<P>Flights resume as Thai protesters abandon airports

<P>BANGKOK: The first flight arrived at Bangkok's main airport yesterday after anti-Government protesters packed up and left, ending a week-long siege that crippled Thailand and stranded thousands of tourists.

<P>The exodus came a day after the People's Alliance for Democracy claimed victory in its six-month campaign against Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, when a Court barred him from politics and disbanded the ruling party.

<P>Hundreds of yellow-clad demonstrators streamed out of the Suvarnabhumi international and Don Mueang domestic airports in cars, taxis and buses after the royalist PAD handed over control after ending its blockade.

<P>But with the former government vowing to regroup and vote next week to choose Thailand's third premier in three months, there was little hope of long-term stability for the kingdom.

<P>"We will come back when the nation needs us," said Somkiat Pongpaibul, a key leader of the PAD, which groups Bangkok's urban elite and middle classes, backed by elements from the military and the palace.

<P>A Thai Airways flight from the resort isle of Phuket became the first plane to land at Suvarnabhumi for a week, with international services to Sydney, New Delhi, Narita, Frankfurt, Seoul and Copenhagen due later in the day.

<P>"We will try and get everything back to normal as soon as possible," Airports of Thailand chief Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana told reporters at the airport.

<P>More than 350,000 travellers were trapped in Thailand by the chaos, with governments around the world operating emergency flights to evacuate desperate tourists.

<P>Acting Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul said parliament would likely vote on a new premier on Monday or Tuesday. AFP