Thai Airways International to resume flights from the Middle East

Thai International will resume flights from the Middle East to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport with flight TG 518 departing Dubai at 2250 on Friday, 5th December, followed by TG 522 departing at 1740 and Flight TG 518 at 2250 on Saturday 6th December.

Thereafter all flights from the Middle East to Bangkok will operate as per the published Winter 2008/09 schedule.

Thai Airways International will operate 47 outbound international flights, including those to the Middle East, 7 inbound domestic flights and 7 outbound domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Friday 5th December.

The political demonstrations which caused the Airports of Thailand to close Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports on 26th November 2008, until today and subsequent cancellation of all inbound and outbound passenger and cargo flights by national carrier Thai Airways International and dozens of other international airlines, resulted in an estimated 150,000 foreign visitors being stranded throughout the country, plus tens of thousands of Thais and others unable to return to Bangkok from countries around the world.

Response to this unprecedented emergency by the combined forces of Thailand's tourism associations, Thai Airways International, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, hotels, tour operators and transportation organisations was immediate and dynamic. Top priority was directed towards providing urgent assistance, including provision of food, transportation and accommodation, for passengers stranded in Bangkok and other tourist destinations.

In the Middle East, Thai Airways International assumed responsibility for all confirmed and ticketed passengers travelling on Thai, rerouting passengers on alternative airlines to their final destination and assisting returning residents and Thai nationals stranded in the Middle East. According to a Dubai-based executive:

'Thai assumed responsibility for all confirmed passengers inconvenienced by the political demonstrations and succeeded in re-routing all passengers travelling on THAI to destinations beyond Bangkok. We have worked long hours to ensure that our passengers continued to experience the Thai hospitality, and were taken care of, and are delighted to be the first carrier to resume full operations of inbound and outbound flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with arrivals from Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Narita to Bangkok on 3rd December. Our first Middle East flights depart Friday 5th December at 2250 with the regular schedule resuming from Saturday 6th December 2008.'

Thai Airways International set up a number of crisis management centres throughout Bangkok to help travellers and to reassure them that every effort would be made to repatriate them as soon as possible. These emergency centres were located at Thai's Vibhavadi Rangsit Head Office, Larn Luang and Silom Road (now located on Suriwongse Road) ticket offices. An additional service centre was also established at the Centara Grand at Central World Hotel, (Rachaprasong Road) until December 2, 2008 and the BITEC Bang-na Exhibition Centre, on the Bang-na Trat Highway which became Thai Airways International's major base of flight operations until Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang reopened.

These centres and offices around the world were manned by hundreds of Thai Airways International staff, volunteers from all functions and departments, who worked literally round the clock to help anxious travellers. Their devotion to duty and the welfare of their passengers best expresses the true warmth of Thailand's traditional hospitality.

Starting from Thursday November 27th Thai Airways International's Head Office Crisis Centre received several thousand visitors daily, with over thirty reservations and ticketing service desks being set up to facilitate rebooking and other assistance for passengers. Visitors were provided with refreshments, advice on accommodation and local transportation, refunds and a multi-lingual translation service for those not speaking Thai or English. Medical staff were also on hand to help anyone requiring assistance.

From the time the airports were closed, Thai Airways International's Operations Department started to organise as many as possible priority non-scheduled flights to repatriate the maximum number of passengers to gateway cities as close as possible to their ultimate destinations throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, China and other points throughout Asia and the Middle East. Special priority was extended to Thai Muslim passengers undertaking the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Close cooperation was also maintained with foreign embassies in Bangkok, to provide maximum assistance for the effective repatriation of their citizens.

As a further concession to help passengers, Thai Airways International has announced that the validity of tickets and travel related documents already issued, plus Royal Orchid Plus award ticket period will be extended until January 31, 2009.

Passengers from the Middle East holding confirmed Thai tickets and requiring further information are advised to contact their local travel agents or Thai on +971 4 268 1701.