A BREAKDOWN in the computer system at Phuket International Airport and a court order for the governing PPP party to dissolve brought increased chaos to Thailand and tourism this afternoon.
The two-hour computer breakdown came as stranded tourists crowded the Phuket terminal in an effort to catch extra flights out.
Added confusion was caused by misunderstandings over the 2000 baht that the Tourism Authority of Thailand has undertaken to refund to stranded tourists each day.
The problem: not all resorts are participating in the scheme.
Many of the would-be travellers at the airport this afternoon were German and French, with English-speaking Thai airline staff unable to answer their questions.
Until today, the process of dealing with extra flights and cancelled flights had been proceeding relatively smoothly.
Sixty eight flights were due in and out of the airport today, with 26 extra flights scheduled and a similar number cancelled.
UNCERTAINTY now clouds the political future of Thailand even further, with the Constitutional Court today outlawing the governing People Power Party and two allied parties over election fraud.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongswat and executive members of the party will be banned from politics for five years.
Banharn Silapa-archa, Chat Thai party leader, and Anongwan Thepsuthin, Machimathipataya party leader, will also be banned from politics together with executives of the parties.
It is likely the PPP, previously the Thai Rak Thai (Thai Love Thai) party under disgraced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra, will reform rapidly as the Peua Thai (For Thais) party.
Cheers greeted the live television broadcast of the court verdict in restaurants on Phuket.
The anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, now occupying Bangkok's two main airports, has broad support on the island.
The two-hour computer breakdown came as stranded tourists crowded the Phuket terminal in an effort to catch extra flights out.
Added confusion was caused by misunderstandings over the 2000 baht that the Tourism Authority of Thailand has undertaken to refund to stranded tourists each day.
The problem: not all resorts are participating in the scheme.
Many of the would-be travellers at the airport this afternoon were German and French, with English-speaking Thai airline staff unable to answer their questions.
Until today, the process of dealing with extra flights and cancelled flights had been proceeding relatively smoothly.
Sixty eight flights were due in and out of the airport today, with 26 extra flights scheduled and a similar number cancelled.
UNCERTAINTY now clouds the political future of Thailand even further, with the Constitutional Court today outlawing the governing People Power Party and two allied parties over election fraud.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongswat and executive members of the party will be banned from politics for five years.
Banharn Silapa-archa, Chat Thai party leader, and Anongwan Thepsuthin, Machimathipataya party leader, will also be banned from politics together with executives of the parties.
It is likely the PPP, previously the Thai Rak Thai (Thai Love Thai) party under disgraced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra, will reform rapidly as the Peua Thai (For Thais) party.
Cheers greeted the live television broadcast of the court verdict in restaurants on Phuket.
The anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, now occupying Bangkok's two main airports, has broad support on the island.
Ironic that Phuket will be one of the hardest regions hit by the selfish, pointless actions of the PAD.
Thousands of jobs will be lost as a result of the airport takeover, yet next week the same party will be back in control of the government.
Posted by Colin on December 3, 2008 17:58