NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: The airport in flood-ravaged Nakhon Si Thammarat is expected to reopen on Sunday as all water has been drained from the runway and repairs to the damaged power system are almost done.
Inspections on Saturday showed the runway remained dry after pumps finished draining water away from airport facilities.
Engineers and technicians were still racing against time to fix the damaged power system but the repair work was expected to be completed late Saturday.
The airport, which was forced to close on Thursday because of flooding, was expected to stage its first flight at 7am Sunday.
Passengers were seen arriving at the airport on Saturday to ask for information about the reopening of the airport. Some asked for postponement of their flights. Officials arranged vehicles to provide transport for passengers to other airports in the nearby southern provinces of Surat Thani, Hat Yai of Songkhla and Krabi.
Floods persist in seven southern provinces, with more than 900,000 people affected by inundations that have resulted in 22 deaths over the past 15 days.
Pumps drain floodwater from the Nakhon Si Thammarat airoprt runway, which is now dry. (Photo by Nujaree Raekrun)