VZCZCXRO4399
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBK #3532/01 3372330
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 022330Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5280
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 6585
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9261
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 5117
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 1233
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI IMMEDIATE 5938
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY IMMEDIATE 0856
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/TSA HQ WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 003532 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, CA, EEB, DS 
TRANSPORTATION FOR TSA 
STATE PASS TO USTR 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
COMMERCE FOR EAP/MAC/OKSA 
SINGAPORE FOR FINATT BAKER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC CMGT EAIR EFIN PGOV PREL ETRD TH
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 2: UPDATE ON THAILAND'S MAKE-SHIFT 
AIRLINE AND AIRPORT OPERATIONS 
 
REF: BANGKOK 3492 (MOB SHUTS BANGKOK AIRPORT) 
 
BANGKOK 00003532  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary: The Embassy is assisting Amcits 24 hours 
a day though a call center manned by consular officers and 
volunteers from the Embassy community, to find hotel rooms 
and/or outbound transportation from Thailand.  Neither United 
nor Northwest, the only U.S. carriers that serve Bangkok, 
have plans to resume flights at this point.  We are exploring 
the feasibility of USG-arranged charter flights, but are not 
yet suggesting that publicly.  While most makeshift Thai 
Airways operations are currently based at U-Tapao air base 90 
miles from Bangkok, smaller airlines are standing up 
international flight operations at smaller airports around 
the country.  The military wing of Don Muang airport in 
Bangkok may be the best option for charter flights, once TSA 
personnel arrive in-country to begin airport inspection and 
certification efforts.  End summary. 
 
Consular Efforts 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  In order to best continue the level of service 
that has been available to Amcits since the closure of 
airports, the Consular Section has established a call center, 
operated by consular and volunteer Embassy staff twenty-four 
hours a day, to assist Americans, including providing them 
with airline and hotel contact information.  We handled 60-80 
calls total on December 2, down from roughly 200 a day over 
the weekend. The Consular Section is also coordinating with 
the Consular Affairs Bureau, in Washington, and with other 
Mission elements, to arrange charter flights for Americans 
later in the week (we've made no announcements until details 
are in place).  We are advising Amcits not to head to U-Tapao 
or other airports outside of Bangkok unless they have a 
confirmed reservation in hand. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Consular has also reached out to other Embassies 
in Thailand.  The British, Canadian, and Australian Embassies 
are all considering chartering flights for their citizens 
according to their diplomats.  The New Zealand Embassy has 
been assisting its citizens to fly out of U-Tapao air base 
150 miles southeast of Bangkok. 
 
Airlines 
-------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Embassy met with executives from United 
Airlines and Northwest Airlines on December 1.  United 
reported it has canceled all flights to Bangkok through 
December 4 with no plans to resume them in the near future. 
United estimates 2,000 of their passengers are stranded in 
Thailand.  Northwest estimates they have about 1,500 
passengers stuck in Thailand bound for the United States and 
an additional 300 who intend to travel to Japan.  T 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Thai Airways is offering the most international 
service in the greater Bangkok area (from the military 
airbase at U-Tapao, approximately 90 miles from Bangkok). 
The airline posted on its website a schedule for December 2 
listing several flights to their most popular destinations. 
Thai Airways also announced plans to arrange a flight from 
U-Tapao to Los Angeles via Japan. However, United and 
Northwest executives confirm anecdotal reports that these 
flights are difficult to book and are on a first-come 
first-served basis.  According to the Thai Airways website 
and local travel agents, passengers must check in seven hours 
in advance at a convention center in downtown Bangkok before 
boarding buses for U-Tapao airport.  Other international 
 
BANGKOK 00003532  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
airlines are increasing U-Tapao operations as well. 
 
