UNHAPPY tourists began arriving at Phuket International Airport on Saturday in the aftermath of anti-goverment protests that have frozen the island's tourist industry indefinitely.

Airport officials announced in mid-afternoon that the airport would remain closed until 6am Sunday at the earliest. Then they said they were unable to set anytimetable for a resumption.

So far more than 118 flights in and out have been cancelled or diverted.

Protestors dispersed during the night but before noon, about 100 were back at the airport. The leader was named as Metree Kongdang.

He told the media at Phuket airport that the Peoples Alliance for Democracy wanted Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign before Phuket airport can be reopened.

An Airports of Thailand spokesperson said an update on the situation would be provided at 3pm. Departing tourists should consult their resorts and not go to the airport today.

A meeting between the AoT and the PAD was joined just before noon by Phuket's Chief of Police, Major General Apirak Hongtong.

Phuket usually handles about 15,000 passengers a day.

Earlier, inside the terminal and with a long wait ahead, German visitor Petra Droege asked: ''Do you know why this happened? I don't understand it.''

She was one of thousands of inconvenienced tourists who failed to comprehend the logic behind the political demonstration that shut down the airport on Phuket from 5pm yesterday, after a siege by demonstrators.

Airport General Manager Wing Commander Wicha Nurnlop also had no explanation for the action that forced at least 30 overseas flight to divert, with more to change direction today.

He expected flights would be able to resume after noon but offiicials later revised the likely time of the resumption to 6pm. The presence of demonstrators, however, made that uncertain.

A Phuket resident returning from a holiday in the US called from Bangkok to say that notices were being posted in the airport there saying that there would be no flights to Phuket or Krabi before 6pm.

At Phuket airport, Petra Droege's husband Peter was on his mobile telephone, try to organise a replacement booking on an alternative flight to the one the couple were supposed to catch back to Germany today.

Mrs Droege, a nurse, was due back at work on Monday but, like thousands of others, she will have to reorganise her life because of Friday's unexpected protest by the Peoples Alliance for Democracy.

The returning Phuket resident, stuck in Bangkok and contemplating catching a bus home, said: ''I am just as anti-government as the next guy but even before this, the PAD had become truly disruptive. I just don't get it.''

Phuket airport was a desolate sight early this morning. The window glass on the entrance security booth, where parking cards are issued, has been shattered.

No protestors could be seen, just a handful of weary-looking security staff.

The message from the international and domestic arrival information screens was simple: Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled, over and over.

At the Thai Air Asia counter, a small group of would-be passengers sat on their luggage, waiting.

Over at Thai Airways, the number of people arriving at the airport in the hope of finding a flight was beginning to grow.

It looked like being a long day for many of them. A sign on the counter said: AIRPORT CLOSED DUE TO POLITICAL REASON.

Above the counter another improvised sign advised travellers that the 7.25am and 9.35am flights had been cancelled.

The notice continued: ''Further details will be updated as soon as possible. Our apologies. Thank you for your understanding.''

That was the difficult part. Understanding just what had happened and why was impossible today for thousands of tourists, resort managers, embassy representatives and government officials.

Phuket's Days of Drama:

Phuket Siege Lifts For Lone Flights to Bangkok
With international flights bound for Phuket being diverted and the island's airport shut down, a special plea was made for PAD leaders to allow one flight to beat the blockade and carry stranded passengers to Bangkok.

Phuket Siege Lifts For Lone Flights to Bangkok

Phuket Airport Invasion: Night of Uncertainty
No flights in or out of Phuket until 6am on Saturday. Why is Phuket's tourism industry now part of a political dispute? That was the question being asked as anti-government protestors continued to occupy the island's international airport, forcing a halt to all flights.

Phuket Airport Invasion: Night of Uncertainty

Phuket Siege Latest: International Flights Diverted
Flights in and out of Phuket are not likely to resume before Saturday morning. Phuket airport was tonight in the hands of PAD anti-government protestors after 30 international flights were turned away.

Phuket Siege Latest: International Flights Diverted

Siege of Phuket Airport Blow by Blow
PAD protestors besiege Phuket International Airport; Thai Airways suspends all flights nationally; Reports of protestors on tarmac; All flights halted; Governor in crisis talks with PAD leaders; Phuket police chief calls in reinforcements.

The Siege of Phuket Airport Blow by Blow