Saudi woman, 18, barricades self in Thai hotel to avoid being sent home

[meinphuket]

Let her continue her journey to Australia, she is in transit, not wanting to enter Thailand. Authorities kissing Saudi a** again, and (mis) managed by that big joke whom many mistakenly admire.

[natway09]

This looks very bad. I do not blame her at all. Here's hoping the International community 

do something but I doubt as they will be concerned that many thousands will follow.

[thurien]

2 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

According to the Saudi Embassy/Consulate she does have her passport with her.

 

how about breaking the loo door open (no big deal) and search her?

[metisdead]

A derogatory troll post has been removed. 

[thurien]

31 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

This has garnered world attention from many news organizations. The Thai authorities should put her on a plane to AUS  because if she is returned to her family in Saudi Arabia and killed I think Thai tourism will take a big a hit as the sinking of the ferry that killed the Chinese.

 

do you want to hint at the chance that Saudi and other world-wide moslems will avoid Thailand then? a surely intriguing thought to the Thai people, visitors and residents in TH

Edited January 7, 2019 by thurien

[rudi49jr]

Thailand sends back North-Korean refugees to North Korea, knowing full well that they will be thrown in jail, tortured and/or summarily executed, so I'm afraid that this poor girl will be shipped right back to SA.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

According to the Saudi Embassy/Consulate she does have her passport with her.

With recent events being what they were do we believe everything the Saudi Embassy/Consulate say as being truthful?

Plus I don't understand if she was transiting through the airport onto another flight why would she need an an entry visa as started by Thai immigration??

[Bluespunk]

50 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

I read the BBC account (Jonathan Head) of this story and it seems the girl had her passport taken from her by Saudi officials whilst in transit. Without that passport there's no way she could travel anywhere. The question is, How did the Saudi officials, if that's who they were, get into the transit area of Suvanabumi. 

She has her passport.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, RickBradford said:

It represents a crime called apostasy, which carries the death penalty in Saudi.

 

One of the most ridiculous and incomprehensible crimes in history. It simply has no place in this day and age and is the result of extreme insecurity, paranoia, intolerance and Sharia. Resist it will all the will in your souls. It is the opposite of any notion of spirituality.

[Mavideol]

18 minutes ago, thurien said:

 

According to the Saudi Embassy/Consulate she does have her passport with her.

after what happen to kashoggi understand she doesn't want to go back and who trust SA embassy?

[jackdd]

10 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

She has her passport.

How do you know this?

[Mavideol]

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

How do you know this?

pure speculation 55555

[Zenwind]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [i.e., all humans] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."  

[thequietman]

3 hours ago, Vacuum said:

No passport?

She had a passport. Her country official took it from her on landing in Thailand.

[varun]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Things look pretty grim for her right now. Thailand is clearly kowtowing to the Saudis, which given their record of abuses is a terrible thing to do. The cat is out of the bag now though, so one can only hope that world pressure will force them to back down and allow her to go where she intended and can hopefully live a decent life. All that awaits her back home is abject misery and probably death.

They're hoping that giving the girl up to the Saudis may provide at least some consolation for the Blue Diamond Affair.

TH-Saudi relations have definitely seen better days.

 

[rayw]

As I understand it this woman has a ticket and visa to Australia and Thailand was only a transit stop. Sure she has no visa right to enter Thailand (can she not get a Tourist Visa On Entry up to 30 day??) . BUT the real a'holes in Suadi (they are a criminal scum nation we all need to denounce strongly  IMHO) surely have no right to hold her passport ( a Kuwait one I believe) and the Thai authoriteis must also tell Saudi this and enable her to travel on to where she legally can travel to.

 

She is not a wanted criminal so simple normal and decent human rights must prevail here. What sort of low life family would want to harm or even kill her over ANY stupid fantasy religion. All Religion should be a free choice for anyone to follow or renounce without repercussions.  Getting and keeping followers of a faith through fear and bullying speaks for itself, maybe take a lesson from the Buddhist faith which although I do not follow (I am an Atheist) it is so much more tolerant and humane. 

