Thai airports open as people wait

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BANGKOK, Dec 4 (AFP ) : Flights have resumed at Bangkok's international airport following the end of a week-long blockade by anti-government protesters, reports BBC.
Thirty-six aircraft were scheduled to take off, 12 of which are international flights, but officials say a full schedule will not resume until Friday.
A halt was called to the blockade on Wednesday after a court ruling that deposed the prime minister. The king of Thailand will give his annual speech later Thursday.
Many Thais were keen for the airport standoff to be resolved before the deeply revered monarch celebrated his 81st birthday Friday.
Led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), protesters had camped out at the airport for eight days, using the electricity and water and virtually closing down the country's aviation links.
More than 300,000 travellers have been stranded by the political unrest, and despite the fact the airport has reopened, correspondents say there is still a huge backlog of tourists waiting to leave Thailand.
Thai Airways said it would operate 24 international flights - 12 outbound and 12 inbound - to and from Europe, Asia and Australia at Suvarnabhumi before midnight on Thursday.
The airline and the Airports Authority of Thailand said they were preparing to sue the protesters for damages resulting from the occupation.
Thailand's economy, which is dependant on tourism and exports, is also expected to take time to recover.
The country's central bank cut interest rates by a shock 100 basis points to 2.75% on Wednesday, reflecting the economic costs of the crisis.
Despite the dispersal of the protesters, the Thai political landscape remains riven with uncertainty.
The government has 30 days in which to find a new prime ministerial candidate, but the protesters say they will return to the streets if they dislike the choice.