2nd Bangkok airport closed down by the thugs

Protesters force second Thai airport to shut down

By VIJAY JOSHI – 3 hours ago

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thai authorities shut down Bangkok's second
airport Thursday after it was overrun by anti-government protesters,
completely cutting off the capital from air traffic as the prime
minister rejected their demands to resign, deepening the country's
crisis.

Thailand's powerful army commander, who has remained neutral in the
conflict, stepped into the fray Wednesday, urging Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat to step down.

He also asked thousands of protesters to end their siege of the main
international Suvarnabhumi airport. It has been shut since Tuesday
night, leaving hundreds of flights canceled and drawing world
attention to a turmoil that has reduced Thailand to a dysfunctional
nation.

The anti-government protests, which gathered pace four months ago,
have paralyzed the government, battered the stock market, spooked
foreign investors and dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry.

The crisis worsened early Thursday as authorities shut down the Don
Muang domestic airport, which had been receiving some diverted flights
from Suvarnabhumi.

Serirat Prasutanont, chief of Thailand Airport Authority, said
authorities feared that protesters who stormed the Don Muang terminal
building late Wednesday might harm passengers and aircraft.

He said authorities might consider using the U Ta Pao air force base,
140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok, and were alerting
airports nationwide to be ready to receive more diverted flights.

The closure of the two airports left thousands of foreign tourists
stranded, including Americans trying to get home for their
Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.

Cheryl Turner, 63, of Scottsdale, Arizona, had asked neighbors to pull
an 18-pound turkey from her freezer a day ahead of time to defrost so
she could cook it for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

"My turkey is sitting in the sink at home," she said.

Inside the terminal, many passengers were seen lounging on the floor.
One Westerner created a commotion, yelling: "I need to get to Phuket
now!"

As a female official tried to calm him, he shouted: "You will help me?
I can't go by bus! I can't go by plane! How do I get there!"

The protests are being led by a loose coalition known as the People's
Alliance for Democracy. It accuses Somchai of acting as the puppet for
former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a
September 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and
abuse of power. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, is in exile,
a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.

On Wednesday, a district court ordered the alliance leaders and their
supporters to immediately leave Suvarnabhumi International Airport,
calling it "an infringement on other individuals who have freedom of
movement."

However, the protesters are unlikely to heed the order -- a reflection
of their boldness amid the government's unwillingness to use force for
fear of causing bloodshed.

Still, Prime Minister Somchai, who returned from Peru on Wednesday but
was forced to land in the northern city of Chiang Mai, is also not
budging from his position.

Somchai said in an address to the nation that he came to power through
elections and has "a job to protect democracy for the people of
Thailand."

The statement amounted to a rejection of Army Gen. Anupong Paochinda's
suggestion to quit, which seemed to put him on a collision course with
the military, although the general has said he would not launch a
coup.

Somsak Kosaisuk, a key protest alliance leader, said protesters
stormed Don Muang airport because they want to prevent members of
Somchai's Cabinet from flying to Chiang Mai for a proposed emergency
Cabinet meeting Thursday.

The drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai takes about eight hours.

Still, government spokesman Nattawut Saikau said the emergency meeting
would go ahead. "The key issue is how to deal with escalating violence
in the country," he told The Associated Press.

The People's Alliance for Democracy insists it would continue its
airport occupation and other protest activities until Somchai resigns.
It rejected the general's proposal for new elections, pushing instead
for the appointment of a temporary government.

On Thursday, the EU and the British Foreign Office expressed concern
at the deteriorating situation.

"We urge all sides to this political dispute to resolve their
differences peacefully and legally, respecting Thailand's democratic
institutions," Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said.

The European Union said in a statement that "any anti-constitutional
attempt to interfere in the democratic process would have a negative
impact on EU/Thailand relations."

As the deadlock continued, political violence spread Wednesday to
Chiang Mai, where government supporters attacked a radio station
aligned with the protesters. Separately, there were unconfirmed
reports that one man was killed and several people assaulted in an
attack on the city's local airport.

Thousands of travelers were stranded in Bangkok when members of the
alliance swarmed the airport Tuesday night, forcing a halt to
virtually all outgoing flights.

The protest alliance launched its current campaign in late August,
storming the grounds of the prime minister's office, which they
continue to use as their stronghold. The group has also tried twice to
blockade Parliament, in one case setting off a daylong street battle
with police that left two people dead and hundreds injured.

