Will angry rice farmers block Bangkok Airport ?
Rice farmers from the provinces of Northern and Central Thailand who are mobilizing to demand the government to pay them their long-overdue money under the rice-pledging scheme are descending to Suvarnabhumi Airport today. Disruptions are expected in the next few hours at least to reach or leave the airport but flights should work as normal.
Update 21/02/2014 1.00 PM in Bangkok: farmers were assured by the government that they would get their payments for their rice next week and resolved to return home instead of heading to rally at the Suvarnabhumi airport.
Rice farmers from the central provinces spent the night on the highway at Bang Pa-In Ayutthaya province and will move to Suvarnabhumi Airport today. Farmers plan to camp at the airport to put pressure on the government. A caravan of 700 trucks carrying 5,000 rice farmers should reach Suvarnabhumi this afternoon.
One of their representatives said they did not intend to seize the international airport, but he also acknowledged that passengers may have difficulty getting there. ““We will absolutely not block the runways. But some of us might stay on the road to the airport.” “We have no intention of disturbing passengers or destroying the country’s image. But our problem is too tough to bear” said Manus Kamnan Chamnanketkorn to Bangkok Post.
Our advice if you have a flight today and probably in the next few days: whether to go or leave Suvarnabhumi Airport rather use Airport Link than taxis and other transport by road.
