China had brought back 2,433 Chinese citizens stranded in Thailand by 8:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) on Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

According to a statement on the ministry's website, the government will send two more charter planes to Thailand on Monday, to fetch home the remaining citizens still stuck there. About 600 people from the Chinese mainland were still estimated to be trapped in Thailand.

The statement said the Foreign Ministry will keep coordination with relevant departments such as Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and China's National Tourism Administration, and direct the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok to closely watch the development of the event, so as to assist all the stranded Chinese citizens back safely as soon as possible.

Nearly 100,000 passengers missed flights since People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protestors besieged and shut down Bangkok's two main airports Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang domestic airport last week.

(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2008)