The useless Thai Police and Military !

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...
Protesters force second Thai airport to shut down

By VIJAY JOSHI ?3 hours ago

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) ?Thai authorities shut down Bangkok's second
airport Thursday after it was overrun by anti-government protesters,
completely cutting off the capital from air traffic as the prime
minister rejected their demands to resign, deepening the country's
crisis.

Thailand's powerful army commander, who has remained neutral in the
conflict, stepped into the fray Wednesday, urging Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat to step down.

He also asked thousands of protesters to end their siege of the main
international Suvarnabhumi airport. It has been shut since Tuesday
night, leaving hundreds of flights canceled and drawing world
attention to a turmoil that has reduced Thailand to a dysfunctional
nation.

The anti-government protests, which gathered pace four months ago,
have paralyzed the government, battered the stock market, spooked
foreign investors and dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry.

The crisis worsened early Thursday as authorities shut down the Don
Muang domestic airport, which had been receiving some diverted flights
from Suvarnabhumi.

Serirat Prasutanont, chief of Thailand Airport Authority, said
authorities feared that protesters who stormed the Don Muang terminal
building late Wednesday might harm passengers and aircraft.

He said authorities might consider using the U Ta Pao air force base,
140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok, and were alerting
airports nationwide to be ready to receive more diverted flights.

The closure of the two airports left thousands of foreign tourists
stranded, including Americans trying to get home for their
Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.

Cheryl Turner, 63, of Scottsdale, Arizona, had asked neighbors to pull
an 18-pound turkey from her freezer a day ahead of time to defrost so
she could cook it for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

"My turkey is sitting in the sink at home," she said.

Inside the terminal, many passengers were seen lounging on the floor.
One Westerner created a commotion, yelling: "I need to get to Phuket
now!"

As a female official tried to calm him, he shouted: "You will help me?
I can't go by bus! I can't go by plane! How do I get there!"

The protests are being led by a loose coalition known as the People's
Alliance for Democracy. It accuses Somchai of acting as the puppet for
former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a
September 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and
abuse of power. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, is in exile,
a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.

On Wednesday, a district court ordered the alliance leaders and their
supporters to immediately leave Suvarnabhumi International Airport,
calling it "an infringement on other individuals who have freedom of
movement."

However, the protesters are unlikely to heed the order -- a reflection
of their boldness amid the government's unwillingness to use force for
fear of causing bloodshed.

Still, Prime Minister Somchai, who returned from Peru on Wednesday but
was forced to land in the northern city of Chiang Mai, is also not
budging from his position.

Somchai said in an address to the nation that he came to power through
elections and has "a job to protect democracy for the people of
Thailand."

The statement amounted to a rejection of Army Gen. Anupong Paochinda's
suggestion to quit, which seemed to put him on a collision course with
the military, although the general has said he would not launch a
coup.

Somsak Kosaisuk, a key protest alliance leader, said protesters
stormed Don Muang airport because they want to prevent members of
Somchai's Cabinet from flying to Chiang Mai for a proposed emergency
Cabinet meeting Thursday.

The drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai takes about eight hours.

Still, government spokesman Nattawut Saikau said the emergency meeting
would go ahead. "The key issue is how to deal with escalating violence
in the country," he told The Associated Press.

The People's Alliance for Democracy insists it would continue its
airport occupation and other protest activities until Somchai resigns.
It rejected the general's proposal for new elections, pushing instead
for the appointment of a temporary government.

On Thursday, the EU and the British Foreign Office expressed concern
at the deteriorating situation.

"We urge all sides to this political dispute to resolve their
differences peacefully and legally, respecting Thailand's democratic
institutions," Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said.

The European Union said in a statement that "any anti-constitutional
attempt to interfere in the democratic process would have a negative
impact on EU/Thailand relations."

As the deadlock continued, political violence spread Wednesday to
Chiang Mai, where government supporters attacked a radio station
aligned with the protesters. Separately, there were unconfirmed
reports that one man was killed and several people assaulted in an
attack on the city's local airport.

Thousands of travelers were stranded in Bangkok when members of the
alliance swarmed the airport Tuesday night, forcing a halt to
virtually all outgoing flights.

The protest alliance launched its current campaign in late August,
storming the grounds of the prime minister's office, which they
continue to use as their stronghold. The group has also tried twice to
blockade Parliament, in one case setting off a daylong street battle
with police that left two people dead and hundreds injured.