BANGKOK, 3 November 2010 – Bangkok Airways reopened Samui Airport 1500 today after suspending flights yesterday, due to severe storms that hit the Gulf of Thailand’s west coast earlier this week.
The airport was closed late yesterday afternoon, but airport officials said they now hope to operate all scheduled services for the rmainder of today and possibly add services to help stranded passengers on Samui Island.http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Samui-Airport.jpgIt should be able to operate 14 flights from Bangkok to pick up stranded passengers. However, officials stressed that services would depend on weather conditions that might change without much warning.
Yesterday, the airline suspended 23 flights due to the bad weather. Estimates suggest around 1,000 passengers are stranded on the island and many of them would have to connect with flight beyond Bangkok to their home countries.
The airline operates 14 flights daily on the Bangkok-Samui route. It also operates numerous services from Samui to Krabi, Phuket, U-taphao and Singapore. All these flights were cancelled.
Travel agents are handling flight details for their customers rebooking them on flights out of Bangkok, but there are also hundreds of independent travellers who visit the island who cannot rely on travel agency assistance.
A tropical depression in the Andaman Sea is now moving westward away from Thailand, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.
However the department warned heavy rains are likely in south of Prachuap Khiri Khan on the Gulf of Thailand’s west coast. A five day weather forecasts indicated heavy storm conditions until the weekend.
Detailed weather forecasts are featured on the TMD website at: http://www.tmd.go.th/index.php For further information, contact Bangkok Airways at 077 428 555, 077 601 300 or the hot line 1771.
Bron: TTRwekly
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