Bangkok airports are set to resume full operations today, officials said.
Yesterday, the first plane to land at Suvarnabhumi international airport after anti-government protesters lifted their blockade was a Thai Airways service from Phuket, which landed at 2.10pm with 307 passengers.
An hour later, the first international flight, a Royal Jordanian airline from Amman, touched down.
Flag carrier Thai Airways said six flights would depart yesterday and early today.
The first, bound for Sydney, left at 6.45pm carrying 388 passengers, including many Australian tourists who were stranded by the airport closures.
It was in such incremental steps that the airport began the process of returning to normal, though passengers still had to check in at a convention centre east of Bangkok.
At 10am yesterday, protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) began picking up their belongings and leaving the terminal.
Previously, flights had been landing at the U-Tapao naval base, south-east of Bangkok, amid much chaos.
However, the disqualification of three parties in the ruling coalition by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, and the banning of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and other leaders from politics, allowed the PAD to declare victory - and head home. Its fight had become increasingly unpopular as the economic cost mounted.
Now, the battered political system has begun picking up the pieces.
It was announced that by-elections for the 26 seats vacated by party leaders who had been banned for vote fraud would be held by Jan 11.
Those MPs from the banned parties who survived the judicial purge will join "shell" parties and the Parliament is likely to vote for a new premier early next week.
Acting Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul vowed not to dissolve Parliament. Instead, speculation now centres on who will take charge. One name being mentioned is Industry Minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan, who is considered a good administrator.
But more buzz and press attention seem to focus on outspoken Health Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.
But he would be a controversial choice since he is a hardline former policeman detested by the PAD.
As some of the protesters said as they were leaving the airport: "I think we'll be back within two weeks."
