webfact Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 '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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post anon7854 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 Something in this story doesn't add up. How on earth can you board a plane or leave a country without a passport? 2 8 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vinny41 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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 18 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ukrules Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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 ? 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lisaloo1977 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 15 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny41 Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Credo Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 8 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post otherstuff1957 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 It sounds like Big Joke is doing a favor for the Saudis. "Good guys in, uppity women out". ☹️ 6 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jonclark Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Aussie999 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bartender100 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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 15 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post notasmartassknowitallfarag Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Aussie999 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bluesofa Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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? 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebell Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Perhaps they weren't allowed airside using diplomatic status? Generally accepted rules don't apply in Thailand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Skallywag Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 Religion - breeding hatred, bigotry, and violence since history began 26 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MARK74 Posted January 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2019 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. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyyy Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 hopefully Thailand makes the correct decision here. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post AsiaCheese Posted January 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2019 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. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK74 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 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. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerryd Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) "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. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post car720 Posted January 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2019 1 hour ago, vinny41 said: 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 If she has a visa for Australia then the passport would have been sighted by the issuing office and an Australian carrier can be given a waiver to board her based on that. The eyes of the world should now be on the Aussies to see if they have enough stones to get the job done but knowing the public service she is as good as dead. Poor girl. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerryd Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton Rd Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchadian Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post djayz Posted January 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2019 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. 3 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post anchadian Posted January 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2019 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! 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post owl sees all Posted January 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2019 Ozz needs as many atheists as it can get. It has big problems with the Muslims. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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