Passengers stuck, cargo stranded as standoff continues
By NISHA RAMCHANDANI
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(SINGAPORE) With Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport under siege and the political standoff still continuing, several airlines decided to cancel flights to the Thai capital.
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They include Singapore Airlines (SIA), Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways which cited safety concerns at the paralysed airport.
Thailand's national carrier Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and AirAsia were also among those that grounded flights to Bangkok yesterday.
Thai Airways' 140 inbound and outbound flights from Suvarnabhumi are 'temporarily suspended' until the airport 'resumes normal operations'. Sixteen Thai Airways flights had to be diverted to Don Muang International Airport, while another three flights were diverted to U-Tapao Airport. Thai Airways said it expected to lose revenues of about 500 million baht (S$21.4 million) a day as a result of the closure.
SIA has also suspended all flights to and from Bangkok, including its flights from Tokyo Narita, until further notice.
Airlines such as SIA, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways have said that passengers affected by the suspended flights have the option of a change of flight date, a change in destination - although the difference in fares needs to be topped up - or a full refund.
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Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia have both cancelled morning flights to and from Bangkok today, but are adopting a wait-and-see approach before committing to any decisions for evening flights.
In a national television address last night, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Thailand's Cabinet will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss 'measures' against protesters in Bangkok who have broken the law.
Reuters reported that Mr Somchai also refused to heed an army call for him to step down and call a snap election, saying his government was democratically elected and would continue to work for the good of the country. Earlier, Thai army chief General Anupong Paochinda asked the government to call fresh polls.
More than 3,000 passengers were stuck at Suvarnabhumi overnight, until the Thai authorities started evacuating some travellers to nearby hotels yesterday. Meanwhile, freight operators, hoteliers and travel agencies are also taking a hit.
SIA Cargo, which operates three weekly freighter services to Bangkok, has stopped accepting any cargo into and out of Bangkok until further notice. Cargo that came in yesterday to Singapore from Kuwait flew directly to Singapore instead of stopping at Bangkok.
In the event of a prolonged closure, SIA Cargo plans to truck cargo into Bangkok, bearing any additional costs.
Meanwhile, the scheduled FedEx flight to Bangkok is being held at its Asia Pacific hub - Subic Bay in the Philippines - pending the reopening of Suvarnabhumi. Inbound shipments are also being held at Subic Bay.
Over at DHL Express, the closure of Suvarnabhumi has led to inbound and outbound shipments being routed to other airports in Thailand.
'Shipments to and from other regional countries - Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and some countries in South Asia - are being supported through our Singapore hub to ensure minimum disruption,' added Stephen Fenwick, senior vice-president of operations, DHL Express (Asia Pacific).
Resort operator Banyan Tree Holdings said that while Banyan Tree Bangkok remains fully operational, it has received some cancellations. The group's third-quarter results were already affected by the forced closure of Phuket Airport in August and the unrest is deterring travellers from visiting Thailand. Banyan Tree had warned earlier this month that if the political turmoil is protracted, it could have significant impact on the group.
Some 20 customers who were bound for Bangkok have already called up tour operator CTC Holidays to cancel or change their holiday plans to other destinations such as Hong Kong and Vietnam, while another 10 travellers are currently stranded in Bangkok.
'We've established contact with them and advised them to extend their stay,' Alicia Seah, CTC's senior vice-president of marketing and PR told BT, pointing out that the closure of Phuket Airport in August had only lasted two days.
In true Singaporean fashion, the stranded travellers are making the best of their 'extended vacation' by squeezing in some extra shopping.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has advised Singaporeans to postpone visits to Bangkok if there is no pressing need. MFA also advised Singaporeans who decide to travel to Thailand to register with the MFA online, so that they can be contacted in case of emergencies.
With additional reporting by Ang An Shing and Jonathan Gan
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