Roundup: Orange County evacuations ordered; no flights from Bangkok, travelers stranded; Whistler Mountain opens

When it rains, it pours — figuratively and perhaps literally today, which is traditionally one of the year’s busiest travel days. Keep reading for bits of big news locally and abroad. To all of you hitting the airports and roads tonight and tomorrow, have good, safe travels, and don’t forget to carry on some patience.

[Click on photo above to see a gallery of demonstrators in Thailand.]

O.C. | Flash flood warnings have been announced and, because of the danger of mudslides, an evacuation has been ordered in Yorba Linda. In the Orange County city, 1,500 or more residents were told this morning to leave their homes, according to the Associated Press report, “Rains bring mudslide fears to California burn areas.” This follows voluntary evacuations that had already been called in Yorba Linda, affected by the recent Freeway Complex fire.

Bangkok | If you think you’re having a tough time in the terminals today, be glad you’re not trying to get out of Bangkok, Thailand. Cancelled flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport have stranded about 3,000 travelers after large-scale protests began yesterday. The protesters, members and supporters of People’s Alliance for Democracy, are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat. Thailand’s army chief is now also asking Somchai to step down and make way for new elections, according to this L.A. Times report.

Whistler | Skiers and snowboarders, Whistler Mountain opened this morning for your business and nearby Blackcomb Mountain follows at its heels tomorrow. Though it’s hard to ignore the call of the slopes, it might be worth holding out until the area’s peak-to-peak gondola, connecting the two summits, is unveiled on Dec. 12. Read more in “Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb ski resorts set to open this week.”

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: Protesters gather in a departure area yesterday at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Credit: Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at 8:27 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Asia, Good Morning, News, Tips & Advice, Ski & Winter, Western Canada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.