Khmerization

Thai aviation staff banned

Cambodia has ordered all Thai air traffic control staff to leave work after one of them was arrested on charges of spying on fugitive Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra (left). --PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK - CAMBODIA has ordered all Thai air traffic control staff to leave work after one of them was arrested on charges of spying on fugitive Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, a company letter showed on Thursday.

Thai-owned civil aviation company Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), which oversees Cambodian air space, banned the Thai employees after a Cambodian government official was appointed caretaker of the firm. It was not immediately clear if the ban was temporary or permanent.

'The caretaker has prohibited the Thai expatriates from performing their duties,' said company vice-chairman Sirichai Rasameechan in an explanatory letter sent to Thailand's stock exchange, where the company is listed.

The decision deepens a diplomatic crisis between the neighbouring countries over Cambodia's appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser and its refusal to extradite the ousted prime minister to Bangkok.

Siwarak Chothipong, 31, an employee at CATS, was arrested a week ago on charges of supplying details of Thaksin's flight schedule to his country's embassy when the Thai tycoon visited Phnom Penh last week.

CATS is a fully owned subsidiary of Bangkok-based Samart corporation, which has a 32-year air traffic control concession. Local media said the company employees nine Thai nationals. -- AFP