What to do when your guests are stuck with you

The "Land of Smiles" is in trouble but some Thais are doing their best to keep smiles on the faces of stranded visitors.

With all flights in and out of  Suvarnabhumi Airport can¬celled, thousands of tourists are stuck in the country. "Please let me go home for Thanksgiving," pleaded one American tourist in an interview with Thai PBS. In the face of rising visitor anger, the hosts are doing all they can.

The tour guide

Siam Express tour guide Ornanong Songtham was sup¬posed to bid farewell to her group of 10 German seniors on Tuesday night. "We arrived at 8pm to find the THAI checkin counter closed."

She took them back to the Century Hotel, which had kept their rooms free. "Most hotels have offered discounts to guests who can't leave the country," she says.

Hotels in provinces are also upping their hospitality, among them Rose Garden Hotel in Nakhon Pathom, which is offer¬ing guests two free nights.

Further south, the Ranong Tourism Association is working on plans to offer free accom¬modation for stranded tourists.

"Maybe we can ease the pain," says Nit Auitekkeng, the association's president.

The help comes despite the province suffering from the worldwide credit crunch and Thailand's political unrest. "Seventy per cent of bookings have been cancelled," says Nit.

In Bangkok, Ornanong has stayed with her group. "Many were too scared to go out at first but today we went to Baiyoke Hotel for lunch," she says.

The German seniors' fears have subsided, and one even joked: "If your prime minister can let someone seize the air¬port so easily, he should resign."

The protesters' soft side

The anti-government protesters have also helped out tourists at the airport, with People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters sharing their Halal lunchboxes with Hajjbound passengers. Some are also helping tourists with their luggage trolleys as well as keeping women's lava¬tories stocked with sanitary napkins and toilet paper.

PAD members have organised a small group of Englishspeakers to provide information for tourists.

The wait continues....

Many business executives who were only in transit when their plans were disrupted are hoping that Suvarnabhumi Airport will reopen as soon as possible so they can get back to work.

"We are looking for updates all the time. There is no clear information as to when the airport will reopen. We are also waiting for calls from the air¬line," said Andreas Schule, a 40yearold businessman, who was in transit from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

The German businessman is one of 128 passengers on the same flight whose ongoing flights were cancelled after the People's Alliance for Democracy besieged Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday night. He was one of the many stranded tourists who have been given shelter at the Miracle Hotel on VibhavadiRangsit Road.

"We are businessmen, we have meetings and appointments. We were only here for a transfer," he said.

Like other travellers, Schule wants clear information on how long the cri¬sis will continue, and when he can take a flight out so he can make plans with his business associates overseas.

"We are stuck inside the hotel wait¬ing to hear if and when we can take a flight out," he explained.

Another stranded executive is 38yearold South Korean Jung Hoonwoo, who came to Bangkok to attend the threeday conference "BioAsia 2008". He said he was very upset that he was forced to cancel a couple of important meetings in Mumbai and Singapore.

"I want to get out of here immedi¬ately as I have meetings in other coun¬tries too," he said.

Sixtyyearold Austrian, Fink Viktor, who was on his way from Bali to Phuket with his wife, said the PAD blockade was terrifying, especially since they were travelling on their own and not with a package tour.

He and his wife were stuck at Suvarnabhumi for 12 hours before they managed to hitch a ride to Rama Gardens Hotel with 300 Thai Airways, El Al and Cathay Pacific passengers.

"Now we have to take a bus to Phuket because they say there are no flights," Viktor said, while waiting for a bus at the Southern Bus Terminal.