Phuket Thailand: Phuket Airport Open

TV Channel 11 · #1 31-08-2008, 12:05

12.04: Phuket Airport Director Press Conference Right Now Announces Airport has reopened Today with some operations since 11am. More Later.

TV Channel 11 · #2 31-08-2008, 12:39

1235 Krabi Airport also reopened since this morning with TG flights in and out while Air Asia from Kuala Lumpar and Bangkok cancelled their flights today due to uncertainty. Passengers are advised to contact the airport tel. 075 636541-2 before leaving for the airport.

TV Channel 11 · #3 31-08-2008, 12:53

re Phuket - 'operations' means getting some staff in and equipment up and running, in preparation to fly.

1247: Phuket airport – some passengers start to check in with TG 214 as first flight to depart at 4pm., while TG213 from Bangkok Suwananabhum is scheduled to land at 3.30pm; passengers are advised to check with the airport tel. 076 351096 or 351152 or 351036

Nicke · #4 31-08-2008, 15:19

I copied the posts above to a new thread to avoid confusion and quick and easy to find for those who looks for this information, instead of 5th page of the original thread (At it again !!!).

Dodger · #5 31-08-2008, 18:08

Glad you posted that Nicke, I was just about to merge this with the other thread!!!

LivinLOS · #6 01-09-2008, 08:18

So is it fully open and running ??

When I went out yesterday it was 'due to open' with a flight planned for late afternoon.. That all went ahead ??

billpay · #7 01-09-2008, 08:28

Yes, fully functional...well, that's what I heard.

Nautilus · #8 01-09-2008, 08:29

Not sure from the Flight Updates shown on the Phuket Airport Website, other than showing Scheduled, not much information, FLIGHT STATUS - Arrivals | Departures | Phuket Airport Guide

Aah some are showing on time.

11 · #9 01-09-2008, 08:30

Got friends heading down there tomorrow - so it would be good to hear some recent info on just how back to normal things are.

FLIGHT STATUS - Arrivals | Departures | Phuket Airport Guide

Problem with this site is only the TG airlines seem to give final landed/departed status, but useful for timing at least.

Denver · #10 01-09-2008, 08:32

Three couples and thier kids left the hotel part of the 'Club' this morning at 0730 for a re-scheduled flight to BKK.

News reported quite a backlog to work through.

That's why I am up so bloody early, the noisy so and so's!

Coolhand · #11 01-09-2008, 10:25

Dragonair flights operating normally - I just wish I was on one of them! ha 6 weeks more.....

TV Channel 11 · #12 01-09-2008, 11:16

MiniVDO: Interview Simon, Owner PhuketAirport Hotel & 2 Australian guests during protest blockade
is now on National News Bureau Public Relations Department
or YouTube - Interview Simon, owner Phuket Airport Hotel & 2 Oz guests

We spoke on Saturday afternoon to Simon, a foreign Tourist Police volunteer who is also the Phuket Hotel Airport Manager, who helped since the beginning of the protest. Let's hear what his experience was: ........... We also talked to 2 Australian tourists who got stuck at the airport and stayed at Simon's hotel on Saturday. They said they were heading for a family function in the Philippines and hoped that the airport re-opened in time, as they told us more: ----- Contact: PhuketAirportHotel@yahoo.com
--------------

MiniVDO: Phuket International Airport's flights finally restarted yesterday after it was shut down for 2 days due to PAD protests.
National News Bureau Public Relations Department
or YouTube - Phuket Airport reopened after 2 days shutdown by protests (includes footage of first blockades & reopening of gates)

The Thai Airways International Flight TG 213 touched down at Phuket International Airport at 3.47 pm yesterday bringing relief for officials and local tourism sectors, but more importantly tourists & passengers who got delayed by the protest which started on Friday afternoon. It was approximately 47 hours before the flights were allowed to take off and land at the airport after the facility was forced to shut down since 4.45 pm on Friday August 29th . The flight carried about 330 passengers, including Phuket Governor Niran Galanamitr who had gone to Bangkok to attend and receives flags under the national activities called "116 Days from Mother's Day to Father's Day" and got stuck there.
Less than an hour later, the Thai Airways flight TG 214 took off for Bangkok's Suwannaphum airport with a full load of passengers, showing a sign of normal flights restarting as scheduled at the airport.

The PAD had announced that they stopped their protest at Phuket Airport at 3.30pm on Sunday. After the statement they helped open the gate of the airport. The statement however insisted that their members would return if the government applied violence. The members said they will travel to Bangkok to support others in pressurizing the Prime Minister to resign.
Meanwhile, a Phuket International Airport press release reported that since the closure of 29 August, until 11am today 31 August, a total of 181 flights from 11 airlines and about 30,000 passengers had been delayed. Among these, 13,000 were out-going, with 17,000 in-coming. Around 137 tonnes of cargo goods could not be transported. Thai Airways International was most affected as it had 21 flights per day. The Phuket Tourist Association president Somboon Jirayus estimated the damage caused at up to approx. 250 million baht per day with ongoing effects, as safety is a sensitive issue for travelers.
The PAD members gathered in front of Phuket International Airport at around 2pm on Friday 29th August, demanding that the Prime Minister resign and the violence was used. The protest ended yesterday afternoon.

