Taipei  - Taiwan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Friday that two of the island's major air carriers were to bring home people from Taiwan who have been stranded in Thailand because of the occupation of Bangkok's two airports by anti-government protestors.

"We have coordinated with China Airlines and EVA Airways to help bring our people back," said Chang Chi-ping, deputy ministry spokesman.

He said about 500 people from Taiwan were still stranded at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport but would be transferred to airports outside Bangkok from where the two airlines would take them back to Taiwan.

Around 1,500 other Taiwanese have already been taken to other Thai airports and were waiting to return home, officials of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau said.

Taipei-based China Airlines dispatched an additional flight Friday to Chiang Mai International Airport in northern Thailand to bring 313 stranded Taiwanese home, the airline said in a statement.

In addition to EVA, Thai Airways International also agreed to help evacuate the rest of Taiwan tourists stranded in Thailand, Chang said.

Thai protestors determined to topple the government laid siege to Suvarnabhumi Tuesday evening and the Thai capital's other commercial airport, Don Mueang, on Thursday. (dpa)