Bangkok feeling the pain of isolation Dec 2, 2008
Nearly a week after protesters besieged Bangkok's international airport, the Thai capital is feeling the sting of aeronautical isolation ... DHL and FedEx, both of which have large operations in Bangkok, both say they cannot guarantee delivery times to destinations outside the country ... Bangkok's many Japanese restaurants have been particularly hard hit because of their reliance on fresh imported fish. (International Herald Tribune)
Thailand postpones ASEAN summit because of crisis Dec 2, 2008
The Dec. 12-17 ASEAN meeting, which was initially scheduled to take place in the capital Bangkok, was shifted last month to the northern city of Chiang Mai. Anti-government protesters have besieged the prime minister's office compound in Bangkok since August and last week moved thousands of protesters to Bangkok's two main airports, shutting down air transport to the Thai capital ... The government's announcement came shortly after the Constitutional Court in Bangkok dissolved the three biggest... (International Herald Tribune)
2 stranded Canadians killed in van crash Dec 2, 2008
BANGKOK Two Canadians who were among thousands of foreigners stranded by anti-government protests in Bangkok were killed when their van crashed on the way to catch a flight out of Thailand, police said on Tuesday. Four other tourists were injured in the crash, which happened as they made the 900-kilometre drive from Bangkok to the southern resort town of Phuket ... They were making the trip because they could not fly out of Bangkok's besieged Suvarnabhumi airport, which has been shut by... (Globe and Mail)
Canadians stranded by Thai unrest to receive flight out Dec 2, 2008
The embassy in Bangkok is helping to extract members of a stranded tour group, some of whom have run out of medication and travel insurance, former broadcaster John (Jiggs) McDonald said Monday in an interview with The Canadian Press ... The Canadian tourists are generally in good spirits and in good health, but some have run out of medication they can't get in Bangkok, while others have travel insurance that's no longer valid, he added ... Flights are finally leaving Bangkok's international... (Globe and Mail -- International)
Thai crisis deepens as airport seige intensifies Dec 2, 2008
BANGKOK Thailand's leader attended a Buddhist ritual Monday, seemingly indifferent to a deepening political crisis that has paralyzed his government, shut down two main airports and stranded 300,000 foreigners in the country ... Flights are finally leaving Bangkok's international airport, nearly a week after protesters took it over ... The airport closure has severed all commercial flights in and out of the capital, forcing thousands to cancel their vacations during peak tourist season, and... (Globe and Mail -- International)
Thousands of foreigners stranded in Thailand Dec 2, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand Thailand's prime minister stayed away from the capital Monday, unable to quell a political crisis that has paralyzed his government for weeks and shut down the city's two main airports and stranded 300,000 foreigners ... Late Monday, an explosion hit protesters camped outside Bangkok's airport for domestic flights ... Even if that happened and the protesters dispersed, it would likely take at least another week before Bangkok's airports became operational. (Yahoo News)
Sour tasting 'tom yam' Dec 2, 2008
Like it or not, another military intervention is probably needed to end the week-long occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok's newest state-of-the-art airport ... Thai democracy was effectively killed in 2006 when the military, with the consent if not the encouragement of the monarchy, grabbed power from Thaksin in a move that was widely applauded even by the most democratic elements in Bangkok's political elite ... Frustrated by their repeated losses at the ballot boxes against Thaksin who... (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Editorial)
Protests strand 350 000 Dec 2, 2008
Article By: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:16 An estimated 350000 passengers have been unable to fly out of Thailand since anti-government protesters shut down Bangkok's two airports last week, a senior tourism official said on Monday ... Tourists are scrambling to leave Thailand via the small, Vietnam-era U-Tapao airport southeast of Bangkok, where queues snake round the basic terminal and thousands of passengers jostle to get their luggage through one scanner ... Check-in facilities have also been... (iAfrica.com)
RI offers to host key ministerial meetings Dec 2, 2008
Thailand has said a final decision on the summit is due on Wednesday, a week after anti-government protesters began their blockade of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport ... The venue for the ASEAN summit was moved to the northern city of Chiang Mai, away from the PAD's Bangkok base, well before last week's protests. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Romantic escape ends with ticket to nowhere Dec 2, 2008
Lindsay Murdoch in BangkokDecember 3, 2008 ... Australian diplomats in Bangkok said possibly thousands of Australians were still trapped in Thailand after anti-Government protesters seized control of Bangkok's two airports eight days ago ... Ms Clarke, 30, who runs 30 child-care centres in Sydney, said Australians had encountered "crazy" scenes at Utapao, a military airport near Pattaya, 190 kilometres south-east of Bangkok, from which Thai Airways is flying a plane each night to Sydney. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Travellers warned over insurance cover in Thailand Dec 2, 2008