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + FM90.5 Radio Thailand at 8.30am & perhaps relays/repeats on local Cable TV channel 1, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Monday 1 September 2008 & National News Bureau Public Relations Department Send comments to AndamanNews@yahoo.com

geespot · #13 01-09-2008, 11:45

hoepfully all this carry on will discourage the RTG brigade, families and oz females so patong can get back to the good old days 555555555555

G

pablo · #14 01-09-2008, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by geespot

hoepfully all this carry on will discourage the RTG brigade, families and oz females so patong can get back to the good old days 555555555555

G

Here here!

Nicke · #15 01-09-2008, 12:30

Yes, I left yesterday, delayed thought as they had to update things manually for each check-in, took 2-3 hours to clear check-in with 6 desks open just for the KL flight. They used an A330 instead of the smaller plane they usually use to clear a big chunk of the backlog.

Too bad the Thai Embassy was closed today due to a public holiday in Malaysia yesterday, argh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

So is it fully open and running ??

When I went out yesterday it was 'due to open' with a flight planned for late afternoon.. That all went ahead ??

billpay · #16 01-09-2008, 13:44

I'm just happy that it is over. Who knows what the long term effects will be. The big losers are that large hotels that book the big tour groups for high season. It is too easy to cancel or book another destination. If it had gone for much longer, say a week or so, the effects would really have been devastating.

Simbo · #17 01-09-2008, 14:21

PAD threatening to shut the airports down again if they don't get what they want. Bearing in mind they won't get what they want- watch this space.

Dodger · #18 01-09-2008, 14:24

Airlines have played very fair with this situation, putting people up in Hotels in Bangkok for 2 days etc at thier cost, agreeing full refunds or re-scheduling flights at no additional cost.

However, they have issued clients with warnings that passengers reconsider their bookings, as they recommend only continuing with caution. This has put off one of our clients coming today and another is having a big re-think, if this is my little experience how many potential tourists have cancelled or altered their holiday destinations???

Tourists numbers down 16%, we should take bets on what this figure will eventually end up at!!

Simbo · #19 01-09-2008, 14:33

I wonder how much Immigration made out of overstays- I bet there was no grace there.

Nautilus · #20 01-09-2008, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicke

Yes, I left yesterday, delayed thought as they had to update things manually for each check-in, took 2-3 hours to clear check-in with 6 desks open just for the KL flight. They used an A330 instead of the smaller plane they usually use to clear a big chunk of the backlog.

Too bad the Thai Embassy was closed today due to a public holiday in Malaysia yesterday, argh.

Yeah, Malaysia Independance Day was on Sunday so replacement holiday today on Monday.

Next time check the website, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand : : Kuala Lumpur

HaHa.

MrDK · #21 02-09-2008, 11:55

Looks like Newsbot is right on this case ....

LivinLOS · #22 02-09-2008, 12:19

Yeah except the 'airport closed' one was top of the list, last one sent out.

My post on the thread effected the order I guess.

MrDK · #23 02-09-2008, 12:25

The were all posted within the same minute (likely within seconds) and at the time reflected no replies.

LivinLOS · #24 02-09-2008, 12:57

Yes Lars.. My point being, they post 4 day old news, thats been on thier website for days, now as a news alert.

So if you hadnt cut the top of that image off.. The perception would have been, thast the airport was closed, opened and again closed.

Cant you see the issue with posting 4 day old news, appearing as current, in front of more recent information, thereby contradicting itself and presenting a false impression of the current state of affairs ??

MrDK · #25 02-09-2008, 13:02

I guess we are saying the same thing.
My point too was a bombardment of "news" out of sequence.
My point also was that NewsBot sometimes is a bit annoying.

landofsmiles · #26 02-09-2008, 17:46

The airport is most definitely OPEN and operating normally. Took these at 3pm this afternoon...expected to see 100's of people trying to leave but it's a quiet period for flights...most are 5pm onwards>>>

No protestors anywhere...didn't see any police either...there are some Army personnel manning the checkpoint where the airport road that runs alongside the runway meets the highway...but they are always there aren't they? Don't understand why because there is no checkpoint at the other airport approach road.

AirAsia landing as I rode away>>>

There is a very large police presence up at the Checkpoint at Mai Kao...at least 100 sat up there...all incoming vehicles are being given a good going over.

Drive · #27 03-09-2008, 15:33

My connecting flight to Phuket was cancelled last Friday...Fortunately I had only booked one night in Phuket and planned to look around for somewhere the next day but I still lost my money for the hotel as it was too late to cancel the booking and Bangkok Airways didn't offer me any alternative accommodation although they did give me a refund..I was actually in the departure lounge when it was called off....I ended up going to Pattaya which is turning out ok as it happens......I don't think I would want to book another flight to Phuket as long as there is so much political uncertainty around and another blockade could be imposed at any time.