December 3, 2008 – Bangkok Airport Reopens

The week-long PAD occupation of Suvarnbhumi International Airport was officially over after Thailand’s Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, was removed from his premiership yesterday while the Airport operation will be back to full capacity this Friday, reported the Nation.

Although the seizure of Thailand’s main airports has caused incalculable damage to Thailand’s tourism and economy and stranded over 300,000 flight travelers, PAD claimed their ‘Final Battle’ triumph over the Prime Minister after he was found guilty for electoral fraud and banned from public politics for five years by Thailand’s Constitutional Court that also dissolved three biggest parties with the same charge on Tuesday.

Airport authorities are now rushing to reopen the facility starting yesterday. Serirat Pasutanond, acting president of Airports of Thailand (AOT), said earlier that Suvarnabhumi Airport would be officially reopened for passengers on December 15.  Since the PAD has begun to vacate the facility it is now just a matter of assessing the disruption that has resulted from the closure.  Speculation is that air travel will resume as early as tomorrow, December 4.

The anti-government protesters celebrated the ruling of the Court in the departure area in the Aitport after the Prime Minister, who they claimed to be a puppet directed by the ousted Thaksin, was banned.

“I’m extremely happy that we have won over tyranny, over the Thaksin regime, which is corrupt and dictatorial,” said Dr. Chokchuang Chutinaton, one of the protesters.

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking said that the government had no longer been able to manage the country and believed that other parties should be allowed to form the new government. It also asked the PAD protesters to leave the airport and stop all outlawed demonstrations.

MP Suchart Laibnamngern said that he expected the House session to elect the new prime minister will take place early next week. Until the new prime minister is to be elected, Deputy Prime Minister Chawarat Chanweerakun is acting as interim prime minister.

After the coup and three different governments; two of which were ostracized by PAD and one of which was a military government, Thailand has suffered economic crisis. The closure of the two airports has plunged the country into the worst financial situation in a decade. The travel and tourism industry, the country’s main economic sector, has been completely crippled and there are signs of severe economic downturn.