Global

Bangkok flooding impacts travel | 05:21 PM GMT, October 25, 2011

As reported via CWT Alerts and major media coverage over the past several days, the flooding in Bangkok and the surrounding areas has worsened, prompting the Thai Cabinet to announce public holidays from Thursday, October 27, to Monday, October 31, and some airlines to cancel or re-direct flights into early next week. Nok Air announced the airline is canceling flights into and out of Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport until October 31, and Orient Thai Airlines has temporarily moved its domestic operations to Suvarnabhumi until further notice.

Don Muang Airport, used primarily for domestic flights, announced it will temporarily halt operations from 5 p.m. local time Tuesday, October 25, and is expecting to reopen on November 1. Bangkok’s international airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, had not yet been affected by the floodwaters as of Tuesday, October 25, and flights were reported to be operating normally. However, select international airlines have offered flexible re-accommodation policies for travelers with upcoming travel to Bangkok.

As a precaution and for the safety of employees, the CWT Bangkok office will be closed from 5:30 p.m. local time today, October 25, until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 1. During this period, telephones will be diverted to the Emergency Service Centre in London. Customers serviced by the local Bangkok office who have travel planned on or before November 2 can call their local telephone number for CWT and select the option to be diverted to the Emergency Service Center in London. In the event that the CWT Bangkok telephone number is not available, travelers may call the Emergency Service Centre in London directly at +44 208 757 9000. Emergency call charges will be waived for customers serviced by the local Bangkok office. CWT clients in Thailand have been informed of this procedure earlier today via a local CWT Hot News communication.

CWT clients are advised to share this information with their travelers who have upcoming travel to Bangkok, or who are already traveling in the region. Customers who are serviced by offices other than the Bangkok office should continue to contact their designated CWT office to make any necessary re-accommodations to their travel plans. Given the changing situation within the region, travelers may wish to re-assess any upcoming travel plans they have scheduled.

CWT clients are strongly encouraged to:
• Review current Traveler Locator reports available in CWT Program Management Center (PMC) to identify all travelers affected and to work with their CWT program manager to make arrangements for any travelers remaining in the area as appropriate
• Further distribute this information to travelers to make them aware of the most current information.
• Monitor CWT Alerts for updates to current travel impact

Additionally, CWT advises travelers to:
• Monitor their carrier’s website for re-accommodation policies and/or for current flight information prior to departing for the airport to ensure flights are still operating
• Contact the hotel booked in advance to understand their cancelation policy

CWT will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated information as appropriate.

If you have any questions about the information contained in this global CWT Hot News , please contact your CWT representative.