Badminton at Suvarnabhum, anyone?

Was updating myself yesterday with the situation at Suvarnabhum Airport. I could understand the PAD’s insistence to dethrone the increasingly lame-duck prime minister, but my eyes popped out upon seeing pictures of the PAD protestors playing badminton at the airport concourse.

Hey excuse me, there are thousands of stranded travelers trying desperately to return home and you idiots are having fun playing badminton in front of the check-in counters? Oh dear. What has become of the security checks at the premier airport of Thailand?

Days ago, I was just talking to my colleagues about the expected opening of the airport rail link to downtown Bangkok. And now, this.

Anyway, tried to check out the availability of seats for flights out of Chiang Mai. No luck, my friends.

Then, visited the travel agent this morning. Was told that there is no chance of flying out of Chiang Mai before 3rd December.

Seeked advice from Thai International. Two ways. One is to go to Chiang Mai airport and wait as standby passengers for the unscheduled flight to Utapao airport. With all the luggage tagging along. No reservations entertained.

If passengers are lucky to get to Utapao, they have to wait once again for the unscheduled flight to Narita. Again, on standby as no reservations are entertained. Hmmm, am I prepared to wait at the airport terminal not knowing if I could ever get on board?

You will have to be double lucky, other wise, you get stuck somewhere. Assuming I do get to Narita, I shall have to pay my own way back to Kansai from Narita.

The alternative is to change my Thai International reservation to 3rd December. Things have to move this weekend, really. Those suckers will have to play badminton somewhere else.

If nothing happens at Suvarnabhum by Sunday, I doubt that the airport will be ready to operate on the 3rd.

Now, would it be too much to hope for royal intervention?