I read a couple articles this morning and I think the following summarizes not only how we felt but exactly what we knew this situation would become. We KNOW how lucky we are to have gotten out of there!
From Yahoo: Some airlines were using an airport at the U-Tapao naval base, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Bangkok. But authorities there were overwhelmed with hundreds of screaming and shoving passengers cramming into the small facility, trying to get their bags scanned through a single X-ray machine.
"It was terrible! There was pushing and shouting and we couldn't get in the front door," said Veena Banerjee ofIndia, trying for the second day to get on a plane.
All rescue flights — to Moscow, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Singapore — were delayed, some by several hours. The parking lot was jammed with buses, taxis and vans. The Red Cross set up a tent in the parking area where women handed out sandwiches.
From Bangkok Post: Since Friday, the U-Tapao naval base about 190 kilometres (118 miles) southeast of Bangkok has been the only way in or out of the country for tourists stranded by an anti-government blockade of the capital's main airports.
Travelers who arrived here found crowds of tired and angry passengers, armed guards, piles of garbage, mountains of luggage, and an increasingly tense and surreal atmosphere.
Huge traffic jams built up outside the sprawling compound. Thai soldiers with M16 rifles guarded the entrance to the airport to prevent anti-government protesters from gaining access, as travellers lugged their bags under the sun.
Once inside the terminal, it was standing room only. Travelers were unsure where they should check in. Long queues wound around the lone luggage scanner, where soldiers tried to hold back the surging crowd.
"It's complete chaos and pandemonium," said Bonnie Chan, 29, from San Diego, California.
"We've been given incorrect information from the airlines. The US embassy says they can't help us. We're high and dry. The airlines keep giving us the run-around."