 

I for one (and of many it seems) ask the decent civilised Thai authorities to apply much needed and sensible human compassion and apply proper human rights and do the right thing in assisting this poor troubled girl in travelling as planned onto Australia where she has a valid visa it seems.  Also as her life and well being is threatened by being sent back home then surely this is a rightful case of genuine asylum too. 

 

Saudi MUST be told by the international community that their behaviour is unacceptable and to stop acting like thugs and scum.  They must hand her back her passport if they still have it as they surely have no right to hold it or confiscate it. I may be missing something here, if so can someone enlighten me as it all seems pretty simple and clear cut.

 

We all must surely know by now what the Suadi Arabian evil regime truly are scum, and the decent honourable World must stop having anything to do with Suadi Arabia until they grow up and act like civilised human beings again and earn the respect needed for us to accept them into the international community. They along with Israel and Washington are surely today the real axis of evil judged by their deplorable actions and conduct.  

 

Anyway this is a one off post so won't be entering into any long discussions on this but only hope that justice prevails for this poor girl's future and indeed even her life itself.  So if this post in any way even remotely helps the case then all well and good and hope a happy and just outcome will be the end result.   Happy New Year to all.

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by rayw
typos

[Kerryd]

It used to be a common scam to get into Canada. Have a passport and ID to get a plane ticket and get on the plane. In flight, tear up the passport and ID and flush them down the toilet. Land, walk up to Immigration and declare that you are (a refugee or asylum seeker) and refuse to admit your name or nationality (at least until you get your publicly funded lawyer).

It will be hard to prove now whether the Saudis somehow managed to enter air side and take her passport or if she got rid of it herself (assuming she doesn't still have it on her). Wouldn't matter if Thailand could prove conclusively that no Saudi official entered air side (or even went to the airport), most on here would claim it was all a cover up any ways.

It sounded like a load of BS to me. The Saudis don't have that much influence here despite what some apparently think. Makes "good copy" for the news services though. Frik, America tried to sneak Victor Bout out of prison and onto a plane to the US and the Thais stopped them on the runway and took Bout back to prison (he was eventually extradited anyways). 
If they wouldn't let the Americans do that I highly doubt they'd let some minor functionary from the Saudi Embassy enter "air side" and take someone's passport away. 
 

And there would have been no reason for her to go to Thai Immigration at all.
If she really did have an onward ticket, she should have already had a Visa and if she didn't, she sure as **** wasn't going to get one at the airport ! She would have had to enter Thailand to get to the Aussie embassy to apply for one. Which means she would have had to apply for a "Visa on Arrival" as she wouldn't get the "30 Day" stamp like most of us would.
(When I've been travelling I've often been asked to prove I had a visa for my final destination - when checking in for the first flight - as the airline doesn't want to get stuck having to fly you back if your final destination country denies you entry. By rights, wherever she departed from should have verified if she had a visa for wherever she planned on going - unless she lied about having an onward destination.)

 
I've been in transit in numerous airports around the world. (Frankfurt, Dubai, Bahrain, Delhi, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taiwan, S Korea, Japan)
Arrive on one flight, go to transit desk to get new boarding pass (if travelling on different airline and didn't "pre-board" or get an electronic boarding pass).
Pass through Security (not "Immigration") who briefly glance at your passport and boarding pass to see if the picture looks something like you.

Walk into the Departure are and go to the gate for your next flight.
(As I've often already had my next boarding pass already, I usually never have to go to the Transit desk at all. Just straight to the Security screeners and then into the Departure area again.)

 

Never, ever have I had to go through Immigration if I wasn't leaving the airport. Never have I had anyone check my passport or boarding ticket other than at the barrier between "Arrivals" and "Departures" (where Transit passengers are directed). 

It's more likely that she did try to get a Visa on Arrival and they found out her passport was cancelled (if it actually has been cancelled). If it wasn't cancelled and she really did have an onward ticket (and sufficient funds) there wouldn't have been any reason to deny her entry (as per the original story which claimed she did have the proper documents to apply for a Visa on Arrival).

