HONG KONG government officials are hastily organising charter flights to evacuate residents from Thailand following reports on the death of two tourists in a minibus crash.
A version of the Phuketwan article was also published in today's English-language South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong.
One of the victims was a resident of Hong Kong, David Yick Hok-wing, 48, who had been travelling to Phuket from Bangkok to catch a flight back home.
He and his wife Fung Man-wai, who was injured, had been stranded in Bangkok following the closure of its two airports by anti-government protesters a week ago.
The other dead man was named as Robert Famuel, 64. Both victims were travelling on Canadian passports.
On Sunday morning, the HK government issued a statement saying that charter flights were not necessary, even though some 820 Hong Kong residents stranded in Thailand had applied for assistance.
Last night, after news of Mr Hok-wing's death was reported, the government quickly organized two charter flights to get its residents out.
A government official was quoted by the SCMP as saying the change in position was due to concerns about the worsening security situation in Bangkok.
Hong Kong also upped its travel warning for Thailand, advising residents to leave the country as soon as possible.
Registered small bus drivers in Thailand are permitted to drive for four hours, with a 30-minute break, then another four hours, a Transport Department official told Phuketwan today.
Unregistered drivers tended to set their own limits, the official said.
Larger buses on the Bangkok-Phuket route usually have two drivers, and one takes over from the other halfway.
The Phuketwan report said at least one driver had made the 12-hour journey to Phuket, then turned around to drive back to Bangkok without sleep, intending to make another trip.
A Cathay Pacific chartered flight returned home 380 residents from U-Tapao airport east of Bangkok, while another by Hong Kong Express took back another 200 Hongkongers. A third U-Tapao-Hong Kong flight will take off at 1pm today.
Hundreds of tourists are also getting back to Hong Kong via Phuket this week.
Dragonair ran a special flight from Phuket to Hong Kong yesterday, and has doubled the capacity of its regular daily flights connecting the islands by using an A330 instead of an A320, the airline announced.
A sign on the Dragonair office at the Phuket Airport says flights are full until December 10.
Phuket Bound Bus Crashes, Two Tourists Killed
Two tourists are killed and five people injured when a small bus bound for Phuket swerves off a road and hits a tree. Mini bus drivers have been cashing in on the bonanza triggered by the airport blockade.
Phuket Bound Bus Crashes, Two Tourists Killed
A version of the Phuketwan article was also published in today's English-language South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong.
One of the victims was a resident of Hong Kong, David Yick Hok-wing, 48, who had been travelling to Phuket from Bangkok to catch a flight back home.
He and his wife Fung Man-wai, who was injured, had been stranded in Bangkok following the closure of its two airports by anti-government protesters a week ago.
The other dead man was named as Robert Famuel, 64. Both victims were travelling on Canadian passports.
On Sunday morning, the HK government issued a statement saying that charter flights were not necessary, even though some 820 Hong Kong residents stranded in Thailand had applied for assistance.
Last night, after news of Mr Hok-wing's death was reported, the government quickly organized two charter flights to get its residents out.
A government official was quoted by the SCMP as saying the change in position was due to concerns about the worsening security situation in Bangkok.
Hong Kong also upped its travel warning for Thailand, advising residents to leave the country as soon as possible.
Registered small bus drivers in Thailand are permitted to drive for four hours, with a 30-minute break, then another four hours, a Transport Department official told Phuketwan today.
Unregistered drivers tended to set their own limits, the official said.
Larger buses on the Bangkok-Phuket route usually have two drivers, and one takes over from the other halfway.
The Phuketwan report said at least one driver had made the 12-hour journey to Phuket, then turned around to drive back to Bangkok without sleep, intending to make another trip.
A Cathay Pacific chartered flight returned home 380 residents from U-Tapao airport east of Bangkok, while another by Hong Kong Express took back another 200 Hongkongers. A third U-Tapao-Hong Kong flight will take off at 1pm today.
Hundreds of tourists are also getting back to Hong Kong via Phuket this week.
Dragonair ran a special flight from Phuket to Hong Kong yesterday, and has doubled the capacity of its regular daily flights connecting the islands by using an A330 instead of an A320, the airline announced.
A sign on the Dragonair office at the Phuket Airport says flights are full until December 10.
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Phuket Bound Bus Crashes, Two Tourists Killed
Two tourists are killed and five people injured when a small bus bound for Phuket swerves off a road and hits a tree. Mini bus drivers have been cashing in on the bonanza triggered by the airport blockade.
Phuket Bound Bus Crashes, Two Tourists Killed
