TOKYO - OVER 5,000 Japanese travellers have managed to return from Thailand after being stranded by anti-government protests that closed airports, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

'Emergency flights have arrived since Saturday morning,' said a ministry official. 'By (Tuesday) morning, some 5,100 people had returned.'

Japan's two major airlines and Thai Airways have operated a total of up to six special flights a day to bring back stranded tourists from Thailand's U-Tapao military airbase near Pattaya, the official said.

Thousands more Japanese nationals are believed to still be in Thailand, the official said.

The special flights are due to the temporary closure of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport due to the political protests.

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) plans to operate another emergency flight on Wednesday from U-Tapao airbase to Narita airport, near Tokyo.

'We will fly a Boeing 777, of which 306 seats are fully booked already,' said an ANA spokesman. 'We (will) decide if we need to arrange more special flights day by day while closely watching the development in Thailand.'

Thai anti-government protesters have paralysed Bangkok's airports, leaving some 350,000 travellers stranded.-- AFP