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| Thai airport warning for Britons | Thai airport warning for Britons |
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| British citizens in Thailand should avoid large gatherings and stay away from airports hit by demonstrations there, the Foreign Office has advised. | British citizens in Thailand should avoid large gatherings and stay away from airports hit by demonstrations there, the Foreign Office has advised. |
| Thousands of anti-government protesters have occupied government offices in Bangkok and closed airports in the holiday areas of Phuket and Krabi. | Thousands of anti-government protesters have occupied government offices in Bangkok and closed airports in the holiday areas of Phuket and Krabi. |
| The Foreign Office said people were not being told to stay away altogether but to regularly check their travel advice. | The Foreign Office said people were not being told to stay away altogether but to regularly check their travel advice. |
| It said it did not know how many Britons could be affected. | It said it did not know how many Britons could be affected. |
| Map of key protest areas in Bangkok | Map of key protest areas in Bangkok |
| A spokeswoman said: "We are advising British citizens to exercise caution, avoiding areas with demonstrations or large gatherings of people." | A spokeswoman said: "We are advising British citizens to exercise caution, avoiding areas with demonstrations or large gatherings of people." |
| Britons planning to travel to or from the affected airports were advised to contact their travel operator. | Britons planning to travel to or from the affected airports were advised to contact their travel operator. |
| It was very eerie though to see a busy airport reduced to an empty building Claudine Pearson | It was very eerie though to see a busy airport reduced to an empty building Claudine Pearson |
| The spokeswoman said the Foreign Office had been contacted by Britons in Thailand, but had no way of estimating how many may be stranded there. | The spokeswoman said the Foreign Office had been contacted by Britons in Thailand, but had no way of estimating how many may be stranded there. |
| In 2007, some 860,000 Britons travelled to Thailand | In 2007, some 860,000 Britons travelled to Thailand |
| A spokesman from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said the majority of British holiday makers travelling to Thailand fly into Bangkok airport, which remains open. | |
| He also said that there are commonly used overland routes to both of the towns whose airports are closed - meaning that it was unlikely people would be left stranded if they had planned to fly from Bangkok to those destinations. | |
| 'Eerily quiet' | |
| He said: "Tour operators always put contingency plans in place if these sorts of problems occur," and added that it would be the responsibility of the airline to put anyone who had missed their plane through no fault of their own onto a later flight. | |
| But Claudine Pearson from Edinburgh told the BBC earlier that she thought it unlikely she would be able to catch her flight from Bangkok. | |
| She said: "I'm currently stuck in Krabi, southern Thailand. I have a flight out of Bangkok tonight but as the airport and now rail links have been taken over by the PAD [protest group People's Alliance for Democracy] - it seems unlikely I will be able to catch the flight. | |
| "I have been in Krabi airport this morning and the atmosphere was one of quiet celebration - I at no time felt threatened or uneasy and the protestors actually apologised for the inconvenience. | "I have been in Krabi airport this morning and the atmosphere was one of quiet celebration - I at no time felt threatened or uneasy and the protestors actually apologised for the inconvenience. |
| KEY EVENTS Sept 2006: Bloodless coup by military sees PM Thaksin Shinawatra removed from officeApril 2007: New military-drafted constitution approvedDec 2007: General election won by People Power Party (PPP), seen as reincarnation of Thaksin's now banned Thai Rak Thai party Jan 2008: Samak Sundaravej chosen as PM Feb 2008: Thaksin returns from exileMay 2008: PAD protests against Samak beginJuly 2008: Thaksin goes on trial for corruption; his wife is found guilty of fraud. By mid-August the family has fled to the UKAugust 2008: PAD protests escalate | KEY EVENTS Sept 2006: Bloodless coup by military sees PM Thaksin Shinawatra removed from officeApril 2007: New military-drafted constitution approvedDec 2007: General election won by People Power Party (PPP), seen as reincarnation of Thaksin's now banned Thai Rak Thai party Jan 2008: Samak Sundaravej chosen as PM Feb 2008: Thaksin returns from exileMay 2008: PAD protests against Samak beginJuly 2008: Thaksin goes on trial for corruption; his wife is found guilty of fraud. By mid-August the family has fled to the UKAugust 2008: PAD protests escalate |
| "It was very eerie though to see a busy airport reduced to an empty building with no planes in sight and a group of protestors huddled on the runway under the shade of some boarding stairs," she added. | "It was very eerie though to see a busy airport reduced to an empty building with no planes in sight and a group of protestors huddled on the runway under the shade of some boarding stairs," she added. |
| Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has come under intense pressure to resign by protesters who accuse his government of being a front for the exiled former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. | Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has come under intense pressure to resign by protesters who accuse his government of being a front for the exiled former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. |
| But despite the mounting pressure, Mr Samak has refused to step down from office. | But despite the mounting pressure, Mr Samak has refused to step down from office. |
| Conservative group the PAD is leading the protests against Mr Samak's government. | Conservative group the PAD is leading the protests against Mr Samak's government. |
| On Tuesday, thousands of PAD supporters took to the streets of Bangkok and forced their way into government buildings. | On Tuesday, thousands of PAD supporters took to the streets of Bangkok and forced their way into government buildings. |
| Mr Samak was initially praised for his restraint in dealing with the protests, but he suddenly found his position weakened on Friday when the police pulled back and the triumphant protest leaders were left in control of the government complex. | Mr Samak was initially praised for his restraint in dealing with the protests, but he suddenly found his position weakened on Friday when the police pulled back and the triumphant protest leaders were left in control of the government complex. |
| About 2,000 protesters then besieged the city's police headquarters, prompting the police to fire what appeared to be tear gas to disperse them. | About 2,000 protesters then besieged the city's police headquarters, prompting the police to fire what appeared to be tear gas to disperse them. |
| Although the atmosphere was calmer on Saturday, the demonstrations continued outside police headquarters and thousands remained camped out at the prime minister's official compound, Government House. | Although the atmosphere was calmer on Saturday, the demonstrations continued outside police headquarters and thousands remained camped out at the prime minister's official compound, Government House. |
| The PAD was originally formed in the months before a 2006 military coup which ousted Mr Thaksin. It has re-emerged now that the country is being led by his former ally Mr Samak. | The PAD was originally formed in the months before a 2006 military coup which ousted Mr Thaksin. It has re-emerged now that the country is being led by his former ally Mr Samak. |
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