Tours to Bangkok and flights between the Thai capital and Hong Kong were canceled yesterday after anti-government protesters seized control of the city's airport Tuesday night.

A total of 26 flights, half of them to Bangkok and the other half back, were canceled, the Airport Authority said.

Joseph Tung, director of Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council, said 10 Hong Kong tour groups to Bangkok had to be canceled yesterday.

Currently, close to 500 Hong Kong residents, from more than 20 tour groups, are in Bangkok, and they are safe, he said.

He added it is uncertain whether the 30 tour groups involving 600 tourists to Bangkok will depart in the next five days.

While some travel agencies have decided to cancel group tours to Bangkok, some have decided that tour groups will depart after Bangkok's airport reopens.

Tung urged tour group members to contact their travel agencies, as different agencies have made different arrangements.

Those who have chosen not to go to Bangkok have to discuss with travel agencies, as air companies may not refund the full ticket price, he said.

He was informed by Thailand's tourism department that Bangkok is safe, except for the areas around the parliament and the international airport.

He believed tourists in Bangkok will be safe if they follow the instructions of tour guides.

Daniel Chan, deputy general manager of Hong Thai Travel Services, said due to canceled flights, their four tour groups could not depart yesterday.

Two tour groups due to return to Hong Kong from Bangkok yesterday had to stay an extra night in Bangkok at their own expense.

"We have reminded tour guides in Bangkok to change itineraries if necessary and pay attention to the safety of tourists," he said.

If roads are blocked in Bangkok, he said tour guides would take another route to avoid crowds of protestors.

They have also asked tourists to stay in their hotels at night.

However, tour group members won't get compensation for changes in their Bangkok itineraries because politics and riots are unpredictable events.

Wing On Travel has eight tour groups in Bangkok, and they planned to cancel outgoing groups in the next few days.

Yesterday morning some passengers waited at Hong Kong International Airport until they were told their flights had been canceled.

A woman surnamed Yeung changed her tour from September to yesterday because she could not go to Bangkok after the riot there in September.

"I hope I can get a refund from the travel agency, because they only allowed me to change the tour once," she said.

A Thai man named Mongkols was to return to Bangkok on a 4 pm Cathay Pacific flight.

The airline arranged for him to take a 2 pm flight to Phuket then take a nine-hour bus ride to Bangkok.

He said he wasn't worried about the situation in Bangkok, because the main chaos was at the airport.

He was told by relatives and friends that other parts of Bangkok are fine.

Hong Kong's windsurfing team, which had planned to go to Bangkok yesterday for a tournament in early December, will reschedule.

Immigration officials advised Hong Kong residents to avoid unnecessary travel to Bangkok.

In deciding whether to issue a travel warning, the Security Bureau will consider the safety risks to Hong Kong residents.

(HK Edition 11/27/2008 page1)