Bangkok int'l airport closed
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No news yet. The PM was suppose to officially announce the state of emergency at 8:30pm, its now 9:00pm. I suspect once the police are in position he'll announce the state of emergency and they'll begin the process of removing the protesters. There will probably be a bit of bloodshed tonight one could assume...
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Diversions to UTP
Very few flights are diverting to U-Tapao.I posted a list of yesterday's ones.
AS for turn round times,these are best described as protracted.Probably the best performance yesterday was BR68 from LHR to TPE which was on the ground for 4 hours.
A Ural Airlines A320 was on the deck for 9 hours and the 2 Indian Airlines A320/A321 were on the ground for some 13 hours.
The El Al flight departed from here around 05.00 this morning,some 5 hours behind time.
Bringing the PAX from BKK is no easy task and delays for catering and immigration add to the problems.
Today's diversions up to 20.00 local time were UN505/506(B777),S7859/860 (A310) and TK061 (A330?).
Bangkok Air are operating some additional flights from the south into here.
AS for turn round times,these are best described as protracted.Probably the best performance yesterday was BR68 from LHR to TPE which was on the ground for 4 hours.
A Ural Airlines A320 was on the deck for 9 hours and the 2 Indian Airlines A320/A321 were on the ground for some 13 hours.
The El Al flight departed from here around 05.00 this morning,some 5 hours behind time.
Bringing the PAX from BKK is no easy task and delays for catering and immigration add to the problems.
Today's diversions up to 20.00 local time were UN505/506(B777),S7859/860 (A310) and TK061 (A330?).
Bangkok Air are operating some additional flights from the south into here.
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BKK airports to remain closed for 48 hours more?
Around 18.00 hours local time a statement wes released stating that both Bangkok airports would remain closed for another 48 hours.
At the same time a state of emergency was declared at both airports,which among other things prohibits gatherings of more than 5 people.
As the Army are reluctant to intervene,the government would appear to be powerless to halt this protest.
The PAD have blockaded Government House for some 3 months already,and as their numbers at Suvarnabhumi run well into the thousands,a settlement needs to be arrived at,or these airports could remain closed for some time.
Any attempt at removing the protesters by force could result in Suvarnabhumi being trashed.
The trouble here is for a settlement to be arrived at,someone has to lose face,which in Asia is a big no-no.
At the same time a state of emergency was declared at both airports,which among other things prohibits gatherings of more than 5 people.
As the Army are reluctant to intervene,the government would appear to be powerless to halt this protest.
The PAD have blockaded Government House for some 3 months already,and as their numbers at Suvarnabhumi run well into the thousands,a settlement needs to be arrived at,or these airports could remain closed for some time.
Any attempt at removing the protesters by force could result in Suvarnabhumi being trashed.
The trouble here is for a settlement to be arrived at,someone has to lose face,which in Asia is a big no-no.
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Very few flights are diverting to U-Tapao.I posted a list of yesterday's ones.
AS for turn round times,these are best described as protracted.Probably the best performance yesterday was BR68 from LHR to TPE which was on the ground for 4 hours.
A Ural Airlines A320 was on the deck for 9 hours and the 2 Indian Airlines A320/A321 were on the ground for some 13 hours.
The El Al flight departed from here around 05.00 this morning,some 5 hours behind time.
Bringing the PAX from BKK is no easy task and delays for catering and immigration add to the problems.
Today's diversions up to 20.00 local time were UN505/506(B777),S7859/860 (A310) and TK061 (A330?).
Bangkok Air are operating some additional flights from the south into here.
AS for turn round times,these are best described as protracted.Probably the best performance yesterday was BR68 from LHR to TPE which was on the ground for 4 hours.
A Ural Airlines A320 was on the deck for 9 hours and the 2 Indian Airlines A320/A321 were on the ground for some 13 hours.
The El Al flight departed from here around 05.00 this morning,some 5 hours behind time.
