Saudi woman held at Bangkok airport says fears death if sent back

[webfact]

Saudi woman 'trapped at Bangkok airport trying to flee family'

 

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun said her passport was seized at Bangkok airport. — Reuters pic

 

A young Saudi woman says she is stranded at Bangkok's main airport after fleeing her family and having her passport seized by a Saudi official.

 

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, says she was on a trip to Kuwait with her family when she fled on a flight two days ago.

 

She was trying to head to Australia via a connecting flight in Bangkok. She told the BBC that she had renounced Islam, and feared she would be forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia and killed by her family.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46773625

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2019-01-07

[webfact]

'I'M LOSING HOPE' 

Saudi Arabian girl, 18, ‘trapped in Bangkok airport’ claiming she can’t go home because parents will ‘kill’ her for renouncing Islam

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled her family on Friday, hoping to seek asylum in Australia

By Aletha Adu

 

 

A SAUDI Arabian teenage girl is "trapped in Bangkok airport" and claims she can't go home because her parents will "kill" her for renouncing Islam.

 

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, ran away from her family while they were on a trip to Kuwait two days ago.

 

She tried to flee to Australia via Bangkok in hope of seeking asylum, but last night she was chased by Saudi officials who seized her passport.

 

And today, she posted a video at around 1pm GMT today, as she is held in the airport's Miracle Transit Hotel.

 

In a flurry of stirring tweets last night, Rahaf said: "My family is strict and locked me in a room for six months just for cutting my hair.

 

Full story: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8132327/saudi-arabian-girl-stuck-bangkok-cant-go-home-parents/

 

-- THE SUN 2019-01-07

[anon7854]

Something in this story doesn't add up. How on earth can you board a plane or leave a country without a passport? 

[vinny41]

5 minutes ago, anon7854 said:

Something in this story doesn't add up. How on earth can you board a plane or leave a country without a passport? 

Her passport was taken off her when she arrived at BKK airport

[ukrules]

31 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

Her passport was taken off her when she arrived at BKK airport

By Saudi officials ? That's the bit that doesn't add up.

 

Maybe they cancelled her passport which could have caused issues when transiting but were Saidi officials allowed inside the airport to confiscate the document in person ?

 

[Lisaloo1977]

This is horrendous to watch unfold. I hope that all the exposure helps her, it’s definitely gone viral.

 

I'm laying with my daughter thankful she will never face such challenges for her own right to freedom. 

[vinny41]

12 minutes ago, ukrules said:

By Saudi officials ? That's the bit that doesn't add up.

 

Maybe they cancelled her passport which could have caused issues when transiting but were Saidi officials allowed inside the airport to confiscate the document in person ?

 

In the twitter feed here it states her passport has been cancelled by the saudis and there a video of a Thai women stating she cannot go anywhere even though she has money.

If her passport has been cancelled she shouldn't be allowed to board any flights 

https://twitter.com/hashtag/saverahaf

[Credo]

Her brother reported her for not being accompanied by a male family member.   The Saudi officials then found her and took her passport.   

 

I hope this isn't one of those Khashoggi bone saw stories.   The Saudi's don't take kindly to rejecting Islam.   

 

[otherstuff1957]

It sounds like Big Joke is doing a favor for the Saudis.  "Good guys in, uppity women out". ☹️

[jonclark]

22 minutes ago, otherstuff1957 said:

It sounds like Big Joke is doing a favor for the Saudis.  "Good guys in, uppity women out". ☹️

sounds like Thailand is being Saudis little wife and doing what is asked. 

 Perhaps Thailand is still carrying the guilt of the Blue Diamond Affiar. 

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, anon7854 said:

Something in this story doesn't add up. How on earth can you board a plane or leave a country without a passport? 

read the story... all of it, you will find the answer.

[bartender100]

15 minutes ago, jonclark said:

sounds like Thailand is being Saudis little wife and doing what is asked. 

 Perhaps Thailand is still carrying the guilt of the Blue Diamond Affiar. 

