Last of stranded tourists expected home today

About 650 Chinese tourists, the last of those stranded in Thailand, will return home today aboard two charter flights, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday in a statement posted on its website.

As of 8:30 am yesterday, 2,433 people had arrived back in China aboard nine charter flights, it said.

Air China, the national flag carrier, said it sent a Boeing 777 from Beijing to Thailand yesterday afternoon to retrieve a maximum of 345 people.