| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
BANGKOK: Flag carrier Thai Airways has launched a civil lawsuit against political protest leaders who forced the closure of Bangkok's airports late last year, a defence lawyer said on Wednesday.
The capital's two airports were closed for nine days in November-December 2008, shutting down all flights, as protesters staged a sit-in to force allies of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra from government.
A lawyer for members of the royalist protest group the "People's Alliance for Democracy" (PAD), confirmed the airline sought to sue his clients over the demonstrations.
"We have just received the court order informing the defendants of the case," Suwat Apaipakdi told AFP, adding that defence lawyers would make representations on February 22 next year before a court hearing date is set.
Thai Airways submitted its complaint against 36 PAD members to a civil court late last month, Suwat said, seeking compensation of 575 million baht (17 million dollars) in lost revenue.
Among those named in the writ are Thailand's foreign minister Kasit Piromya and PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul, who has gone on to set up his own political party.
The PAD, also known as Yellow Shirts for the colour they wear, is an ardent royalist group backed by the country's elites, whose protests in 2006 helped topple then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup.
The group campaigned again last year to drive Thaksin's allies from government, their protests peaking with the seizure of Suvarnabhumi International and domestic Don Muang airports.
The demonstrations left hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded and caused huge economic damage.
The Yellow Shirts abandoned the blockade after the Constitutional Court ordered the pro-Thaksin party from power last December, paving the way for Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to become prime minister.
Their lawyer Suwat said the defence would argue that the airport was officially closed by the airport's director Sereerat Prasutanont, not by his clients.
"We reaffirm that we did not close the airport, the one who closed the airport was Sereerat," he told AFP.
In June, Thai Airways' board chairman Ampon Kittiampon said the airline needed to borrow 37 billion baht in local and international loans.
The airline posted a loss of 21.3 billion baht in 2008. - AFP/de
|