And they will have the guilt of a girls death unless they do the right thing, the world is watching Thailand right now

[notasmartassknowitallfarag]

Thais bowing to Saudi money. This girl will be beaten, caged up and could be murdered for ‘disloyalty’ if returned. 

The Thais should mind their own business rathar than letting a Saudi diplomat behind airport arrivals. 

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

By Saudi officials ? That's the bit that doesn't add up.

 

Maybe they cancelled her passport which could have caused issues when transiting but were Saidi officials allowed inside the airport to confiscate the document in person ?

 

News on Australian TV says Saudi official "forcibly" took her passport, from her, at the airport.

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Aussie999 said:

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

By Saudi officials ? That's the bit that doesn't add up.

 

Maybe they cancelled her passport which could have caused issues when transiting but were Saidi officials allowed inside the airport to confiscate the document in person ?

 

News on Australian TV says Saudi official "forcibly" took her passport, from her, at the airport.

I suppose there's the chance the 'Saudi official' could have bought a ticket on the same flight (or another flight) thereby gaining access to airside. Perhaps they weren't allowed airside using diplomatic status?

[mikebell]

Perhaps they weren't allowed airside using diplomatic status?

Generally accepted rules don't apply in Thailand.

[Skallywag]

Religion - breeding hatred, bigotry, and violence since history began

[MARK74]

33 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

And they will have the guilt of a girls death unless they do the right thing, the world is watching Thailand right now

The world can watch, Thailand is pretty thick skinned and guilt is not something i have seen a lot of thais struggle with.

The circumstances of this case are unusual and I'm not sure the Thai authorities would be sure of what to do both legally and morally.

It will be interesting to see what happens, though I suspect although i hope I am wrong, that she'll be on her way back SA shortly and for that I feel for the girl.

[jimmyyy]

hopefully Thailand makes the correct decision here. 

[AsiaCheese]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

By Saudi officials ? That's the bit that doesn't add up.

 

Maybe they cancelled her passport which could have caused issues when transiting but were Saidi officials allowed inside the airport to confiscate the document in person ?

 

It's The Sun. Anything goes. 

[MARK74]

19 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

hopefully Thailand makes the correct decision here. 

what decision?

does thailand have any decision to make legally? I am not sure.

The girl is still air side and hasn't come through thailand immigration and seemingly is being held by saudi authorities who have her travel documents.

Is there anything thailand can do about it?

I hate to say it but I would expect she'll be on a plane back to SA soon.

[Kerryd]

"Surachet Hakpal, chief of the Thailand's Immigration Bureau told CNN that al-Qunun had been refused entry into the country because she did not present "any necessary document," but he denied that the Saudi teenager was being detained by Thai authorities.

"In order to enter our country, she must comply with our regulations...This is their [Saudi Arabia's] internal affairs. We are simply performing our duties" he said. Hakpal also said al-Qunun was trying to escape from an arranged marriage."

If she was just in transit, flying to another country, no one would have checked her passport at all. She would have shown up at the Transit counter to get her boarding pass (if she didn't already have it), the clerk would have looked at her passport to confirm her identity (but would have no way of knowing if the passport had been cancelled), she would have gotten her next boarding pass and been on her way. 

The only way anyone would have actually checked her passport was if she tried to enter Thailand. As a Saudi, she doesn't get the "30 Day" exemption stamp, she would have had to apply for a Visa on Arrival.

For that, she would need:

1) The passport must be genuine and should be valid for at least 30 days.

2) You must have a valid address in Thailand whether a hotel or apartment that can be verified.

3) You must have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 15 days of entry, as appropriate. Open tickets do not qualify. Travelling overland out of Thailand by train, bus, etc to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc is not accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.

4) You may be asked to show your flight ticket on entering Thailand. If you do not possess a flight ticket to show that you will be exiting Thailand within 15 days of entry you will be most likely refused entry.

5) It will also be necessary to prove that you have funds of at least 10,000 THB per person and 20,000 THB per family during your stay in Thailand.

6) A fee of 2,000 THB is payable upon entry and is subject to change without notice. It must be paid in cash and Thai currency only.

