Thai airport reopens - but delays continue

Thailand has officially reopened its main international airport though it was only running at about 50% capacity and scores of flights have been cancelled.

Thousands of departing tourists at Suvarnabhumi international airport were entertained by Thai dancers, puppet shows and drum corps at the airport’s official reopening today.

They also were greeted by the country’s top tourism officials, who apologised for the weeklong shutdown that began after anti-government protesters stormed the facility on November 25.

Serirat Prasutanont, the acting director of Airports of Thailand, said that 547 departing and arriving flights were scheduled for Suvarnabhumi today which is about half of what it usually handles.

He said the flights were mostly from Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and Air Asia, adding that most foreign airliners had yet to begin operating.