Australians trapped in Bangkok have been told to check their insurance policies before they run up expenses they assume they are covered for ... However, many more are still caught in the anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok, which began last week ... Those travelling to Bangkok up to December 8 are able to claim the costs to change their flights to a later date or to cancel their journey - whichever is the cheaper option. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Relieved travellers escape 'riot waiting to happen' Dec 2, 2008
Brian Donnellan greets his daughter Jessica Ossington, centre, and her husband, Clint Ossington, right, at Sydney Airport after their journey from Bangkok ... With Bangkok Airport shut by anti-government protests, newlyweds Jessica and Clint Ossington were holed up in emergency accommodation until they took three chaotic bus trips to the Utapao military airport outside Bangkok ... Brian Donnellan greets his daughter Jessica Ossington, centre, and her husband, Clint Ossington, right, at Sydney... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Airport siege ends after PM removed Dec 2, 2008
Lindsay Murdoch in BangkokDecember 3, 2008 ... Anti-Government protesters agreed last night to end the siege of Bangkok's main international airport in response to Mr Somchai's dismissal ... Mr Somchai's ousting was a key goal of royalist anti-Government protesters who have blockaded Bangkok's airports for more than a week, crippling the country's economy and stranding hundreds of thousands of tourists. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
More of this story Dec 2, 2008
This westbound trip will start in Central Florida near Orlando and proceed west across the United States to San Diego, across the Pacific Ocean to Kaua i and Guam, to Bangkok, Thailand. From Thailand, the pair will continue to India, the Middle East, Africa and finally across the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and return to Orlando. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Mad cow disease no longer a priority Dec 2, 2008
Startseite (NZZ Online, Neue Z. Dezember 2008, 16:10:55 Uhr, NZZ Online. (Yahoo News -- Mad Cow Disease)
Inflation plunges in three countries Dec 2, 2008
BANGKOK: Inflation in Thailand, South Korea and Australia plunged in November in synch with a global retreat, giving central banks room to slash interest rates to soften the blow from the worst financial crisis in decades. Thailands annual inflation tumbled to a 14-month low, paving the way for a rate cut later this week, which would make the country the latest addition to the worldwide campaign to avert a deep global recession. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Full Story » Dec 2, 2008
In the past I have done my best, not for myself but for our country," said Somchai, the brother-in-law of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The former lawyer spent less than three months in power, beset by protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who accused his government of acting as a proxy for Thaksin and of being hostile to the monarchy. About 500 angry government supporters massed outside the administrative court, where judges read the ruling live on national... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Thai court verdict looms as blast kills protester Dec 2, 2008
Please wait for the ruling today," said Chat Chonlaworn, head of the nine-judge Constitutional Court panel. About 500 pro-government picketed the hearing even after fellow demonstrators had prompted judges to evacuate the downtown court building and move to premises on the outskirts of Bangkok. They faced off against riot police, wearing red scarves saying "Love Thaksin," a reference to premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. Ruling party lawmaker Pichit Srivorakhan told AFP... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Thai Crisis Builds At Crippled Airports Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand, Dec. 1, 2008 ... Tourists line up at a temporary check-in counter set up at a hotel in downtown Bangkok, Thailand, Dec. 1, 2008 ... Shots During Bangkok TV. (CBS News)
Empty planes leave Bangkok crisis Dec 1, 2008
About 40 empty planes have flown out of Bangkok's international airport after authorities reached a deal with protesters camped there for seven days ... Hundreds of anti-government protesters continue to blockade Bangkok's two airports, closing the capital to commercial air traffic ... Meanwhile, a protest leader, Chamlong Srimuang, said the protest camp around the prime minister's compound in central Bangkok would be closed in order to send more people to strengthen the siege of the airports. (BBC News)
Thailand urged to assist Britons Dec 1, 2008
Pro-government protesters gathered in Bangkok to support the prime minister ... Bangkok's two main airports are still occupied by protesters and remain shut ... "The key issue is the fact the two airports in Bangkok are closed and therefore you've effectively got planes stacking up and not being able to get slots," he said. (BBC News -- UK)
Airlines fly empty planes out of Bangkok Dec 1, 2008
