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All was calm on the streets of Bangkok by Wednesday evening after the army brought the situation under control and dispersed rampaging protestors who had brought anarchy to the capital. Bangkok is now considered safe to travel to, although several countries have yet to lift their travel advisory warnings for Thailand. The situation remains tense but the prostests have been called off, the streets have been cleared and the risk of violence has been greatly minimised. The State of Emergency remains, declared on Sunday evening after red shirted supporters of exiled pariah Thaksin Shinawatra forced the cancellation of the ASEAN+3 summit in Pattaya. After storming the venue, they turned their attention to Bangkok, where 10,000 of them blockaded key intersections and violently brought the city to a standstill demanding the resignation of the government. A peaceful quiet descended on the city Wednesday evening after a tense standoff between soldiers and the protestors throughout Tuesday, as 50 companies of soldiers gradually dispersed the crowds. Finally the leaders of the protest turned themselves in Wednesday morning and called off the protest, urging their ranks to return home. A small group of die-hard supporters mustered at Sanam Luang, near Khao San Road, refusing to go home, but were under close guard from the military. Armoured personnel continue to preside of key parts of the city to prevent further trouble. Meanwhile the airport remained busy and the annual Songkran festivities continued on Khao San Road and Silom avenue without hindrance or fear. Sporadic protests continue upcountry but are considered of no risk to tourists. Breaking news from [The Nation Newspaper](http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/) 2009-04-16T18:46:00+07:00 1222 2009-04-16T18:58:52+07:00 5 true 1222-bangkok-streets-return-to-normal Andrew

Despite the incredible displays of incompetence produced by low-cost airline One-Two-Go, its owner is still confident that the airline will return to service before the end of the year. The budget Thai carrier was grounded by the Thailand Department Of Civil Aviation (DCA) earlier this year for numerous safety violations, including pilots who were not qualified and poor plane maintenance which resulted in a tragic crash in Phuket in 2007. Udom Tantiprasongchai, founder and chairman of One-Two-Go, told the [Phuket Gazette][1] he was confident the airline will resume its Phuket service. But for now, the carrier remains suspended until October. “We have done everything we have to do. It is now up to us to decide when we resume flying,” Udom said. In the beginning of this saga, One-Two-Go self-grounded its fleet of eight MD-80 planes claiming financial problems and restructuring plans. The Thai government, however, suspended the airline officially until September 20. If you believe in second chances, then this is a classic example. It’s hard to imagine One-Two-Go going anywhere but up after its shockingly poor safety record. Mr Udom has pledged to “come back again, stronger and with better quality.” But when that will be is up in the air as many staff have left and consumer confidence is probably still shaky. [Phuket needs more air service][2], but certainly not at the expense of lives. [1]: http://www.phuketgazette.net/dailynews/index.asp?id=6797 [2]: http://www.1stopphuket.com/getting_here/airport/ 2008-09-15T08:13:00+07:00 879 2008-09-13T08:27:43+07:00 5 true 879-one-two-go-confident-of-phuket-return Andrew

One-2-Go, the budget airline involved in the Phuket air disaster last October, will stop flying on Tuesday July 22nd for six weeks. The decision is based mainly on the rising cost of jet fuel amid stiff competition, as well as the looming law suits from its air crash that left 79 dead. Described as financial restructuring for ‘damage control’ by CEO Udom Tantiprasongchai, the suspension will ground all eight MD80 jets that currently fly the Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Phuket routes. These ageing and noisy aircraft are particularly fuel inefficient and it has taken its toll on the five year old budget carrier. The airline is suffering from loss during advanced sales of tickets, as fuel surcharges have been rising by the week this year, making it difficult for them to compete with AirAsia and Nok Air. Their tickets are typically 15 per cent more expensive. The news comes just days after a US law firm announced it was leading a class action lawsuit against the airline and its insurance underwriter for failing to adequately compensate victims of the Sept 18 2007 air disaster that resulted from a crash landing in poor weather. The airline has already been sued in Thailand, the US and Britain. It was launched in 2003 as a budget subsidiary of the small Thai airline Orient Thai, which continues to fly to Hong Kong and Incheon, in addition to charter services. No clear announcement has been made about its 700 staff or compensation for advance ticket sales, the usual booking service on their website having been replaced by a single notice of suspension. [Orient Thai website]( http://www.orient-thai.com/) Contact numbers: (66) 2 229 4260 2008-07-21T06:26:00+07:00 785 2008-07-21T06:27:56+07:00 5 true 785-air-crash-airline-suspends-operation Andrew