Bangkok situation.
 

seems our friends in Thailand have overtaken the airport in an attempt to force the political situation.

http://qantas.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/q...p?p_faqid=4296

Qf1/2
 

will this flight operate through Singapore instead?

On the flight status board @ sydneyairport.com they are displaying BA10 intended to be flying Sydney - Utapo - Heathrow today. But the flight is now displayed as cancelled.

It would be interesting to see Utapo put into use until Bangkok reopens.

Cheers,
Mark

travel to Bangkok
 

Hi,

I have a niece travelling to Bangkok in about 10 days time and am extremely worried for her safety. She is travelling to safe areas (Phukett, Pipi Island and other places).

She is still determined to go, but my worry is if something happens to her. She is only 19 years of age. I just pray that she will have a safe trip and will come back in one piece.

Yes!

4 of my friends also flying out to Bangkok today.... Hope they will be fine.
Checked the Sydney Airport flight information seems only 1 TG flights to Bangkok is cancelled today.

Thailand is always unstable politically, I really hope all airlines would learn a lesson today by cutting their Bangkok routes and consider connecting Europe and Australia via Hong Kong more.

I can sure that HKG will be politiclly more stable.

To be more practable and to smoothen the Kangaroo Route, I strong recoknd BA and QF must cut their SYD - BKK - LHR and replace it by SYD - HKG - LHR. Furthermore, since SK is also a QF FF's partner, SK should cut ARN - BKK and open ARN - HKG and codeshare QF for their HKG - Australia flights.

Very unlikely. There is already too much competition on SYD-HKG and HKG-LHR, especially HKG-LHR where there are 3 oneworld airlines operating that route already.

If they were to replace SYD-BKK-LHR, they should probably do SYD-DXB-LHR.

I've got a friend in Bangkok, but he won't be leaving for another week or so.

Hopefully everything calms down by then.

Protestors have stormed the Control Tower:eek:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-23109,00.html

This situation just got really serious :S

They do their politial demonstrations differently in Thailand it seems.

Try this caper (and the previous one in Phuket a few months ago) in most other countries and there would have been a lot of blood and deaths as the authorities would have been much less patient.

One more tourist destination to cross off the list for the time being - not so much for Security reasons, but for the inconvenience caused by not knowing whether you will get there, or get out afterwards without spending half your holiday waiting around airports (and not for spotting reasons either!!!).

Some friends of mine flew back from Spain on BA via LHR and BKK and landed in SYD this morning (26/11/08). They said they only had a 15 minute delay at BKK as the pilots were late getting to the terminal due to the protests. My friends said they could see the protesters, but that it was business as usual within the terminal.

One killed so far.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-23109,00.html

Qantas has issued a 'Major Disruption' message on the website regarding rerouting QF1 and 2.
Changes to bookings to/from Thailand

Jetstar is cancelling their Bangkok flights:
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/travel-...e-airport.html

Evening all,

Toady's 28/11/08 QF2 will arrive from Singapore instead of Bangkok.

My friend in Bangkok in the moment has just let me know that BKK has been shut til 29th Nov 6pm (at the earliest).

And the army is playing hard ball with the government.

Thailand Government had announced the 2 BKK airports in Emergency situation and is negotiating with the police.

Seem the Police will try to clear the protesters if the negotiation is failed.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Government and Cathay Pacific will join together and provide an emergency evacuation service from Utapao to Hong Kong.

The first emergency evacuation service will depart Utapao in Thailand numbered CX 3332 leaving this afternoon is due in HKG at 18.00 Hong Kong Time.

There would be another emergency evacuation service from Cathay Pacific tomorrow morning. Details to be announced.

Utapao is an airport near Patayya, which is about 2 hours away from Bangkok.

Personally, if you see any commutors in Australia urgently going to Bangkok, please make themselves asap take the CX 100 or CX 138 service to connect the outbound emergency evacuation service CX 3331 from Hong Kong to Utapao, which will depart tomorrow morning.

Source:

Morning all,

The first Thai airways flight that has'nt been in Sydney in two days will be arriving in Sydney morning. TG 993 a 777-300 reg unknown will be arriving from Phuket at around 0820. At this stage TG995 and 991 are both cancelled.

www.16Right.com ACARS ...

HS-TKC TG0993 29/11/2008 08:02 Thai International B777-3D7 Bangkok-Sydney-Melbourne

see quite a lot of flights are going through Utapao

drove down there last October from Pattaya, to have a look

although airport is huge, (was a Vietnam War US base), terminal is small

expect only have a few sets of steps there

Banjo

Flight Changes YSSY in relation to Bangkok
 

Hi all,

This is my first post so please forgive me if its in the incorrect place.

