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The Deputy Secretary for Security, Mr Ngai Wing-chit, today (November 30) said that the Government was very concerned about the situation of those Hong Kong residents who were stranded in Bangkok.
The Government had been liaising closely with airlines to work towards Thailand authorities allowing more flights to Pattaya to bring Hong Kong people home, Mr Ngai said, adding that staff of the Immigration Department also provided assistance to Hong Kong residents in need.
As to why the Government had not arranged chartered flights to take Hong Kong people home, Mr Ngai said that Utapao Airport was a military air base with very limited capacity in handling passengers, and that the most pressing task in hand was to secure more flights, rather than considering chartered flights.
"The issue is inadequate flights, not people having difficulty to get a seat due to a lack of means," he stressed.
Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Ngai said that there were special flights to Pattaya today and tomorrow. Pending confirmation by Utapao Airport, there would be another flight on December 2. Hopefully, most of those stranded in Bangkok would be back in a few days.
He stressed that after Bangkok Airport ceased operation in the evening of November 25, the Government immediately liaised with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong (OCMFA) and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. On November 27, with assessment that the airport would not resume operation shortly, the Government and the airlines made the decision to use Utapao Airport to fly Hong Kong residents home. Six special flights were mounted on November 28 and 29 to take over 1,100 residents back home from Pattaya.
Furthermore, following close co-ordination with the OCMFA, 13 Hong Kong residents arrived in Guangzhou from Pattaya last night on board a special flight mounted by the Mainland authorities. Fifty seats were set aside for Hong Kong residents in another Guangzhou-bound special flight to be organised by the Mainland authorities today (November 30). Staff members from the Hong Kong Guangdong Economic and Trade Office will assist with transport arrangement and immigration clearance for the Hong Kong residents when they arrive in Guangzhou.
As at 11am today, the Immigration Department received 1,142 enquiries and 667 requests for assistance. Over 20% of residents who lodged the requests for assistance have since returned to Hong Kong.
Also present at the press conference were the Deputy Secretary for Transport & Housing (Transport), Mr Esmond Lee; Deputy Director of Immigration Department, Mr David Chiu, and Acting Assistant Director (Personal Documents), Mrs Rowena Woo; and General Manager (Corporate Communication) of Cathay Pacific Airways, Mr Dane Cheng, and General Manager (Ground Services), Mr Peter Langslow.
Although most parts of Bangkok are calm, the Security Bureau repeated its advice that Hong Kong residents should avoid unnecessary travel to Bangkok. Those who are already there are reminded to attend to their personal safety and avoid places where there are demonstrations or large gatherings of people.
Hong Kong residents who need assistance may call the Chinese Embassy in Thailand at (66) 818214771 or (66) 819840658, or the Hong Kong Immigration Department's 24-hour hotline at (852) 1868.
Ends/Sunday, November 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 22:12
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