'We'll be here till PM quits": PAD

The Airports of Thailandstill kept the Suvarnabhumi Airport shut Wednesday evening, leaving some 3,000 passengers stranded. 

AoT decided to close the Suvarnabhumi airport Tuesday night after PAD protesters blocked an entrace, entered passenger terminals and scuffled with airport officials.

"We will gather at the airport unitl Prime Minister Somchai resigns," said PAD spokesman Panthep Wongpuapan, repeating the words of PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. Speaking to his followers Tuesday night, Sondhi apologised for the great inconvenience to travellers but said the PAD had no choice with regular bomb attacks that killed and injured many protesters but drew no reaction from the government.

"We tried to negotiate with the PAD but they won't talk to us. We know what they want," AoT chief Serirat Prasutanont said Wednesday morning.

The closure, ordered around 9 pm, involved stopping out-bound flights. In-bound planes were still  being allowed to land Tuesday night. But Serirat said a complete shutdown started around 4 am Wednesday,  with no flight landing or leaving.

Slideshow : Chaos at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Serirat said about 3,000 passengers remained stranded from Tuesday night. They have been given food and drinks by airport authorities.

Nearly 20 flights have been diverted to the old Don Muang airport, parts of which have been used as a temporary government headquarters following the PAD's seizure of Government House a few months ago.

The first flight, from Japan, landed at Don Muang after 4 am, but passengers only managed to leave the airport around 10 am due to immigration problems.

ThaiPBS reported this morning that more travellers, apparent unaware of the situation or unsure about time frame of the airport closure, were still arriving at Suvarnabhumi Wednesday morning.

TV reports showed long-faced, confused foreign tourists, but most were careful not to criticise Thailand's political affairs.

The closure order was issued by AOT chief Serirat Prasutanont. He made the decision out of safety concern after PAD protesters penetrated some passenger areas.

"The PAD members are now scattered around. I don't know who's who, or who's PAD and who's not," a senior AOT official told The Nation at around 10.30 pm.

How long the closure will last is not known. According to Serirat, the initial airport schedules had 44 in-bound flights and 40 departure flights between 11.30 pm Tuesday and 7 am Wednesday. 

THAI reported that more than 21 flights _ to Japan, India, Iran, Europe, among others _ were cancelled Tuesday night. This affected up to 6,000 travellers. Overall, up to 10,000 travellers could be affected Tuesday night alone, according to airline sources. 

The People's Alliance for Democracy threatened earlier Tuesday night to close down the Suvanabhumi Airport completely after several thousand PAD protesteers blocked an entrance earlier in the day and caused turmoil for numerous passengers.

As PAD protesters moved to block the motorway entrance to the Suvarnabhumi Airport in the afternoon when the plane carrying Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was scheduled to land, the arrival of his plane from Peru was announced to have been delayed due to technical problems.

The estimated time of arrival has not been confirmed. Some sources said he could be arriving Wednesday evening.

"We have tried to pressure the gov¬ernment for more than 50 hours but nothing has happened, so we need to step up our campaign by closing the airport to tell the world problems Thailand is facing," said PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul at Government House Tuesday night.

Before the closure order, the Airports of Thailand was Tuesday night mobilizing its officials to Suvarnabhumi to make sure no key operations will be disrupted. Travellers still can access the terminals through Bang Na -Trad highway, but the motory-way entrance has been crowded with protesters.

Many travellers have already suffered inconvenience. Arrival passengers were stranded Tuesday night and the AOT officials were trying to facilitate their transport out of the airport. AOT has also issued a statement pleading with the PAD.

Hectic accommodation was being provided to some stranded departure passengers who had already checked in. Some of them had had to walk with their luggages for up to two kilometres due to problems at the entrance.

AOT also has provided a hotline number for inquiries: 02-1321882 and 02-1321888. However, an AOT official said the lines soon became jammed.

For THAI flight information, the following number 02-3561111 has been provided.

It was a big political gamble by the PAD, which has seen its support declining lately because of controversial, provocative moves. Its die-hard following, however, has been galvanised by deaths and injuries of PAD members since October 7, when police fired tear gas at protesters marching to Parliament. After October 7, the PAD protesters have been targeted for some mysterious bomb attacks that increased the casualty toll.

Sondhi, the PAD leader, told his followers only Somchai's unconditional resignation would make the PAD end its latest move.

It has been reported that Prime Minister Somchai has been in touch with his Cabinet and ordered an urgent meeting with top security officials when he arrives back in Thailand late Wednesday afternoon.

There were rumours about him planning to invoke an internal security act that will empower the military to take drastic action to keep law and order. The AOT was also known to have asked the Army to provide assistance if problems at the airport went out of control.

Somchai's plane failed to take off from Lima, Peru where he attended the APEC summit after the hydraulic lock of the plane's wheels failed to unlock.

The technical repair was first expected to make Somchai's flight eight hours behind the schedule, making Somchai's arrival time to be around 7 pm.

It was later reported that the repair work would be finished sooner so Somchai would arrive at 5pm.

Somchai was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok at around noon on Wednesday. He is now expected to arrive at 7pm instead.

Army chief Anupong Paochinda, who had been appointed chief of a task force to monitor the PAD and recommend measures to the government, has become a man in the most akward position. Earlier, he had strongly criticised the government for using violent measures against PAD protesters on October 7, resulting in many deaths and injuries. And on Tuesday afternoon, he reiterated the military's stand that there will not be another coup.

But the latest PAD campaign, which will generate great repercussions on many fronts including security, economy and tourism, Anupong will be under heavy pressure to take some action. The US Embassy immediately advised American citizens to avoid the airport particularly its troubled spots.

But Anupong will have some breathing space until Somchai returns. The Public Relations Department said its reporter, Saksit Pradabsilp, reported from Peru that a hydraulic lock of the plane's wheel would not unlock, thus, preventing the plane from taking off.

While PAD Tuesday split in groups and stage a rally to block a Cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, as caretaker prime minister, still man¬aged to have a meeting with Interior Minister Kowit Watana and PM's Office Minister Supon Fongngam at the Public Relations Department headquarters at 9.30 am.

Police and military representatives also attended the meeting.

Chaovarat said after the meeting that the police had assured they could handle the situation. They would be patient and would not use violence.

Moreover, they would ask PAD to vacate the government's temporary office at Don Mueang Airport but would not "seize/ take back" the office, otherwise, bloodshed could erupt.

Chaovarat said he would leave it to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to talk to the PAD leaders himself.

They were looking for a new place to hold the Cabinet meeting when the PAD blocked the Supreme Command headquarters, he said.