Posted By Eric Bunnell, TIMES-JOURNAL STAFF
Six St. Thomas women are heading home from Thailand after they were stranded there by protests which closed Bangkok's main airport.

They are in good spirits, but frustrated by what they say was inaction by Ottawa to rescue dozens of Canadians in the country.

"They have been so frustrated the Canadian government didn't do anything for them," says Archie Ginson, whose wife, Barb, is one of the group on three-week tour of southeast Asia.

Due to fly home last Friday, the six have been waiting in a downtown hotel, and watching while other countries organized repatriation of their stranded citizens with flights from a military airport.

"The frustrating part was they knew different governments were flying planes in and getting people out," Ginson said.

" ... Our government didn't do anything. But we expect that."

Elgin-Middlesex-London Conservative MP Joe Preston's office responded to messages and emails saying it was working on the women's plight.

Ginson said the six friends, including two mothers and daughters, are to return on a flight organized by Cathay Pacific. It's the airline which was to have flown them home last week.

"Hopefully, I'll see her Friday night, some time."

Ginson said he has been able to keep in touch with his wife by email.

But the ease of Internet communication also has made the situation difficult.

"You're half-way around the world reading this on the Internet and you can't do anything about it.

"There are four husbands here champing at the bit."

He declined to identify the other women without their permission.

Bangkok's main airport was closed last Tuesday by protesters demanding the ouster of the country's prime minister.