I though it would be great to track any changes to flights in and out of Sydney in relation to the closure of Bangkok Airport.

I see a Thai 777 flew over my house this morning, is there another Thai aircraft parked up at the Aiport?

Does anyone think Qantas will send a few 747 up to Utapoa in the same fashion as Cathay to evcuate Australian Nationals?

Dave

I do believe TG993 came in from Utapao.

I see Thai have another flight tomorrow morning (30 November) flight TG9939 from Phuket however I think this will originate in Utapoa.

Anyone know how to track whats leaving Utapoa?

My acars messages (for today) show TG993 arriving from Phuket (VTSP) and TG993 going to Utapao (VTBU).

just on ABC Insiders...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...tion=australia

Rescue talks for Aussies
 

Rescue talks for Aussies in Thailand
http://http://skynews.com.au/news/ar...aspx?id=282716

dose anybody have more news on this in the sense of what aircraft is going to be used and so forth. i know that a Qantas plane will leave Phuket tomorrow with stranded Australians on board.

good to see Qantas is in the news for posative reasons other the negative.

Qantas may EVENTUALLY come to the rescue here, but I suspect a severe shortage of capacity is hindering them in a big way.

In days gone by, i.e. Bali bombings and before that, Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, Qantas would have been straight onto it with additional flights. Times have definitely changed...I guess if there's no profit to be made from it, Qantas aren't interested.

Eh? The article says they are waiting to get approval from the airports. Last I saw reportedwa QF were sending an A330 to Phuket to pick up pax.

:rolleyes: Please - any of these humanitarian assistance situations QF (and other airlines) provide results in no profit, it fact I am sure most of them would lose money. No airline does these sort of things for any profit.

QF is trying to get aircraft there - the transport minister is speaking with Alan Joyce about it. It is a case of if it is possible, not about any other issue. Other airlines will be trying to look at other options too.

Even with the aircraft shortage right now, they got a A333 on Friday (instead of the 332, which wasn't even full). They are doing all they can to get flights, as with all the airlines.

I just feel a bit worried whether there are still any QF staff stranded in Bangkok right now still. I sincerely hope they are safe or even enjoying themselves in Patayya Beach. Hope they have been gone back Australia already, even by Phuket replacement service or by Cathay evacuation service.

Back to our stranded Australian commutors in Bangkok, it seems the situation is even worse then they're waiting for the next interrupted CityRail service. As I saw the previous posts, there is no sign for QF passengers can leave from Utapao. Can the co-market company BA have flights (eg a 777 daily) instead of QF to UTP take passengers back to Australia?

Furthermore, think CX is still trying to clear the HKG passengers first hence if they are holding QF tix I really afraid they still end up with taking 9 hours bus to HKT than change. But just wondering how about JQ? Think QF commutors can also take JQ back Australia first, then provide free drinks and food, entertainment etc until BKK is back.

For TG pax bewteen BKK and Australia, can they be better off that they can take SQ to SIN then change?

Ahhhh, what? :confused:

I like how the Thai PM or Prime Minister or President or whatever he's called over there says on the tele this morning the country is safe, thats why his minders took him off to his secluded mountain hideaway.

On the late evening and early morning news it was mentioned that the protesters at the main airport had allowed some airlines to ferry out their 'stranded' aircraft (but no passengers from what I can gather).

Also mentioned was hundreds of tourists were fronting up at Utapao without confirmed flights causing a bit of chaos.

There was also a video of Australian tourists booking in for the flight out of Phuket; the display board showed QF6031 (I think as there was only a quick shot of the room) as the flight number which is coming to SYD via Singapore. Must have been at a hotel as they were then boarding a bus to take them to Phuket.

One Australian tourist who managed to get on a Thai flight out of Utapao said the aircraft was only half full as Thai Airways had not publicised this flight (??)and it was pure chance that these pax got on this flight

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-23109,00.html

What a mess this will be...2 more weeks of operating out of Phuket and Utapao.

EDIT:

abc says otherwise

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...section=justin

Does anyone have a list of planes that were grounded at the two airports? There seemed to be heaps looking @ the pics!

Any overseas operators with equipment still there?

Appears from news reports this morning that the rally is now over, and the airport shouold be reopening tomorrow..

I reckon that'd be a bit of a stretch.

well done to our friends in Bangkok, people power at its finest! :)

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...35-948,00.html

The Today Show this morning on Channel 9 reported that even with Bangkok Airport reopening, Qantas won't fly there for the next two weeks. Presumably they will continue to route via Singapore.

Did you stop to think that the reason why the airlines go to/through Bangkok is because quite a few people actually want to go to Thailand?