VOANews.com

សម្លេងសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក ▪ Khmerពត៌មានទុកចិត្តបាន តាំងពីឆ្នាំ ១៩៥៥

 

Today at VOA:

News in 45 Languages
Passengers Scramble as Flights Canceled


26 November 2008

Thai protesters in Bangkok closed two airports Tuesday, leaving hundreds stranded in Cambodia.
Thai protesters in Bangkok closed two airports Tuesday, leaving hundreds stranded in Cambodia.
Hundreds of passengers were left looking for alternate travel plans in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Wednesday, after protests in Bangkok closed an international airport.

Flights for Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways and Asia Air were canceled Wednesday morning, and passengers were given the chance for refunds to purchase other tickets out or were allowed to change their flight dates.

The cancellations followed the closure of Thailand’s Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports Tuesday, after pro-opposition protesters stormed their terminals in a bid to unseat the ruling government.

“The flights to Bangkok were temporarily delayed indefinitely, because of the anti-Thai protesters occupying the airports of Don Muang and suvarnabhumi,” Leang Preng, a spokesman for Thai Airways, said.

Thai Airways typically has four flights a day to Bangkok, two from Phnom   Penh and two from Siem Reap.

Each flight has up to 170 passengers, Leang Preng said.

“I not only missed my flight, but I’m missing my job,” Long Remy, a Cambodian-French citizen, said at Phnom Penh International Airport Wednesday. “I have to work on Friday, and I cannot leave my job.”

He was visiting his family in Cambodia and hoped to fly via Korean Air on Thursday.

Pen Samnang, a resident of Australia, said he would seek a refund and fly by Singapore’s Silk Air.

“I have a lot of jobs in Australia, and I have booked hotels for them,” he said.

“We are concerned that the delay of the flight to Bangkok will affect tourism to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap,”general director of Cambodian Civil Aviation. “The flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh are four flights, and to Siem Reap are five flights. Some flights between 70 seats for a small plane and more than 100 seats for a big plane.”

Hopefully tourists will change their transit destination away from Thailand, through Vietnam, Singapore or Malaysia, for example, he said.


Listen to This Report Khmer audio aired 26 November 2008 (1.20 MB)
Download  (MP3)
Listen to This Report Khmer audio aired 26 November 2008 (1.20 MB)
Listen (MP3)
E-mail This Article E-mail this article
Print This Article Print Version
  Cambodia News
Officials Seek 50,000 Kuwaiti Tourists  Audio Clip Available

  More Stories
Doctor Highlights Calories in Food  Audio Clip Available
Groups Ready for Obama Inauguration  Audio Clip Available
Tribunal Officials Discuss Duch Trial  Audio Clip Available
Opposition Parties Sign Into Alliance  Audio Clip Available
Tribunal Chamber Readies for Duch Trial  Audio Clip Available
Court Officials Set for Four-Year Rotation  Audio Clip Available
Opposition Parties To Announce ‘Movement’  Audio Clip Available
Opposition Parties Meet in Effort to Unify  Audio Clip Available
Accused Killer Calls for Proper Investigation  Audio Clip Available
Cambodian PM Leaves for Kuwait Visit  Audio Clip Available
Witness List Passed to Tribunal Judges  Audio Clip Available
Hun Sen to Attend Asean Meeting in Thailand  Audio Clip Available
Hong Kong Residents Lend Helping Hand  Audio Clip Available
Demonstration of Plantation Workers Halted  Audio Clip Available
Tribunal Judges Lash Out at Defense  Audio Clip Available
Foreign Investment Expected to Slump  Audio Clip Available
No Party Gigs for Band of Disabled  Audio Clip Available
Three Held, More Sought in Bomb Plot  Audio Clip Available
Cambodian Amateur Car Maker Dreams of Greatness  Video clip available
Nuon Chea Defense Files Suit on Corruption  Audio Clip Available