Nathan Sutton, who grew up in Inverell, and his wife Olivia were supposed to fly out of Phuket today for Bangkok and return home from their honeymoon.

But following last week’s takeover of Bangkok airport by anti-government protestors, the newly wed couple’s flight plans were left in limbo.

The Federal Government has warned Australian tourists to avoid using several airports in the region, including Phuket and flights into Bangkok stopped last week after Thai anti-government protesters took control of Bangkok’s international airport and said that airlines must seek their direct permission to land at the facility.

Many have been injured in the clashes between police and protestors.

Bill Sutton yesterday told The Inverell Times his son and new daughter-in law were in no danger, but were starting to get concerned about getting home in time to return to work after three weeks in Thailand.

The couple both work in Canberra.

“They’re chasing up the travel agent to see if they can get on the Qantas flight,” Mr Sutton said.

An emergency Qantas flight was due to fly Australians out of the region last night.

Nathan and Olivia were married in Canberra on November 9 before leaving for their honeymoon and on Monday last week they headed to Phuket from Shanghai.

Mr Sutton said he spoke to Nathan before the wedding and was a little concerned about their choice of destination.

“I said do you really have to go there and he said ‘we’ll be right’,” Mr Sutton said. He rang his 25-year-old son yesterday morning after receiving an SMS message from him.

“He’s the sort of guy that doesn’t worry, but he’s starting to get a bit concerned,” Mr Sutton said.

Last night’s emergency flight was expected to take pasengers from Phuket to Singapore, then back to Australia.

As passengers were left stranded, including almost 400 Australians, there were violent attacks in the region as last week’s anti-Government demonstrations descended into violence.

Thousands of protestors are demonstrating against the possibilty the country could become a republic.

Two local television stations said a grenade was fired at protesters and that three people were wounded.

A nearly simultaneous grenade attack on anti-Government protesters picketing Bangkok’s old Don Mueang airport, where Thailand’s prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat had set up temporary offices, wounded two more people.

Another three people were wounded when two grenades were tossed into a crowd of pro-Government supporters on a road to Don Mueang, the site of a clash between rival activists that left 11 hurt on Tuesday, police said.

At least 3000 airline passengers were stranded at the airport as anti-Government protesters maintained control of the building.