 

I was going to ask when a GoFundMe would pop up but I see I'm too late. 

One would hope that she doesn't get sent back. It would pretty much be the last anyone ever hears of her. Not sure there's much anyone can do about it though. Look at the Bahraini footballer that actually did have a visa for Australia (and a PR). Is he still being held at the airport as well ? Haven't seen an update on that story for awhile.
 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Kerryd

[welovesundaysatspace]

She doesn’t fulfill the immigration requirements. She is suspected of having committed a crime in her home country. I’m really wondering where the “protect our borders, illegal immigrants out”-brigade is. 

[IAMHERE]

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

I see a movie deal and a book coming...

Wonder how Thailand is going to be portrayed?

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, skippy said:

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun

 

https://www.gofundme.com/rahaf-mohammed-alqunun

That funding campaign has NOT been initiated by Rahaf but apparently by somebody who hopes to make some quick money out of another person's desperation. Rahaf herself has already denounced that Gofundme site and has made it clear that it is not she who is behind it. She warned that nobody should donate to that campaign. 

[TurkAussie]

3 hours ago, onera1961 said:

Stupid TI does not understand she is seeking asylum. Take her to the Australian embassy. Let people who have brains decide instead of TI's who only knows how to follow orders. 

I live in Australia and I don’t agree that Australia has brains when it comes to Asylum seekers , she’s better off trying to go to England. 

Australia has a notoriously slow process when it comes to Asylum seekers

[AGareth2]

39 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

She has her passport.

really?

[Easy Come Easy Go]

I know it's mot realistic in the real world, but as a human being, she is entitled to the same rights 

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Things look pretty grim for her right now. Thailand is clearly kowtowing to the Saudis, which given their record of abuses is a terrible thing to do. The cat is out of the bag now though, so one can only hope that world pressure will force them to back down and allow her to go where she intended and can hopefully live a decent life. All that awaits her back home is abject misery and probably death.

I hope this goes viral and global, as that will be the best for the situation and her 

[Whitestarschool]

2 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

She is in hotel in transit area.

I believe the word "hotel" is a bit over the top here. I know someone who was denied entry and sent on a later plane back to her departure airport and was held in the airport for several hours. It was simply a surveilled room, hardly a "hotel".

2 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

 

 

[vinny41]

‘WE WON’T SEND SOMEONE TO THEIR DEATH,’ THAI IMMIGRATION CHIEF SAYS"

The head of Thailand’s Immigration Bureau said a Saudi woman who fled her family to seek asylum in Australia will not be forcibly deported.

Speaking at the Bangkok airport Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun refused to board a flight back to the family she fled this morning, Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn said just after 4pm that Thailand has reversed course and will not deport her against her will.

“If deporting her would result in her death, we definitely wouldn’t want to do that,” he said.

 

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2019/01/07/we-wont-send-someone-to-their-death-thai-immigration-chief-says/

 

[Bluespunk]

37 minutes ago, jackdd said:

How do you know this?

She posted a picture of it over the weekend. Could be an old photo I guess, maybe it was seized.

[Bluespunk]

16 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

really?

Apparently [according to BBC] she posted a picture of it over the weekend.

 

Could be an old picture I guess.

 

From the BBC article

 

Ms Mohammed al-Qunun wrote on Twitter that she had decided to share her name and details because she had "nothing to lose" now.

She also shared a picture of her passport "because I want you to know I'm real and exist".

Edited January 7, 2019 by Bluespunk

[Bert got kinky]

9 minutes ago, Easy Come Easy Go said:

I know it's mot realistic in the real world, but as a human being, she is entitled to the same rights 

I hope this goes viral and global, as that will be the best for the situation and her 

Already is global.

The BBC news website has it as their lead story.

[vinny41]

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

She posted a picture of it over the weekend. Could be an old photo I guess, maybe it was seized.

Most people take a picture/copy of their passport as it it useful to have if your passport is stolen I am sure most forum members have a copy of their passports

[Essaybloke]

A young woman not wanting to live in Saudi Arabia???

 

Go figure.....  ????