From the sounds of it, she is NOT being "detained" (as in under arrest) - she is being refused entry into Thailand. It sounds like she didn't have an onward (or "return") ticket, probably no "address" in Thailand (maybe no funds either). 
As she probably has no onward plane ticket (and possibly a cancelled passport), they aren't going to let her wander around the airport. They don't do that for anyone else, why do people suddenly think they'd do it for her ?
There have been plenty of other stories of people that have been stuck "air side" after being denied entry into Thailand, including a story of a whole family that supposedly had been there for weeks.

I highly doubt Thailand would let Saudi officials into the Arrivals area to take her passport. The timing is also suspect. For her family to know she'd fled Kuwait, contact the (Saudi) authorities and get her passport cancelled in the 8-9 hours from the time she left Kuwait until arriving in Thailand ? (And for Saudi Officals to get to the airport and gain "air side" access as well.)

You'd have to have some pretty high up connections to get that done, that quickly.

From the sounds of it, the Thai authorities are waiting for the airline she arrived on to fly her back to her last point of departure. That is standard procedure, regardless of your gender or nationality.
From her Twitter post:
"She was checking when I’m going to be send back to Kuwait before 11h of the flight time"
Sounds like the airline she arrived on doesn't have another flight until the 11th (or it leaves at 11:00), which is when she will be flown back.

For example, one year I booked a flight on China Air from Vancouver to Bangkok. It was actually the "return" leg of the flight. I had scheduled it so that I would arrive in Thailand when my passport had exactly 6 months of validity remaining. My plan was to go to the Embassy the next day and apply for a new one. I forgot about the date line change and would have arrived 1 day under "6 months".

I was denied boarding in Vancouver because the airline was concerned that if Thailand refused me entry, they'd have to fly me back to Vancouver - at their expense.
(Don't bother arguing that you don't need "6 months" of validity - the airlines don't care what you think the rules are. They have their policies and that is it. Argue it with them.)

If she is truly in fear for her life she should make an asylum claim. Might not make any difference to Thailand though (and technically she hasn't officially entered Thailand either).

(Also keep in mind that you are only hearing her side of the story and the truth could be something totally different.)

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Kerryd
for some reason the program decided to use "strike through" for most of the post and wouldn't let me remove it.

[ChrisY1]

1 hour ago, Aussie999 said:

News on Australian TV says Saudi official "forcibly" took her passport, from her, at the airport.

In the closed section of the airport.....not after arrivals!

[Kerryd]

13 minutes ago, AsiaCheese said:

It's The Sun. Anything goes. 

Actually it was reported by CNN and then the BBC (and then the Sun).

Most of the stories seem to be taken from the CNN original story.

[Orton Rd]

1 hour ago, Aussie999 said:

News on Australian TV says Saudi official "forcibly" took her passport, from her, at the airport.

If it was cancelled why the need to take it off her?

[anchadian]

She (Rahaf Mohammed) asked the government of Thailand according to Non-refoulement principle to stop my deportation to Kuwait.

 

Your can learn more on this story by following updates from Jonathan Head and Rahaf Mohammed on Twitter.

 

[djayz]

17 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Actually it was reported by CNN and then the BBC (and then the Sun).

Most of the stories seem to be taken from the CNN original story.

So, not that much better than The Sun then. 

[anchadian]

Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch says 'Thailand is manufacturing fake stories about "applying for a Thai visa" & being denied. She was transiting on her way to Australia and never intended to enter Thailand. This looks like Thai and Saudi Arabia playing games to me.

to their citizens traveling overseas? Outrageous!

[owl sees all]

Ozz needs as many atheists as it can get. It has big problems with the Muslims.

[gjoo888]

There are quite a few countries where apostasy, or leaving a religion is punishable by death, Saudi Arabia is one of those countries. Even if she is not put to death, I would hate to be her if she's forced to return to Saudi Arabia. The Thai government needs to do something, grant her asylum, let her continue her trip to Australia or whatever they need to do to keep her from returning to Saudi Arabia.

Edited January 7, 2019 by gjoo888