On 27 November 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations based in Thailand about the situation at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The panelists were Charivat Santabutra, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Suraphon Svetasren, Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Mr. Tharit Charungwat, Director-General of the Department of Information. Representatives from 63 countries attended the event. Gist as follows:
1. The Royal Thai Government would uphold the democratic system with His Majesty the King as the Head of State and will resolve the current problem within the democratic framework.
2. The Royal Thai Government would restore law and order soonest.
3. The Royal Thai Government would try its best to alleviate the inconvenience and difficulties caused by such unfortunate incidents.
4. In the meantime, the concerned agencies are coordinating with tourist agents, airlines and other agencies to accommodate foreign nationals, particularly those in transit.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also setup the Emergency Coordinating Center to assist foreigners in Thailand who need to contact their embassies and consulates. The Emergency Coordinating Center can be reached at 0 2643 5522. For further information, the hotline number for the Tourism Authority of Thailand is 1672, 1155 for the Tourist Police and 1552 for the Thai Hotels Association.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.