Thai unrest: Chaos reigns as stranded passengers fight to fly home
>U-TAPAO, THAILAND - "AMAZING Thailand" is probably an apt slogan for this country. Passengers are not only amazed at the 27,000 temples scattered all over the country, the deeply-rooted culture of its people and the millions of smiles the Thai government promised to tourists but also the lack of control, or the absence of security, during calamity. The international airport here is a scene of utter chaos as thousands of passengers pushed and shoved their way to get on the next available flight out the country.
Following the closure of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Dong Muang airports after it was seized by anti-government protestors on Thursday, the government had allowed foreign airlines to operate out of this one-runway international airport and naval base -- home of Squadron 106 of the Thai Naval Air Force -- to take their nationals home.
It did seem as if passengers were going to take over the compound of the airport as they mobbed and eventually blocked the entrance to the terminal building.
Inside, army personnel blocked the entrance door, allowing only those with boarding passes and whose flights had been called.
Passengers with boarding passes found it difficult to enter the terminal building even after their flight numbers were called as the entrance was blocked by others, some of whom did not even hold any tickets.
Shouting matches erupted between airline officials and the security personnel. The airline wanted their confirmed passengers to get in but security staff would not open the door, fearing an avalanche of desperate visitors wanting to flee the country.
This caused most flights to be delayed by more than two hours.
Some planes had to turn back to their country of origin as they were not allowed to land.
Furthermore, the airport was not equipped to handle the number of passengers.
There was only one X-ray baggage machine at the departure terminal and a sole baggage retrieval carousel on arrival.
Around 40 flights landed and departed out of the airport on a daily basis since Friday.
Stranded passengers, included haj pilgrims from Myanmar, had been making the airport's terminal their temporary respite before they head on to Mecca or home.
Despite three days in operations, airline officials said that it was getting from bad to worse.
"We were informed that Suvarnabhumi Airport will remain closed until Tuesday. Then again, there is no assurance that it will open then," MAS Area Manager for Thailand A. Vijakumaran said.
While MAS had its check-in counter inside the terminal, other airlines such as Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific and Russia's Oren Air had set up makeshift checking-in desks outside the terminal.
Queues were a mile long.
The Red Cross offered free food and drinks while the service centre located in front of the terminal building offered passengers compensation of a night's stay if they had missed their flight for the day.
There were also free foot massages for passengers waiting for their flights.
