Scramble for air tickets out of Samui
Published: 30/03/2011 at 02:40 PM
SAMUI -- Hundreds of stranded travellers were scrambling for air tickets out at Samui International airport this afternoon after hearing that two flights had managed to take off for Bangkok earlier today.
Bangkok Airways said two flights, PG 104 and PG 100, landed in Bangkok this afternoon carrying a total of 376 passengers from Samui. Two more aircraft were waiting for a break in the weather to fly out of the island.
Thousands of tourists are stranded in the holiday island due to a low pressure area that disrupted all transport modes to and from the island. Fifty-three national and international flights to Koh Samui have already been cancelled, and all ferry services were stopped. Bangkok Airways said about 2,100 tourists were not able to board their flights since Monday.
Several stranded passengers have spent nights at the airport while others braved the floods going to the airport everyday in hopes that they would be able to board a flight.
The airport is using a backup power generator for basic operations and officials are manually checking in passengers.
Samui airport's runway was flooded yesterday.
Rain continued to pour down on already submerged roads on Koh Samui today. Fallen electricity poles caused a power blackout over the entire Lamai area.
The central part of Chaweng is completely underwater and only accessible by inflatable boats deployed by local authorities. Communications systems have broken down in many parts of the island.
Local authorities continued evacuating people from badly flooded areas of Chaweng. Food and water were also distributed. However some people refused to be evacuated, worried about what would happen to their possessions in their absence.
Samui mayor Ramnate Chaikwang said most of residents and visitors have been moved to higher ground. Most hotels, restaurants and convenience stores on Chaweng beach road have been closed since yesterday.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said the aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Narabuet and two smaller vessels, HTMS Sukhothai and Gor911, are rescuing people from the islands of Koh Tao, Koh Pang-ngan and Koh Samui respectively.
Saiphayom Somsuk, TAT chief of the Koh Samui Coordination Centre, said rescued tourists will be landed in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, as most areas of the South are still suffering the impact of floods and storms.
The Russian government has asked Thailand to rescue Russian tourists stranded on Samui.
Moscow's Itar-Tass news agency earlier quoted the Russian Tour Operator's Association as saying about 600 Russians were stranded on Samui island, which has been flooded since March 28.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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