Gavin Higgins, who works for Titanic Quarter-based Higgins Insurance & Investments,flew out to Thailand on November 21 on business and had been due to leave the country last Thursday – two days after anti-government protestors took control of Bangkok's main airport.

Speaking to the News Letter from his hotel room, the 45-year-old said that the uncertainty of the past week had "not been nice" for his family.

Anti-government protestors took control of Bangkok's main airport on November 26.

On Tuesday they agreed to end their protest after a court ruled that Thailand's prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, must step down and his governing party disband.

The move came too late for Mr Higgins, however, whose flight home last Thursday had to be cancelled.

"I didn't even go to the airport (that day) as I had heard the news and knew a few local people who had been caught up in it and were stuck there, so I called EVA airline and they said that the flights were cancelled," he said.

"On Friday I called the airline but the flights were cancelled again, and that was when the political situation really started to escalate."

It was Tuesday afternoon before Mr Higgins was told that the airline hoped to fly him home tomorrow from military airport U-Tapao.

The father-of-two said the experience was both disruptive for himself and unpleasant for his wife and young children back home.

"The uncertainty was a worry for family and friends – nobody could tell when we would be coming home," said Mr Higgins, whose children are aged three and one.

Meanwhile, a Portstewart businesswoman has been telling of her ordeal after she was also caught up in the civil unrest in Thailand.

Lisa Collins runs a property rental business on the north coast and said she was glad to get home.

She said: "I went to Thailand for my 31st birthday with a friend, and some other friends were meeting us out there.

"We went to Bangkok via London and then travelled up to the islands.

"Some of my friends wanted to stay in one place and just chill out on the beach, but I went off travelling around the different islands.

"Then, of course, when we went to go home there were no flights.

"I went and stayed in a hotel for a few days, then heard there were some flights going out of Phuket airport so travelled up there and managed to get a ticket to Singapore and then on to London."

Lisa said despite the uncertain situation, with police and military on the streets, she never really felt in any danger.

"It's a beautiful place and despite all that the people were lovely."

She said she was only delayed a few days.

"The main thing was it cost me about £1,000 as I had to buy new plane tickets, so I don't know if I'll ever get any of that back.

"It was an experience."