Posted: Monday, December 01, 2008 BANGKOK, Thailand (AP ) -- Airlines were flying dozens of empty planes out of Bangkok's international airport Monday as authorities struggled to clear it of protesters to reopen international links and move 100,000 travelers stranded by the crisis, the airport said ... Thailand's political crisis escalated Sunday when thousands of pro-government activists converged on Bangkok to counter rival protesters who seized the city's two airports last week and have... (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Anchorage family skirts trouble in Thailand Dec 1, 2008
Protesters storm Bangkok airport right after takeoff ... An Anchorage family on the sidelines of a threatened government coup in Thailand last week was stranded south of Bangkok on Sunday -- but safe for the moment, along with about 100,000 other international air travelers ... After completing their visit there, they'd just flown back to Bangkok, where they were due to catch a plane to Phuket, a beach resort to the south. (Anchorage Daily News)
Thai protesters move to airports Dec 1, 2008
David Longstreath / APAnti-government demonstrators pause with stolen riot shields near a checkpoint Sunday at Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok. Demonstrators with the People's Alliance for Democracy continue to hold both of Bangkok's airports and say they will not leave until Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns from office ... Thousands of anti-government protesters gather at Bangkoks international airport in an effort to topple the government. (MSNBC -- Politics)
100,000 stranded in Thailand after airports shut... Dec 1, 2008
(AP) A stranded Western tourist sleeps on chairs Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008, at Bangkok, Thailand's. BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The vacation is over for tens of thousands of tourists in Thailand ... Hundreds gathered at Thai Airways' cramped ticket office in Bangkok on Saturday desperately seeking a way out of the country. (The Drudge Report)
Empty airplanes fly from Bangkok Dec 1, 2008
Empty planes leave Bangkok crisis ... About 40 empty planes have flown out of Bangkok's international airport after authorities reached a deal with protesters camped there for seven days ... Hundreds of anti-government protesters continue to blockade Bangkok's two airports, closing the capital to commercial air traffic. (BBC News)
Mumbai official offers resign Dec 1, 2008
Empty planes leave Bangkok crisis. TV's Bleakley performs last tango. (BBC News)
Counter-Rally Heightens Thai Political Crisis Dec 1, 2008
Government supporters rally in Bangkok, spiking tensions; blasts wound 51. By AMBIKA AHUJA Associated Press WritersBANGKOK, Thailand November 30, 2008 (AP) The Associated Press FONT SIZE ... Thai police man a checkpoint near the Suvarnabhumi airport compound Sunday Nov. 30, 2008 in Bangkok. (ABC News -- Wire)
European, Asian stocks retreat amid economic gloom Dec 1, 2008
Anti-government protesters have occupied Bangkok's two main airports for nearly a week, cutting off air freight, stranding tourists and crippling the economy ... Udo Weitz/Bloomberg News Protest leaders are worried by recent deadly grenade attacks on their illegal encampment at Government House in Bangkok - where the activists have occupied the offices of the prime minister since August. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
* Tourists crowd little-used Thai base to flee country Dec 1, 2008
CHAOS AND PANDEMONIUM: Unruly passengers bound for Taipei shoved their way through a door to the security screening area after the final boarding call AFP AND AP, U-TAPAO AND BANGKOK, THAILAND, MANILA, SYDNEY AND MADRID Monday, Dec 01, 2008, Page 5. A passenger waits in the departure hall at the besieged Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday ... Since Friday, the U-Tapao naval base about 190km southeast of Bangkok has been the best way out of the country for tourists... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Pampling wins Australian Masters in playoff drama Dec 1, 2008
The Malaysian, who turned 36 on Saturday, fired a final round even-par 72 for a two stroke victory over compatriot S. Sivachandran and Thailands Nakul Vichitryuthasastr at The Vintage Club in Bangkok. This story has been viewed 143 times. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Video piracy - Dec 1, 2008
and until local cinema chains introduce similar technology that jams mobiles in hospitals, i will continue to have a friend in bangkok post me pirated dvds on a very regular basis. Posted by: thaddeus on December 1, 2008 7:36 PM. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Golf: Danny wins in Thailand Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK: Danny Chia completed an impressive victory in the US$75,000 Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand yesterday, giving himself a belated birthday present. The Malaysian, who turned 36 on Saturday, fired a final round even-par 72 for a two stroke victory over compatriot S. Sivachandran and Thailands Nakul Vichitryuthasastr at The Vintage Club in Bangkok. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Thai protesters to end seige at PM's office Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP): A key protest leader says Thai anti-government demonstrators will end their sit-in at the prime minister's office compound and relocate to the capital's besieged airports. Chamlong Srimuang has called on protesters who have occupied Government House since Aug. 26 to "move to the airports to support our people there.'' The move does not represent a softening of the protest group's stance. Chamlong told supporters Monday that they should move because it was not safe to... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Thai protesters leave PM's office after attacks Dec 1, 2008