Bringing the PAX from BKK is no easy task and delays for catering and immigration add to the problems.
Today's diversions up to 20.00 local time were UN505/506(B777),S7859/860 (A310) and TK061 (A330?).
Bangkok Air are operating some additional flights from the south into here.
what do you think of the other option of collecting pax in bkk and hire a coach/es for them to go to Phuket? does that make sence?
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Re diversions to UTP
B747-800,
It,s a long way to Phuket from BKK,Surat Thani may be a better option as it is around half the distance from BKK,and the airport is just off route 4.
They don't have scheduled international flights,but charters operate from there time to time,so arranging immigration should be no problem.
They built a new terminal there in the late 90s,so the airport should be a good choice to use.
Other options might be Khon Kean,some 300 Km north,or Phitsanulok,again around 300 Km north of BKK.
Best of luck.
It,s a long way to Phuket from BKK,Surat Thani may be a better option as it is around half the distance from BKK,and the airport is just off route 4.
They don't have scheduled international flights,but charters operate from there time to time,so arranging immigration should be no problem.
They built a new terminal there in the late 90s,so the airport should be a good choice to use.
Other options might be Khon Kean,some 300 Km north,or Phitsanulok,again around 300 Km north of BKK.
Best of luck.
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It,s a long way to Phuket from BKK,Surat Thani may be a better option as it is around half the distance from BKK,and the airport is just off route 4.
Surat Thani is nothing like only half the distance from BKK. Surat Thani and Phuket are only marginally further away than each other from BKK as the crow flies, and the difference is only a couple of hours by bus. Done the journey from BKK to Surat Thani and Phuket many, many times by bus, car, air and train.
from:Ratchadamnoen Nok to:4153 to
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I know that BKK was evacuated of travellers last night/earlier today (GMT) but I've not heard anything about those stuck airside - have they been able to be evacuated to hotels etc? Or are they still in the airport as their visa's have now "left" the country and are therefore stuck?
I see that airlines are planning to run services to/from/via BKK from Friday, pending further updates about the situation at the airports
I see that airlines are planning to run services to/from/via BKK from Friday, pending further updates about the situation at the airports
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An update on my situation...went out on the town tonight, nothing different, no major police presence or anything like that, although we are no longer near the airport. Our company has decided the best plan of action is to book the crew on a charter flight out of the airport at Chon Buri tomorrrow, that plan is about 80% sure for tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
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Concerning raffele's comment that `airlines are planning to run services to/from/via BKK from Friday, pending further updates about the situation at the airports,' at least publicly the airlines have been doing this for the last two days. It would be helpful to know whether, on Friday, the information on which these plans are based is more authoritative.
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Other Route Options
Does Tiger Airlines still fly Udon Thani - Singapore? Sounds a long way to go but is in fact closer than Phuket. Also, many taxi/mini bus drivers are from the NE and so the fare tends to be much cheaper...5k-7k has been quoted in last last year for the taxi trip. Hotel accommodation isn't Bangkok standard but still good and 800 Baht can get you a double, 1700 baht a suite...3-4* standard.
Just a thought for those needing to get away soonest.
JH
Just a thought for those needing to get away soonest.
JH
ASIA Region in chaos as air links severed
Saturday November 29, 2008
Web Bangkok Post | The World's Window to Thailand | PAD, Thai politics, Thai government, People's Alliance for Democracy, Thailand, News
Region in chaos as air links severed
The severing of air links with Bangkok - a vital air hub that handles 3% of world air cargo and 100,000 travellers a day - rippled through the region with airlines scrambling to reroute passengers and freight as hopes for a quick resolution to the crisis faded.
The government yesterday backed away from a threat to use force to disperse the protesters who have shut down the capital's two commercial airports, setting the scene for a prolonged disruption to transport across the region and a massive blow to the kingdom's economy.
Since Tuesday, dozens of airlines have cancelled all flights to and from Bangkok until further notice while others made special arrangements to rescue passengers stranded in Thailand, some by utilising U-tapao airport.
