Officials warned that it will be two days before Bangkok's two airports are functioning normally, as thousands of demonstrators packed up their bedding and started to leave today.

Internal flights to Suvarnabhumi international airport were resuming today. The first post-protest passenger flight, from Phuket, landed this morning but international flights will not begin again until tomorrow.

There are fears Thailand's reputation as a tourist destination has been severely damaged. The siege on the airports left 300,000 travellers stranded and paralysed the tourism industry for eight days.

The People's Alliance for Democracy protesters declared victory yesterday as a court banned prime minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics.

The decision also disbanded the three top ruling coalition parties.

Six people were killed and scores injured in clashes as the PAD battled to overturn the government, which it says was corrupt. But protesters threatened a return to direct action if there is no real change in government.

Thailand's leaders were meeting today to choose a caretaker prime minister to lead the country out of crisis.