Foreign governments frustrated by Thai airport siege

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Australia's foreign minister expressed frustration on Sunday at the closure of Bangkok's international airport and said his government was pressing Thai authorities to do more to get stranded tourists out.

Other foreign governments are increasingly concerned at the closure of Suvarnabhumi airport since Tuesday by political protesters as part of their campaign to topple the government of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Australia's Stephen Smith said hundreds of Australians were still stranded in Thailand and national carrier Qantas had offered to put on additional flights to take them home.

"It's very frustrating for us and it's very frustrating for those stranded Australians," he told Australian television.

Qantas said it will operate a special service from Phuket to Singapore on Monday night for Australian tourists stranded in Thailand.

The Thai government is shuttling tourists to U-Tapao, a Vietnam War-era air base 150 km (90 miles) east of Bangkok, as an alternative landing site for airlines, but travellers have complained of long delays and confusion.

Several major Asian carriers have announced special flights to pick up passengers and crew from U-Tapoa or other Thai airports.

China's official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday the first return flights from Thailand reached Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou early on Sunday. Xinhua cited estimates that over 3,500 Chinese tourists have been stranded in Thailand.

The U.S. embassy in Bangkok said it had asked the Thai foreign ministry to provide "appropriate compensation" to U.S. citizens stranded by the closure of Suvarnabhumi and the older Don Muang airport, a big domestic hub.