Thai airport authorities confirmed Friday that all flights to and from southern tourist hub Phuket, Hat Yai and Krabi international airports were canceled on Friday and all the three airports in these places were closed because of the ongoing confrontations between government and protesters.
The acting president of Airports of Thailand Serirat Prasutanont confirmed the airport closure on Friday evening.
When the air flights will resume depends on the situation, said Serirat.
The move came after hundreds of protesters led by local branch of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stormed the three airports, blocking roads towards the airport, damaging some properties in the terminals and even broke onto the runways.
Meanwhile, Thai International Airways' Labour Union has called for its members to take leave immediately to protest the police's use of forces against anti-government protesters on Friday, according to a report on The Nation news website.
Union's president Jamsri Sukchoterat said that the union voiced disagreement with police's use of forces against the unarmed protesters who just exercised their rights to demonstrate.
"The union then calls for 15,000 members to take immediate leave to protest the government's move. If the violence against the protesters continues, we call for all 25,000 THAI members to stop working," Jamsri was quoted by local media as saying.
(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2008)