Mo Chit bus terminal and Don Mueang airport are still packed with people returning to Bangkok after their long New Year break, despite the fact that today is the first working day of the year.

Traffic is light on most streets in Bangkok, as many people have not yet returned to report to work.

A bus passenger told a Thai PBS reporter at Mor Chit bus terminal that he left Phetchabun at 10pm last night and arrived in Bangkok at dawn, adding that he will return to work on Thursday.

Many returning passengers were, however, stranded at the bus terminal for hours due to the shortage of taxies, because many cabbies had also returned home during the New Year break.

Don Mueang airport is also very busy this morning and many arriving passengers there have also been left stranded by the shortage of taxies.

About 54,000 passengers are expected to arrive at the airport on 346 domestic flights and another 32,000 on 207 international flights today, according to an airport official.

Normally, about 100 taxies are parked at the cargo terminal, waiting to go and pick up passengers from the nearby passenger terminal, but only about a dozen are there this morning, according to a Thai PBS reporter.