Suvarnabhumi Airport december 2008
updated : December 3, 2008

Suvarnabhumi siege ends
Rush to get airport functional again. PAD leaves, claiming ‘final battle’ won as Somchai no longer PM
People’s Alliance for Democracy followers last night started bidding farewell to Suvarnabhumi Airport, bringing an end to their eight-day siege that has caused incalculable damage to the country and the economy.

Suvarnabhumi Airport authorities are now rushing to reopen the regional aviation hub, shuttered since it was hijacked on November 25. Bangkok airport reopen | Friday, December 5th 2008

Serirat Pasutanond, acting president of Airports of Thailand (AOT), said earlier that Suvarnabhumi Airport could be officially reopened to passenger flights on December 15, but after the PAD began to vacate the premises, he said resumption of services would depend on inspections of the extent of damage to systems and facilities.

Officials from the airlines and the International Air Transport Association will today start checking security and other systems. More than 200,000 foreign and Thai travellers were stranded by the forced closure of both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Hardest hit are the country’s international image, tourism and related industries, with damage estimated in excess of Bt100 billion. Serirat reported that the airport had already lost Bt350 million in revenue, while the shutdown of cargo services had caused lost business opportunities and other costs approaching some Bt25 billion.