AFP/Graphic Map of Thailand locating Bangkok's two airports ... BANGKOK (AFP) Thai protesters Monday began leaving the prime minister's offices after a three-month sit-in, moving instead to reinforce a paralysing anti-government blockade of Bangkok's two airports ... In another apparent climbdown, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) allowed 37 empty aircraft to fly out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport in the past two days. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Stranded Aussies head home from Thailand Dec 1, 2008
About 280 Australians who have been stranded in Thailand by the closure of two airports in Bangkok are on their way from the capital to Phuket to catch a jet to Sydney tonight ... The buses left from Bangkok's Shangri-la Hotel at midday (local time) to begin the 14-hour ride to Phuket's international airport, where a Qantas jet will carry them to Sydney ... Hundreds more Australians are still stranded in Thailand as Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International airport remains occupied by anti-government... (ABC Online)
Bangkok's main airport will take at least week to reopen after protests Dec 1, 2008
Bangkok's main airport will take at least week to reopen after protests - International Herald Tribune. An anti-government protester sleeping on the ground below a check-in counter inside Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Monday ... Bangkok's main airport will take at least week to reopen after protests. (International Herald Tribune)
France to fly home nationals from Thailand Dec 1, 2008
France's government is chartering a wide-body aircraft to help return home French nationals stranded in Thailand by the closure of Bangkok's two civilian airports ... The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that French nationals who have made themselves known to France's embassy in Bangkok will benefit from the flight, with priority for the "most urgent" cases ... Bangkok's two airports have been closed since last Tuesday after being occupied by anti-government demonstrators. (International Herald Tribune)
Stranded planes begin to leave Thai airport, but protesters remain Dec 1, 2008
Thousands of protesters continued to occupy Bangkok's airports Monday, although the demonstrators agreed to allow pilots to fly away 90 stranded aircraft ... Thousands of protesters continued to occupy Bangkok's two airports on Monday, although the demonstrators agreed to allow pilots to fly away dozens of empty airplanes that had been stranded at Thailand's main international gateway ... Photos: Protesters shut down Bangkok airport. (International Herald Tribune)
Thai government backers rally in capital Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand Government supporters converged on the capital on Sunday, in a counter to protesters who seized control of Bangkok's two airports and forced the Prime Minister to run the country from afar ... Bangkok Police gather in formation near a checkpoint Sunday at Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok ... Demonstrators with the People's Alliance for Democracy continue to hold both of Bangkok's airports and say they will not leave until Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns from office. (Globe and Mail)
Violence escalates in Thai capital Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK A grenade blast wounded 46 anti-government protesters in Bangkok, hospital officials said on Sunday, the latest escalation in the country's increasingly violent political crisis ... Anti-government protesters who have closed down Bangkok's airports broke through a police cordon meant to shut them off from supplies ... He blamed pro-government supporters for the attack, which came as the group's dramatic blockade of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport entered its fifth day. (Globe and Mail)
Airport clash grounds Thailand Dec 1, 2008
Rest for the restless: A protester slept at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Saturday, four days after the facility was taken over ... BANGKOK, THAILAND - A week of escalating resistance by anti-government protesters has put the Thai capital in a stranglehold that its flailing civilian government seems unable to break ... The stalemate has raised fears of widespread unrest in a war of attrition between a populist ruling party and a royalist protest movement in Bangkok that is determined to... (Christian Science Monitor)
Thai government removes national police chief Dec 1, 2008
AP Anti-government demonstrators gather at Suvarnabhumi airport Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand ... BANGKOK, Thailand Thailand's prime minister demoted the national police chief Friday after thousands of protesters occupied the capital's airports in an anti-government campaign that has plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades ... Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Suchart Maunkaew said police would issue a second statement later giving a deadline. (Yahoo News)
