Huang Zhong(2nd,L) , a Chinese civilian back from Thailand, arrives at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, on Nov. 30, 2008. The first charter plane from Air China Airlines boarded passengers who were stranded in Thailand, back to Beijing at 5:40 AM on Sunday. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The first Chinese flight bringing home stranded Chinese tourists after the closure of Thailand's main international airport in Bangkok, arrived at eastern Shanghai before dawn on Sunday.

    Aboard the China Eastern MU Flight 548 were 246 of less than 3,000 Chinese tourists believed being trapped in Thailand. The plane which left the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at noon Saturday, returned to the airport at 2:15 on Sunday. 

A China Eastern Airbus-300 arrives at the Utapao Airport near Pattaya, about 150 km east of Bangkok, capital of Thailand, Nov. 29, 2008. Chinese aviation authorities were sending 5 planes on Saturday to Thailand to bring home the remaining stranded Chinese tourists after the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Twenty-eight tourists aboard will fly to Kunming, the provincial capital of southern Yunnan Province, from Shanghai.

    Chinese aviation authorities sent planes to Thailand to bring home the remaining stranded Chinese tourists after the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

    Zhou, a father who was expecting his stranded daughter to arrive on Sunday, rushed to the Pudong airport at 1:00 on Sunday. His daughter had an internship with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in the turmoil country after anti-government protesters laid siege to Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport earlier last week.

    "My family were deeply concerned about my daughter's safety after learning the Thailand airport was closed. We felt a great relief that she could take the charter flight and finally got back safe," said Zhou.

Passengers walk out from the terminal of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, on Nov. 30, 2008.  (Xinhua/Fan Jun) Photo Gallery>>>

    Gao, a manager of a Shanghai food company who went to Thailand for market research and was scheduled to be back to Shanghai on Wednesday, said he was "very happy to be back home" and was deeply impressed that the Chinese government could immediately organize charter flights in time of stress.

    A source with the China Eastern said the plane returned people with tickets on the airline, 26 members of the operating crew as well as other Chinese citizens if seats were available.

    At 3:17 a.m., China Southern Airline's Boeing 777 landed at Southern Guangzhou Baiyun International airport, bringing another 351 stranded Chinese tourists home.

    The aircraft took off at 1:07 a.m. on Sunday morning. It was supposed to return earlier, but was delayed due to disorder at the airport in Thailand. 

Zhou Ti(R) hugs her father at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, on Nov. 30, 2008.  (Xinhua/Fan Jun)  Photo Gallery>>>

    Over 10,000 passengers flooded into the airport since the morning, causing heavy traffic jam on ways from Bangkok towards the airport and disordered situation.

    Two and a half hours later, another 315 Chinese tourists flew back home as scheduled by Air China Flights CA072. The plan landed at Beijing International Airport at 5:40 a.m..

    Another 219 tourists by a Boeing 767 of Shanghai Airlines arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 6:40 a.m.

    China has arranged seven charter flights to retrieve stranded Chinese tourists in Thailand as of Saturday.

    Sources said Air China, Southern Airline, and Shanghai Airlines would send more aircrafts to Thailand on Sunday, respectively.

    Thousands of foreigners became stranded in Bangkok after anti-government protesters in Thailand laid siege to the country's main international airport earlier this week.

Chinese tourists, once stranded after the closure of airports in Bangkok, arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, in Shanghai, on Nov. 29, 2008. The 46 tourists returned to Shanghai on Saturday aboard a Dragonair flight. They had to drive to Phuket island, more than 1,000 km south of Bangkok, to be flown to Hong Kong and then the Chinese mainland.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Thai police chief removed

     BANGKOK, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Police Commissioner-General Pol. Gen. Phatcharawat Wongsuwan was Friday removed as the national police chief and seconded to an inactive post at the PM's Office.

    The government appointed police inspector-general Pol Gen Prateep Tanprasert as caretaker police commissioner-general. Full story
 
Atmosphere tense in Bangkok, but no action taken after emergency decree imposed

    BANGKOK, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The atmosphere on Friday morning was tense in Bangkok, especially at the two airports hijacked by anti-government protesters, after the government declared a state of emergency at the airports.

    In early hours of Friday, two M79 grenades were lodged at the head office of satellite TV station ASTV, the mouthpiece of anti-government movement People's Alliance for Democracy.  Full story

Thai PM declares state of emergency at two Bangkok airports

Anti-government protestors stand guard at a check-point leading towards Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport Nov. 27, 2008. Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat Thursday evening declared state of emergency over two Bangkok airports -- the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and DonMueang Airport, which were paralyzed since besieged by anti-government protesters on Tuesday night.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

BANGKOK, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat Thursday evening declared state of emergency over two Bangkok airports -- the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and DonMueang Airport, which were paralyzed since besieged by anti-government protesters on Tuesday night.

Somchai delivered a national TV speech from northern province Chiang Mai, which started at 9:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) Thursday to announce the emergency decree as the besiege of anti-government protesters have caused great loss to the many industries in the country, including goods export and tourism, which amounts to some 100 billion Thai Baht (2.86 billion U.S. dollars) per day. Full story

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