Airlines have cancelled a total of 112 scheduled flights, or 56 round-trips, from Singapore and Hong Kong to Bangkok until late February because of the reduced demand for seats.
Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visits staff at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday. (Photo by Weerawong Wongpreedee)
Civil Aviation Department director-general Woradej Harnprasert said on Monday that his department has officially been informed that Singapore Airlines will cut one flight each day from Jan 14 to Feb 25, a total of 19 round-trip flights, from the current schedule of 215 flights during that period.
Cathay Pacific will cut one round-trip each day between Jan 7 and 14, except Jan 9. Altogether, a total of seven round-trip flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong will be cut during the period.
Hong Kong Airlines will reduce its flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong by 30 round-trip flights from Jan 4 to Jan 30, from a total of 110 flights. This means a cut of one or two flights on average each day.
Mr Woradej said the reason they are cutting back on services to Bangkok is the reduced demand for trips to the Thai capital.
Hong Kong Airlines had said one of its airplanes was due for maintenance and there was less demand for seats at this time.
An earlier report by the Straits Times said the reason Singapore Airlines cancelled flights to Bangkok was the political turmoil, which meant fewer people wanted to go there. But many people were instead going elsewhere, Phuket for example.
Suvarnabhumi director Raweewan Netarakavesana, said the airport has prepared for the protesters' planned shutdown of central Bangkok by rerouting shuttle buses operating between Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports, and improving shuttle bus services between Airport Rail Link and BTS stations.
More staff will be available to inform people wanting taxi and limousine services about the protest areas, so they can avoid these areas.
The airport will also set up a centre at the departure hall on the fourth floor at the back of check-in Row R, to work with other agencies and airlines in order to ensure swift action to solve possible problems for passengers.
The airport will provide resting areas and other facilities for passengers who may face transportation problems and miss their flights.
From Friday onwards, the airport will ask travel related associations and businesses to station representatives at the arrival hall to assist arriving travelers.
Passengers leaving Bangkok were advised to head out for the airport at least four hours before their flight is due to depart, and that they should use public transport.
The airport Call Centre number 1722 will be open around the clock, Mr Woradej said.
Caretaker Transport Minister Chadchart Sittiphan said services by BTS skytrain, MRT subway and the Chao Phraya and Khlong Saen Saep express boats will be increased, to reduce the need for commuters to use personal vehicles.
Shuttle buses will be available to transport commuters to and from interchange stations. Special u-turn lanes will be opened up on expressways to buses can make round-trips faster, said Mr Chadchart.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand would allow the number of buses using the expressways to rise from 450 to 500 buses each day.
Areas that will be blocked by protesters include the Lumpini intersection, Lat Phrao five-way intersection, Victory Monument, Asok intersection, Ratchaprasong intersection, Pathumwan intersection, and a section of Chaeng Wattana road, Laksi, that is in front of the government office complex.
Mr Chadchart said extra parking spaces will be made available at public transport stations.
There will be 3,000 more slots for cars at Suvarnabhumi airport, 3,000 at Don Mueang airport and 800 at Makkasan airport link station. Motorbike parking spaces at all MRT stations will also increase from a total of 2,000 to 10,000 slots.
More parking spaces at major department stores will be provided for people from the suburbs to leave their vehicles and switch to public transport.
The transport minister said he would set up a centre to monitor and solve traffic problems in the city, manage logistic services and provide information and assistance to commuters on Jan 13.
Information about travel during the planned shutdown will be posted on the ministry's website: www.mot.go.th, and be available on hotline No 1356 and Sor Wor Por 91 traffic radio station.