The Malaysian Insider

By Shannon Teoh

RAYONG, Dec 1 - Thousands are fleeing the capital of Bangkok as civil unrest threatens to cripple Thailand but, nonetheless, some travellers are still making their way here to the U-Tapao International Airport.

Thai nationals and residents still need to get home, businessmen must still work on current and future projects while tourists, mostly Western, seem unperturbed by the threat of violence just 140km northwest of here.

U-Tapao, the gateway to the beach resort city of Pattaya, a 45-minute drive away, is now also serving as Bangkok's auxiliary airport while its own two remain closed.

Thai authorities shut down Bangkok's second airport on Thursday after it was overrun by anti-government protesters, just two days after its main airport, Suvarnabhumi, was forced shut on Tuesday by an initial group of protesters.

A Malaysia Airlines flight at 9.10am from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to U-Tapao yesterday morning had a passenger load of nearly 100, with 11 of them flying business class.

Meanwhile, the immigration holding area for arrivals in U-Tapao yesterday was packed with Westerners. Asians, on the other hand, were headed in the other direction.

Don Liew, 37, had left Melbourne last night in a cloud of uncertainty, unsure as to when he would be able to get into Bangkok to meet contacts to organise a health conference scheduled for February next year.

Ironically, he said he was also headed to Bangkok for a conference on terrorism.

"I do not think there is a security threat yet," he said of the situation as he had been briefed by his contacts in the capital.

"But it is highly possible although coups have happened a few times already in the past. But you cannot just let it stifle business and stop everything altogether. Life goes on," he added.

The Malaysian-born Australian said he was scheduled to leave on Tuesday or Wednesday, but he is ready to face further delays and quipped that he may consider catching the train back to Kuala Lumpur for his connecting flight.

A Thai government official, who asked to remain anonymous, was also onboard the flight and said he had to reroute his flight via Kuala Lumpur due to the violence in Mumbai which has claimed 174 lives.

He was also certain that Bangkok is safe and it was only the airports which were dangerous.

He and Liew were both in agreement, that the anti-government protestors were utilising their freedom of speech but that all parties must seriously resolve the conflict for the good of the country.

Having been in India on government business, the civil servant had to cancel his direct flight to Bangkok and exit via Delhi and KL to get back to Bangkok, albeit, with an added 2.5-hour journey by road.

For many like him, there is no place like home, no matter what the circumstance. At the airport, an Indian couple were desperately seeking a way back home - to Mumbai.