Suvarnabhumi airport is one of the world's most "densely connected" airports, serving about 100 airlines with flights to 184 cities in 68 countries, said Andrew Herdman, director-general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines.
"The biggest impact is on Thai Airways. Their hub is shut and crippling their operations," said Mr Herdman. "The ripple effect for other Asian carriers in rerouting passengers and cargo causes a significant knock-on disruption."
On a normal day, about 100,000 passengers pass through Suvarnabhumi, Mr Herdman said. "That's a lot of inconvenience for a lot of people," he said.
Thai Airways, losing 490 million baht in revenue a day with its fleet parked on the tarmac, said yesterday it would try to operate flights from U-tapao airport.
But it was unlikely U-tapao could handle more than a trickle of extra passengers. U-tapao's car park has room for just 100 vehicles and its terminal can accommodate only 400 people at once.
Cathay Pacific Airways scheduled two flights yesterday and today from U-tapao airport to bring home Hong Kong residents, said spokeswoman Carolyn Leung. Air Macao and Malaysia's AirAsia are also planning rescue flights to U-tapao.
Tourism officials and economists says the tourism industry's losses over the remainder of the year will balloon to about 150 billion baht, equal to 1.5% of gross domestic product, with two million or more travellers canceling their plans.
Exporters in Thailand are aghast at the mounting costs of lost trade, estimated by the Federation of Thai Industries at two to three billion baht a day.
Singapore Airlines' six daily flights to Bangkok were halted for a third day. Japan Airlines has stopped all five daily flights between Bangkok and three Japanese cities, including Tokyo, since Wednesday.
Web Bangkok Post | The World's Window to Thailand | PAD, Thai politics, Thai government, People's Alliance for Democracy, Thailand, News
Region in chaos as air links severed
The severing of air links with Bangkok - a vital air hub that handles 3% of world air cargo and 100,000 travellers a day - rippled through the region with airlines scrambling to reroute passengers and freight as hopes for a quick resolution to the crisis faded.
The government yesterday backed away from a threat to use force to disperse the protesters who have shut down the capital's two commercial airports, setting the scene for a prolonged disruption to transport across the region and a massive blow to the kingdom's economy.
Since Tuesday, dozens of airlines have cancelled all flights to and from Bangkok until further notice while others made special arrangements to rescue passengers stranded in Thailand, some by utilising U-tapao airport.
Suvarnabhumi airport is one of the world's most "densely connected" airports, serving about 100 airlines with flights to 184 cities in 68 countries, said Andrew Herdman, director-general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines.
"The biggest impact is on Thai Airways. Their hub is shut and crippling their operations," said Mr Herdman. "The ripple effect for other Asian carriers in rerouting passengers and cargo causes a significant knock-on disruption."
On a normal day, about 100,000 passengers pass through Suvarnabhumi, Mr Herdman said. "That's a lot of inconvenience for a lot of people," he said.
Thai Airways, losing 490 million baht in revenue a day with its fleet parked on the tarmac, said yesterday it would try to operate flights from U-tapao airport.
But it was unlikely U-tapao could handle more than a trickle of extra passengers. U-tapao's car park has room for just 100 vehicles and its terminal can accommodate only 400 people at once.
Cathay Pacific Airways scheduled two flights yesterday and today from U-tapao airport to bring home Hong Kong residents, said spokeswoman Carolyn Leung. Air Macao and Malaysia's AirAsia are also planning rescue flights to U-tapao.
Tourism officials and economists says the tourism industry's losses over the remainder of the year will balloon to about 150 billion baht, equal to 1.5% of gross domestic product, with two million or more travellers canceling their plans.
Exporters in Thailand are aghast at the mounting costs of lost trade, estimated by the Federation of Thai Industries at two to three billion baht a day.
Singapore Airlines' six daily flights to Bangkok were halted for a third day. Japan Airlines has stopped all five daily flights between Bangkok and three Japanese cities, including Tokyo, since Wednesday.
