand’s international image.
However, Australian golfer Ian Gonsal shrugged off the chaos.
“I’m sure Thailand will get through it,” he said.
“Of course I’ll be back. See you next year.” – (Reuters)