Stranded pilgrims leave Bangkok airport for hajj Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand More than 450 Muslim pilgrims stranded at Bangkok's besieged international airport for four days were bused Sunday to a military base where they were to board a plane for the hajj ... Anusart Suwanmongkol said buses transported the pilgrims from Suvarnabhumi airport to the U-Tapao naval base, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Bangkok ... The pilgrims arrived in Bangkok from Thailand's Muslim-majority southern provinces on Tuesday, hours before anti-government... (Yahoo News)
Chaotic scenes in Thailand Dec 1, 2008
A Thai stranded Hajj pilgrim from the country's south reads the Koran as others rest at the departure terminal of Bangkok's occupied international airport, on November 28, 2008 ... Article By: Newley Purnell Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:17 Not even the dancing girls provided by a local hotel could cheer thousands of travellers as they tried to flee protest-hit Thailand through a chaotic Vietnam-era airbase outside Bangkok ... Built in the 1960s by the US air force and equipped with just one X-ray scanner... (iAfrica.com)
Mandela, Clinton Should Make Room for Thaksin Dec 1, 2008
Protesters have taken airports in Bangkok; Prime Minister , who is Thaksins brother-in-law, is on the defensive amid coup rumors; grenades are going off in the capital; and investors are left with a stark question: Why bother ... Many see Thaksins new foundation as an attempt to counter his enemies portrayal of him as a corrupt leader, says , director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok ... Leaders in Bangkok and the protesters... (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
Bangkok nightmare far from over for Aussies Dec 1, 2008
SEVEN busloads of stranded Australians, some of them distressed, left Bangkok for a 14-hour road journey to the southern resort island of Phuket yesterday where a Qantas plane was waiting to fly them to Singapore. But Australian diplomats in Bangkok say hundreds, possibly thousands, more Australians are still trapped in Thailand as anti-government protestors continue to occupy the capital's two airports and the country's political crisis deepens ... "It's difficult to know exactly how many are... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Relieved travellers fly home from trouble spots Dec 1, 2008
Lindsay Murdoch in Bangkok and Paul BibbyDecember 2, 2008. AUSTRALIAN travellers caught up in anti-Government protests in Bangkok last week are expected to start arriving in Sydney tonight via Singapore ... Meanwhile, seven busloads of stranded Australians left Bangkok yesterday for a 14-hour road journey to the southern resort island of Phuket, where a special Qantas plane was waiting to fly them to Singapore. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
All stranded Chinese tourists expected to return home from Thailand by Dec. 1 Dec 1, 2008
A China Eastern Airbus-300 arrives at the Utapao Airport near Pattaya, about 150 km east of Bangkok, capital of Thailand, Nov. 29, 2008. Chinese aviation authorities were sending 5 planes on Saturday to Thailand to bring home the remaining stranded Chinese tourists after the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok ... Four Chinese mainland carriers have sent nine planes to retrieve the tourists after Bangkok's international airport closed because of a protest. (Xinhuanet, China)
GM delays Thai diesel engine plant Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK: Troubled carmaker General Motors Corp has suspended the construction of its US$445mil diesel engine facility in Thailand due to the global financial crisis, the Nation newspaper reported on Saturday. Work on the site in Rayong,150km southeast of Bangkok, was put on hold for one year, said Steve Carlisle, president of General Motors in South-East Asia. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Planes Evacuated From Thai Airport Dec 1, 2008
" The spokeswoman said that of the original 88 planes, 29 belong to flag carrier Thai Airways, 16 to Thai AirAsia and 15 to private-run Bangkok Airways. The remaining 28 aircraft are from various other airlines, 12 of them belonging to the airlines of foreign countries. No passengers were however allowed to leave through Suvarnabhumi, officials said. The People's Alliance for Democracy protest movement has refused to leave the airport, and the smaller Don Mueang domestic hub in Bangkok which it... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Minn. college students stuck in Bangkok Dec 1, 2008
college students stuck in Bangkok ... A group of 18 students and three teachers from Northwestern College in St. Paul is stranded in Bangkok, where anti-government protesters have taken over the airport ... As the group was preparing to leave Thailand for Japan, protesters laid siege to Bangkok's two airports and shut them down. (Brainerd Daily Dispatch)
Thai protesters leave PM's office after attacks Dec 1, 2008
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai protesters Monday began leaving the prime minister's offices after a three-month sit-in, moving instead to reinforce a paralysing anti-government blockade of Bangkok's two airports ... In another apparent climbdown, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) allowed 37 empty aircraft to fly out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport in the past two days ... The abandonment of the premier's offices will likely ease the risk of clashes with a rival pro-government group... (Yahoo! Asia News)
