Air Transport

Thai Airways International's services to three airports in the southern Thailand have returned to normal.

Hat Yai, Krabi and Phuket airports in southern Thailand were closed on 29 August but the airports have since re-opened and a Thai Airways' spokeswoman in Bangkok says the Star Alliance's carrier's services to Hat Yai and Krabi returned to normal yesterday morning and Phuket returned to normal yesterday at 1400hr local time.

These three airports were temporarily closed because anti-government protesters had disrupted airport operations.

It meant that thousands of passengers were left stranded in the country's south and some were international passengers because Phuket airport is the Thailand's second major international airport.

Thailand is currently gripped by anarchy brought on by anti-government protesters that are trying to topple the democratically-elected government led by prime minister Samak Sundaravej.

His enemies say Samak is a stooge for Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled from power in September 2006 and now faces corruption charges.

Last month Thaksin and his immediate family fled Thailand and are now residing in London.