Airports 
--------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Suvarnabhumi:  Protesters have occupied the 
airport since November 25 (see reftel A) with no apparent 
plan to leave.  No flights are leaving or arriving at the 
airport.  However, industry executives confirmed to the 
*Embassy on December 1 that about 80 empty aircraft that had 
been parked at the airport, primarily belonging to Thai 
Airways, were allowed to be flown out without passengers. 
About 90 more empty aircraft remain at the airport. 
According to industry insiders, protesters have also 
surrounded the control towers and, if they chose to, could 
easily overrun them. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Don Muang:  The military side of Don Muang airport 
is available for chartered flights, which because of its 
convenience to the city would probably be preferable to 
arranging long bus rides to distant airports.  The Embassy 
spoke with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) on December 2 and 
determined that Wing Six, primarily reserved for military 
flights, is available for charter aircraft.  The Embassy is 
working with Thai immigration and aviation officials to 
establish procedures for potential flights.  The RTAF said 
France is already chartering flights from Wing Six using 747 
aircraft.  The protesters are located on the civilian side of 
the airport, and, at this point, have demonstrated no 
intention to cross over to the military side. The RTAF told 
us the area is secure.  An airport official confirmed that 
someone threw a bomb near the access road to the civilian 
side of the airport around midnight December 2.  The official 
estimated that one person was killed and over 20 wounded. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  U-Tapao:  International flights departing from the 
Bangkok area are now taking off from U-Tapao.  Primarily a 
military airport, U-Tapao has shouldered most of the burden 
since the airport seizures by protesters.  Executives at 
major U.S. airlines reported that usage of U-Tapao presents 
many problems, the greatest being that it is not certified by 
the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 
Therefore, direct flights from U-Tapao are not yet being 
allowed to land in the United States.   In addition, given 
flight demand, U-Tapao lacks sufficient equipment such as 
stairs, check-in counters, and luggage trucks, and cannot 
accommodate enough Thai customs and immigration officials. 
Nevertheless, airline executives indicate that ground 
equipment is being transferred to U-Tapao and flight capacity 
at the airport may be increased from about 20 per day to 
40-50 flights a day.  Currently, Thai Airways operates the 
vast majority of flights from U-Tapao.  Neither United nor 
Northwest are operating flights from U-Tapao, but executives 
at the airlines have told us they might be prepared to begin 
flights if TSA can certify the airport.  (Note:  TSA 
inspectors are en route to Thailand). 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Chiang Mai:  The international airport in Chiang 
Mai could ramp up for additional international flights, but 
the distance, 350 miles from Bangkok, could be a complicating 
factor for Amcits stranded in Bangkok, but a strong 
possibility for Amcits stranded in northern Thailand. Chiang 
Mai can be reached by bus or train. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Other airports:  Phuket has an international 
airport, but is only reachable from Bangkok by a 10-12 hour 
bus ride.  Airports in Korat, Hua Hin, and Phitsanulok are 
not equipped for international flights at this point. 
 
BANGKOK 00003532  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Bangkok Airways has begun operating flights from Hua Hin to 
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, via the Thai resort island Samui, 
but the landing strip in Samui is only long enough for a 
Boeing 737. 
 
Security 
-------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  TSA anticipates two TSA representatives will 
arrive in Bangkok by train or bus via Phuket by December 3. 
An additional nine or ten transportation security inspectors 
will arrive later this week.  The inspectors will begin the 
inspection process for U-Tapao and Wing Six at Don Muang, and 
at other airports as other options develop.  Certification 
will require inspection of all security aspects at the new 
airport locations.  Note: Suvarnabhumi will need to be 
recertified once the protesters leave.  Depending of the 
condition of the airport, estimates range from 2 to 10 days 
for how long re-certification could take. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Security at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang (civilian 
side), where protesters have encamped, has all but been 
abandoned. Countermeasures such as identification access 
control procedures and personnel screening are no longer 
present.  The security apparatus at the U-Tapao airport is 
ill-equipped to handle the current volume of overflow 
passengers and reports suggest that security protocols at 
this airport could easily be circumvented.  A series of 
specific security measures and procedures need to be 
exercised and conducted if security is to be brought up to 
even minimal standards.  The RSO office will work closely 
with TSA, airlines, and other Mission sections to ensure the 
safety of passengers that may travel on U.S. airlines or 
charter flights. 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  The security situation in Bangkok remains calm 
and stable.  Embassy warden messages and staff announcements 
urge Amcits to avoid areas where protesters (both pro and 
anti-government) have congregated.  While there have been 
reports of random explosions and shootings in and around the 
protest sites, there have been no instances of violence in 
other areas of the city. 
 
¶14.  (SBU)  A septel addresses December 2 political 
developments. 
JOHN