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More HK flights bound for Thailand

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-03 10:29

Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee apologized yesterday to Hongkongers stranded in chaotic Thailand and said he expects them all to be returned home this week by means of additional chartered flights.

An injured woman returning from Thailand is swamped by reporters at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday. She and about 50 Hongkongers returned to the city aboard the third flight chartered by the SAR government. [CNS]

"I am willing to hold the responsibility of causing inconvenience to stranded Hongkongers on the arrangement of charters," Lee told the Legislative Council's security panel. "I also apologize to the affected tourists."

The government has worked out an arrangement with Cathay Pacific to send a charter every day, from today until Dec 10 if necessary, to return people from Pattaya. Each flight can carry about 300 passengers.

Two flights were charted to bring back travelers yesterday, in addition to two from Monday. But Lee said just 190 tourists were able to catch the first three flights, even though their total capacity was more than 700.

A passenger from the first chartered flight said the notice was too short for tourists to rush to Pattaya from Bangkok. He had been told about the arrangement by his relatives in Hong Kong.

The security chief said stranded Hongkongers would be informed starting yesterday through text messages and hotels where they stayed.

In response to criticism of the sluggish move, Lee said he understood the feeling of stranded tourists.

"At first we thought there was no threat to their personal safety, but we then found that the political situation wouldn't be improving anytime soon, and the violence could escalate, so we decided to send charters," Lee explained.

Lawmakers blamed the government for not taking immediate action as the Macao government chartered flights to return its people on Friday. Lee said there were only a handful of Macao tours and very few other Macao tourists in Thailand.

"All Hong Kong tours have come back," he said. "We just haven't returned all tourists who traveled by themselves."

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