Explosions Injure 51 In Thai Protests Nov 30, 2008
Bangkok's Airports Remain Shut Down; Protesters Demand PM's Resignation. BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov. 29, 2008 ... Anti-government protesters shout and cheer during a protest at government house in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008. (CBS News)
100,000 stranded at Thailand airports Nov 30, 2008
Anti-government protesters have grounded flights in and out of Bangkok. Stranded Western tourists wait for transportation Wednesday at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand ... Nov. 25: Thousands of anti-government protesters sealed off Bangkok's new international airport Tuesday, leaving holiday travelers stranded and bewildered as scores of flights were canceled. (Huntington WSAZ-TV, WV)
100,000 stranded at Thailand airports Nov 30, 2008
Anti-government protesters have grounded flights in and out of Bangkok. Stranded Western tourists wait for transportation Wednesday at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand ... Nov. 25: Thousands of anti-government protesters sealed off Bangkok's new international airport Tuesday, leaving holiday travelers stranded and bewildered as scores of flights were canceled. (MSNBC -- International)
Tensions rise over Thai blockade Nov 30, 2008
Tensions continued to rise in Bangkok as thousands of anti-government protesters occupied the city's two main airports for a sixth day ... Fears of violence between pro- and anti-government groups are growing, after a grenade attack in Bangkok ... It is widely presumed to be retaliation for the airport occupation, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. (BBC News)
Belgian TV news crew beaten in China Nov 30, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand (Hollywood Reporter) - A Belgian TV journalist and his crew were assaulted while reporting on AIDS in Central China. The incident underscores the ongoing difficulties in bringing a new media openness to the provinces under an official change in policy that the government adopted around the time of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. (Reuters Canada)
Peacock's family caught in Thailand turmoil Nov 30, 2008
DISTRAUGHT England rugby league captain Jamie Peacock faces an anxious wait after his family - including his heavily pregnant wife - were stranded in Bangkok due to anti-government protests ... What if my wife has to give birth in Bangkok ... " Peacock said his family had been able to move out of the airport and find accommodation in Bangkok - but it had hardly eased his concerns. "My wife needs to return to England to have an injection [for her pregnancy] immediately, having missed the... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Britons still stuck in Thai chaos Nov 30, 2008
British travellers stranded in Thailand after anti-government protesters took over Bangkok's main airports are facing several more days of frustration ... Gemma France, from Chelmsford in Essex, was due to fly home from Bangkok on Sunday afternoon ... The 25-year-old sales worker and her boyfriend were visiting the islands in the south of country but their flight to Bangkok was cancelled, forcing the pair to embark on a three-day trip to the Thai capital via taxi and train. (BBC News -- UK)
Waiting game Nov 30, 2008
Bangkok Britons appeal for help. Thai police confront anti-government protesters in Bangkok ... British travellers left stranded by anti-government airport protests in Bangkok say they feel abandoned and isolated with little prospect of getting home soon. (BBC News -- UK)
Protests Strangle Thai Economy, Strand Tourists Nov 30, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand Anti-government protesters who have closed down Bangkok's airports broke through a police cordon meant to shut them off from supplies, raising fears Saturday of widening confrontations in the standoff that has strangled the country's economy. Bangkok's domestic airport has also been seized, severing the capital from all commercial air traffic and virtually paralyzing the government ... Several airlines have begun flying rescue flights to the U-Tapao naval airport, 90 miles... (Fox News)
at last tourists leave Thailand Nov 30, 2008
Sian Powell and Bangkok and Anne Barrowclough. The first tourists have finally begun to leave Thailand, 6 days after protesters forced the closure of Bangkok's two airports, stranding thousands of holiday makers ... But while planes are starting to leave the tiny U-Tapao naval airbase south of Bangkok, it is taking passengers up to eight hours just to get through check-in and onto their planes. (Times Online)
Grenade attack wounds 50 Thai protesters Nov 30, 2008
A grenade blast has wounded more than 50 anti-government protesters in Bangkok ahead of a pro government rally later today ... PAD supporters have also taken over both of Bangkok's main airports, forcing them to close and stranding thousands of tourists, including at least 2000 Britons ... Last night, the militants, wielding slingshots and clubs, forced riot police to flee the main Suvarnabhumi airport, the gateway to Bangkok for British Airways and other international carriers. (Times Online)
Growing rift threatens to tear India apart Nov 30, 2008
Anti-government protesters storm Bangkok airport. Pictures of the Week. (Times Online)
