>U-TAPAO (Pattaya): Alicia Chai was on the verge of tears but the manager with an international audit firm based in Kuala Lumpur restrained herself. While her colleagues flew out of Thailand to Singapore en route to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday via Phuket after a 10-hour bus ride from Bangkok, she got on a Malaysia Airlines MH784 special flight for home from here yesterday.
She and a few others travelled to U-Tapao from Bangkok on a coach arranged by her company.
They were in Bangkok with their other Asian colleagues for training since Oct 24.
She flew on AirAsia to Bangkok from Kuala Lumpur but returned on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) as her company wanted its staff to leave Thailand as soon as possible.
She would have had to stay a little longer if she was to wait for AirAsia's rescue flight as she was told priority was for passengers who had been stranded earlier.
MAS has mounted six flights into this international airport and naval base since Friday, one of which was a 747-400.
AirAsia has done three.
MAS flew out some 700 passengers a day since the closure of Suvarnabhumi airport.
It will mount two flights today as it had flown most of its passengers out of Thailand.
Malaysia Airlines director of operations Datuk Tajuden Abu Bakar said the airport will continue to be the national carrier's alternative for Bangkok till the situation at Suvarnabhumi Airport returned to normal.
"While our flight departures out of U-Tapao are scheduled according to our original timings out of Bangkok but in view of anticipated congestion, the final timings of our flight departures may be further revised," he said.
In addition to U-Tapao, MAS was also operating flights out of Phuket.
AirAsia in a statement yesterday said it would mount its fourth and fifth rescue flights using an A320 aircraft today and tomorrow.
It said as Suvarnabhumi Airport remained closed today, all its flights into Bangkok have been cancelled.
Passengers arriving at U-Tapao would be transported by bus to central Bangkok free of charge while passengers going home would be provided complimentary bus pick-up to U-Tapao from the Novotel Bangna Bangkok.
"Due to limited facilities at U-Tapao, guests are advised to assemble at Novotel Bangna Bangkok at 10am Thai time for check-in.
"Please do not proceed directly to U-Tapao as its limited facilities do not allow us to perform check-in for our passengers there," it said.
