1st int´l flight leaves Bangkok

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-04-2008 10:04

The first international flight has left Suvarnabhumi airport for Sydney and the first passenger flight landed at Bangkok.

Thailand's air links to the outside world are gradually recovering from the week-long shutdown.

Journalists and airport officials watch the first Thai Airways flight with passengers, arriving from Phuket, land at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport December 3, 2008, after a week long anti-government protest paralyzed air travel.(Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)

The long ordeal is over for many of the stranded passengers. The first international departing flight in a week left Bangkok for Sydney on Wednesday.

Rebecca Hams, Tourist form Australia, said, "Kind of glad to get home, yeah. First plane to Australia. So happy."

Other Thai Airways flights were destined for New Delhi, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Seoul and Copenhagen.

Earlier, the chairman of the Airports of Thailand said that the international airport will resume operations on Friday.

But even if the airport gets back to normal quickly, the long-term damage to the facility's reputation and Thailand's tourism economy may be harder to repair.

Also on Wednesday, leaders of the ousted government named Deputy Prime Minister Chaowarat Chandeerakula as caretaker prime minister.

Members of the three parties who were not banned from politics are expected to form new parties that will form the basis of a new alliance.

The coalition will then have to pick a new prime minister within thirty days.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei