Stranded in Pattaya? Help for tourists...

[paultain]

Thursday 27th November 2008
Emergency Meeting discusses local assistance for stranded International Tourists.
On Thursday Afternoon, Khun Mongkol, the Chief of Banglamung District chaired an emergency meeting to discuss the currently situation in Bangkok and the affect on Tourists residing here in Pattaya following the closure of Suvanabumi Airport. The District Chief announced that Pattaya City Hall and Banglamung City Hall€™s can be contacted by Tourists who are stranded here in Pattaya following the airport closure which could last for some time. For the latest information the Pattaya City Call Center 1337 can be contacted and for those who need to leave Thailand urgently can also contact 1337 and decisions on whether to accommodate requests to leave Thailand urgently will be decided case-by-case by an emergency committee which has been set up. Utapao Airport in Sattahip is still operating and can be used. So if you are stranded here in Pattaya and have problems with money or visas or if you require any advice regarding the use of other forms of transport to leave Thailand please call 1337.

[Tomcat]

Thai Tourist Authority

I hope this helps .. also for those who have travel plans in the near future

http://www.tatnews.org/

http://www.tatnews.org/situation_updates/4063.asp



PS i added the Airport News link to save time searching

[sev7en]

Stranded in Pattaya? That´s some punsihment.
Sorry to hear that. I don´t wish that uopn my worst enemies

[daveduke007]

Oh shit! There goes the charabang
Looks like I'm gonna be stuck here the whole summer
Well what a bummer
I can think of a lot worse places to be
Like down in the street
Or down in the sewer
Or even on the end of a skewer

[katoeylover]

Thought you were in the UK?

[daveduke007]

I am, the fuckwits protested 10 days too late

[neil324]

Every year come the start of dec for 3 months, had to change to Singapore, got a flight booked to phuket but all flights to Utaupa booked for a few days. Going to get the bus to Bangkok from Phuket bus terminal.

No problem

[paultain]

Friday 28th November 2008 from pattayaone.net

Tourists stranded in Pattaya wonder when the Bangkok protests will end.

Because of the Airport closures in Bangkok, thousands of foreign tourists are stranded here in Thailand. Many have come to Pattaya to wait for news regarding their flights. Many are angry, some have resigned themselves to the fact they are stuck here and are making the most of their extended holidays. It is clear that whenever the PAD protests at the airports come to an end, there will not be an immediate re-opening as security at both airports have been breached and damage has been caused. There were reports of some International Journalists walking onto the tarmac and up to parked planes with no signs of any security in place. Everyone is now wondering what the next move will be as the Army appear not to support the idea of using force to disperse the protesters and the Police have also claimed they will not use force. Some tourists are running out of money and others now have expired visas. Tourists with expired visas should make their way to the Immigration Office located in Soi 5 off Jomtien Beach Road where we understand that if evidence is produced to confirm they have been forced to remain here because of the problems, free visa extensions will be given. Many are hoping that the nearby Utapao Military Airport in Sattahip will be used for international flights, however due to the size of the airport it is unlikely that regular international flights will be possible. If you require urgent repatriation you must contact your Embassy who will listen to your case and make a judgment if an urgent evacuation from Thailand is required. Other options such as travelling to Cambodia or Laos by road are also being considered by some Tourists at this time.

[paultain]

Utapao Airport will be renamed Utapao Pattaya International Airport in the next three months as it is being upgraded to a small commercial international airport with good facilities, becoming another access point to Pattaya.

The airport is located in the Banchang district of Rayong province, 190 km from Bangkok and just down the road from Pattaya.

It is being upgraded to international airport standard by expanding the terminal area from a capacity for 150 to 400 passengers with a usage area of 2,610 square meters. This includes 50 aircraft being supported according to current international airport standards.

It will have a runway measuring 3,505 x 60m2, a location for parking measuring 432,300m2, including a fire engine, rescue vehicles, an ambulance, a cabin car, a garbage truck, a shuttle bus, and an SSR (secondary surveillance radar) system. It has a security system that is just as good as that of the Don Muang Airport.

It will also have a 50% reduced charge for aviation parking from today until March 2009.
Utapao Airport has been a reserve for Don Muang Airport, a center for the transfer of goods, used for commercial pilot training, support for expanding charter service, a domestic airport for flights to Phuket and Samui, and a repair center for Thai and foreign aircraft.

[shrimpsoup]

(sev7en @ Nov. 28 2008,17:00) Stranded in Pattaya? That´s some punsihment.
Sorry to hear that. I don´t wish that uopn my worst enemies  

If yer out of money...it would be absolute torture to be stranded in Pattaya.

[Torurot]

Utapao Airport was used as a base to some of the world largest transporter planes that brought aid after the Tsunami in 2004

[Stewart]

being upgraded to international airport standard by expanding the terminal area from a capacity for 150 to 400 passengers

That is 2 planes max. That is really going to make a difference!

[PigDogg]

(shrimpsoup @ Nov. 29 2008,18:59) If yer out of money...it would be absolute torture to be stranded in Pattaya.

But life can be quite good if you have just a little bit of money.
It can be done for as little as 1K baht a day.

It involves renting by the month, eating like the Thais, and not going out every night.

[Guest]

Money in LOS.......who needs money? Just use these handy IOU's that are good for food, lodging and sex!!

[Guest]

Next IOU good for sex.