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VTBU simply can't handle it all. The notice from ThaiNewsLand lists 12 of the 20 additional airports. But like U-tapao, though the runways may be sufficient for traffic, passenger, ramp, immigration, security and customer service facilities will be lacking.
At least 3 of those alternates have previously been closed by the protesters.
At least 3 of those alternates have previously been closed by the protesters.
ATTENTION: Chiang Mai International Airport, Phuket International Airport, Chiang Rai International Airport, Hat Yai International Airport, Khon Kaen Airport, Krabi Airport, Phitsanulok Airport, Samui Airport, Sukhothai Airport, Surat Thani Airport, Ubon Ratchathani Airport and Udon Thani International Airport are all operating normally. There has been no declaration of a State of Emergency.
N4790P
What load of rubbish.
Thailand on 'most dangerous' list for travellers
Thailand has made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous Places as compiled by the Telegraph newspaper of London.
The latest edition of the list puts Thailand as the seventh most-dangerous spot for travellers behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan. Thailand is said to be more dangerous than Colombia and Haiti at the moment.
It justifies the Thai spot on the list because of "major political demonstrations and a temporary state of emergency" at the two Bangkok airports.
It also cites the continuing demonstrations around Government House, the Cambodian-Thai fighting on the border, and "civil unrest and frequent attacks" in the deep South.
The British "Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to these areas," the newspaper said.
.
Thailand on 'most dangerous' list for travellers
Thailand has made the list of the Top 20 Most Dangerous Places as compiled by the Telegraph newspaper of London.
The latest edition of the list puts Thailand as the seventh most-dangerous spot for travellers behind Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan. Thailand is said to be more dangerous than Colombia and Haiti at the moment.
It justifies the Thai spot on the list because of "major political demonstrations and a temporary state of emergency" at the two Bangkok airports.
It also cites the continuing demonstrations around Government House, the Cambodian-Thai fighting on the border, and "civil unrest and frequent attacks" in the deep South.
The British "Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to these areas," the newspaper said.
.
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we explored yesterday the possibility of operating an A330 into VTBU and decided against it. guess our pax will have to go to Phuket International Airport as we'll plan for a flight tomorrow there to "rescue" them.
haven't been for a long time in phuket..........anything special to watch out for?
haven't been for a long time in phuket..........anything special to watch out for?
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VUBU Saturday 29 November
This airport is now receiving some 50+ flights per day.The terminal area is total chaos.
As of 09.00 UTC today the ramp was full,with further aircraft waiting on the taxyways for parking places and further aircraft holding overhead as there was nowhere for them to go once they had landed.
More and more airlines are coming here as each day passes.
Turn round times are very long,with for example MH784/785 (A330)today being on the ground for over 6 hours.
Military security has been heightened to forstall any action from the PAD.
As of 09.00 UTC today the ramp was full,with further aircraft waiting on the taxyways for parking places and further aircraft holding overhead as there was nowhere for them to go once they had landed.
More and more airlines are coming here as each day passes.
Turn round times are very long,with for example MH784/785 (A330)today being on the ground for over 6 hours.
Military security has been heightened to forstall any action from the PAD.
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Stranded aircraft permitted to leave Suvarnabhumi Airport
Thai newspaper The Nation reports today (Monday 1st December) that "Airports of Thailand (AOT), the operator of Suvarnabhumi Airport, yesterday gave the green light to Thai Airways International and other airlines to remove a total of 88 aircraft grounded since last Tuesday." You can find the full story here:
Stranded aircrafts allowed to leave - Nationmultimedia.com
Stranded aircrafts allowed to leave - Nationmultimedia.com
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As a "vitctim" of the current shutdown in BKK, I am wondering what are the implications, if any, for TG's slots at LHR. As these are granted on a "use or lose" basis, does there come a point after which the non-arrival of TG flights places these slots in jeopardy?