Thailand

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport resumes full operations

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport resumes full operations Bangkok  - Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport resumed full operations Friday after being shut down for a week by protestors as part of their campaign to topple the government.

More than 100 international and domestic flights were expected to use the airport on Friday, said the Bangkok Post online news service.

Acting Transport Minister Santi Promphat together with officials from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) inspected Suvarnabhumi's readiness Friday morning.

Thai King misses birthday speech for first time in decades

Thai King Bhumibol AdulyadejBangkok - Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday did not show up to deliver his annual birthday-eve speech at Chitralada Palace for the first time in decades. He will turn 81 on Friday.

His daughter, Princes Maha Chakkri Sirinthorn, said the king was having trouble swallowing his food and suffering from congestion.

Bangkok’s airports resume operations after protests end

Bangkok, Dec. 4 : Flights have begun operating from Bangkok''s two airports, almost a week after the city was brought to a complete standstill by opposition protests.

However, airport officials have said that a full schedule will not resume for another day.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport was taking in a limited number of international flights and flights are leaving for Australia and Europe.

A halt was called to the blockade of the country''s two main airports on Wednesday after a Tuesday court ruling that deposed the prime minister and banned the three ruling parties due to charges of electoral fraud.

According to the BBC, the protesters agreed to leave the airports after the prime minister resigned.

Widow of Hong Kong tourist killed in Thai air chaos flies home

Hong Kong  - The widow of a Hong Kong man killed in a car crash as he travelled across Thailand to try to catch a flight out of the country was due to arrive back home Wednesday.

Fung Man-wai suffered only minor injuries in the minibus accident on Monday that killed her husband David Yick Hok-wing and a Canadian man and also left a British woman tourist seriously injured.

Fung and Yik were passengers in a minibus taking tourists from stricken Bangkok airport to the southern resort island of Phuket to try to catch flights out of Thailand when it crashed at 3 am Monday.

Thai PM dismissed from office after weeks of protests

Prime Minister Somchai WongsawatBangkok, Dec. 3 : Thailand''s ruling People’s Power Party has been dissolved and Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has been dismissed from office by a court ruling on Tuesday after weeks of protests.

According to The Telegraph, the judgment was greeted with jubilation by anti-government protesters who overran Bangkok’s airports last week, demanding that the government step down.

“We have won a victory and achieved our aims,” declared the protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul.

Anti-government protestors leave airports after week-long closures

Bangkok  - Thousands of anti-government protestors ended their occupation of Bangkok's two airports Wednesday, ending a week-long siege that crippled the country's tourism and exports sectors.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) announced late Tuesday night that it would lift its siege of Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang after achieving its political objective of forcing Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat out of his post, and blocking constitutional amendments that might have led to a return to politics of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, their nemesis.

The PAD promised to leave the two airports by mid-day Wednesday. The demonstrators have also evacuated Government House, which they seized on August 26.

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