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HK govt to set 2 more flights for stranded travelers

By Peggy Chan and Teddy Ng (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-02 09:30

The government yesterday, reversing an earlier decision, decided to charter two flights to bring back Hongkongers stranded in Thailand.

ELCHK Truth Lutheran Church Reverend Wong talks to the press about a special prayer session for the family of deceased Deacon David Yik. [China Daily]

The decision was made after a Hong Kong man, David Yik, was killed in a car accident while en route to an airport from which he would be able to leave the country. However, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee, returning from a trip to Korea, denied the change of decision resulted from Yik's death.

"No one wanted this tragedy to happen. It is unfair to put blame on anyone," he said, responding to questions about whether the government should be held responsible for the death for not chartering flights earlier.

The government on Sunday said it wouldn't arrange chartered flights due to limited capacity of the military airfield at Utapao.

But Permanent Secretary for Security Chang King-yiu said yesterday that the government reversed the decision after reviewing Thailand's political situation.

"We don't think the political situations in Thailand will improve or become stable (soon), and we're worried that the violence could escalate," she told reporters.

The government arranged two flights yesterday, with Cathay Pacific Airways and Hong Kong Express, to bring 560 residents back home from Pattaya.

Both planes were scheduled to arrive early this morning, after midnight.

The Immigration Department contacted about 400 stranded residents who had sought assistance. Most are being charged HK$1,100 per return ticket, but those who are unable to pay won't be denied transport.

Together with earlier charters sent by Cathay Pacific and Orient Thai Airlines, more than 1,000 Hong Kong tourists have been returned.

The Immigration Department, which sent two officers to Phuket and four to Pattaya to provide assistance, received 823 phone enquiries, of which 430 were already back home or said they will take chartered flights.

Cathay Pacific plans to send another flight to bring tourists back from Utapao today.

Yik and a Canadian tourist were killed at around 4 am yesterday when they were on their way from Bangkok to Phuket to catch a flight back home with four other tourists, including Yik's wife.

Yik and his wife, surnamed Fung, traveled to Bangkok on Nov 24 and were scheduled to return home on Nov 28. They were trying to catch a Dragonair flight in Phuket.

Together with other stranded tourists, they took a private vehicle from Bangkok Sunday night.

Yik and the Canadian tourist were killed a few hours' drive from Phuket.

Yik's wife, Fung, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in Suratthanee. She could not recall how the accident happened.

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