Tourist chaos as protestors force Thai airport shutdown

Thailand’s main international airport cancelled all flights today as protesters thronged the complex in an effort to bring down the government.

Thousands of tourists, were stranded by the invasion, which dealt a major blow to the country’s already fragile tourism industry.

The airport takeover was one of the boldest gambles yet by the People’s Alliance for Democracy in its four-month campaign to topple prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, whom it accuses of being the puppet of a disgraced fugitive predecessor, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra.

Exhausted travellers were sleeping everywhere – on their suitcases, luggage trolleys, security conveyer belts and behind vacated check-in counters.

Protesters dressed in yellow shirts walked around distributing food, ham sandwiches and packets of rice.

The alliance vowed to bring its campaign to a final showdown this week and violence has increased, including streets clashes between supporters and opponents of the government that included the first open use of firearms by the anti-government protesters.

Police said 11 government supporters were injured, some with gunshot wounds.

Four small bombs exploded near the airport and Don Muanh domestic airport, which is also in the city. The explosions were reported in the early hours of today.

Demonstrators – some masked and armed with metal rods – had swarmed the international airport overnight, breaking through police lines and spilling into the passenger terminal.

Several anti-government protesters armed with metal rods entered and briefly held the airport's control tower, demanding the prime minister's flight schedule.

Group Captain Chokchai Saranon, a control tower official, said 50 protesters demanded to enter the empty control tower at Suvarnabhumi but only three were allowed up by security officials.

He said the protesters at the control tower eventually left.

The airport was fully shut down today, resulting in 292 flights being cancelled and stranding thousands of passengers.

“The incident has damaged Thailand’s reputation and its economy beyond repair.” airport director Serirat Prasutanont said. “However, we are trying to negotiate them to allow outgoing passengers stranded by the protest to fly."

The alliance said the airport would be shut down until Mr Somchai quits. The prime minister was due to return later from an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru and would land at a military airport, officials said.