Thai unrest: AirAsia, MAS stop flights to Bangkok

2008/11/27

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia temporarily stopped its operations into Bangkok beginning yesterday following the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport after it was taken over by anti-government protesters.

Both airlines could not say when their flight operations would resume.

Low-cost carrier AirAsia called off 30 flights.

The routes include destinations connecting Bangkok to other cities in Thailand, as well as flights to and from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Macau, Jakarta, Ha-noi and Yangon.

AirAsia, in a statement posted on its website, said all affected passengers would receive a refund to be credited into their accounts.

Passengers were told that they could use their credit shell to redeem a seat on the next available flight to/from Bangkok within 3 days from their original date of travel. This is subject to the reopening of the airport and availability of seats.

Its corporate communications head, Hamdan Mohamad, said the company hoped its service would resume soon.

Malaysia Airlines said all its flights to Bangkok were cancelled but those to Phuket were operating.

Operations director Datuk Tajuden Abu Bakar said: "As the closure is indefinite, we are unable to advise when our flight operations will resume."

A Wisma Putra official in Kuala Lumpur said: "We advise those who want to go to Bangkok to reconsider doing so unless they have pressing reasons to go there."


Deputy chief of mission Syed Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman said all Malaysians in Bangkok were safe.

"There are about 370 Ma-laysians registered with the embassy.

"Some of them are students, but the majority are working here."

Syed Bakri said most areas in Bangkok were safe. "One would have to avoid the areas where people are demonstrating, but the greater part of Bangkok is fine.

"The demonstrators are not hostile to foreigners. Their anger is directed at the government and they are friendly to outsiders."

Source: NST