TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 6 hours ago, bluesofa said: Absolutely. It went from him saying: the girl was refused entry as she didn't have an onward ticket/sufficient funds to enter Thailand, even though she was only transiting, and also allowing Saudi 'diplomats' to meet the plane to: they would never send her back anywhere to a death sentence and now allowing five (?) days in the country to organise her onward travel documents. There's about a dozen different conflicting details in the news reports above that make it hard to tell what the heck is going on. She had a visa, she didn't have a visa. She had a passport, someone from the Saudi Embassy somehow took per passport. Thai Immigration had not been contacted by the Saudis. Thai Immigration was contacted by the Saudis, and on and on and on. It sounds like part of the mistake of her part was having the plan to spend several days in Thailand (thus requiring her admission thru Immigration here), instead of just remaining in transit and making a direct in airport transfer to her Australia flight. It appears to be that decision that put her in the fickle clutches of Thai Immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will27 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 1 hour ago, kkerry said: She reportedly has a tourist visa but has stated she will apply for asylum on arrival... Australian immigration staff at Suvarnabhumi vet selected passengers heading to Australia at the gates, reviewing their documents before they can board, so I wouldn't be so sure she will be even allowed on the plane now her intentions are known. Yep, wouldn't be surprised if her visa was cancelled by the Aussie government under the grounds that she's not a genuine tourist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulic Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 No money, in transit to Australia with no ticket or visa for Australia. No wonder she was denied entry to Thailand. The good thing is the UNHCR is now involved and they have unlimited resources. They now have a poster women to drive a campaign, so a win-win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 6 minutes ago, Ulic said: No money, in transit to Australia with no ticket or visa for Australia. Those details aren't as clear-cut as your comment suggests, based on the Reuters report above: Quote Qunun said she had obtained an Australian visa and booked a flight. She said she had planned to spend a few days in Thailand so she would not spark suspicion when she left Kuwait. Thai immigration chief Surachate, however, said that Qunun did not have a visa for Australia. The Australian Embassy said it had no immediate comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroveHillWanderer Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, Will27 said: Yep, wouldn't be surprised if her visa was cancelled by the Aussie government under the grounds that she's not a genuine tourist. She's now under the care of the UNHCR for at least 5 days, who have said they will assess her situation and her claims for refugee status. Whatever happens, I rather doubt she will end up continuing her journey to Australia as originally planned, on a tourist visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 According to her own account, her passport was confiscated immediately on arrival by a Security officer from Kuwait airways (namecard shown in her tweet -- Arab name). Never attempted to enter Thailand or pass Thai immigration, she was just trying to change planes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 BTW, the Thai MFA site says Saudi citizens are eligible to apply for Visa on Arrival at the airport permitting up to a 15 day stay. They are not eligible for visa exempt entry, but they don't have to apply in advance for a tourist visa either. I don't know why she wouldn't have been able and eligible to apply for a VOA -- unless it's true that some Saudi Embassy person managed to grab her passport on arrival, as is mentioned in one of the news reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter48 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 This story getting favourable global coverage last night/today gives tremendous credit to Thailand. Yes let's give praise to Thailand for listening to the international chorus of support for this girl whose human rights and freedoms are being seriously challenged. Her passport was seized by a Saudi official in another country for goodness sake and to see that first blogger's cynicism here is despairing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrTuner Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 8 hours ago, ezzra said: Expect a flood of similar situations to come about now that this woman has showed that immigration rules can be flaunted and circumvented by simply saying that your life is in dander true or not... That's the MO of the "refugees" that flooded Europe. The cure is to prevent entry at the first border. Thailand can do this with visa regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 8 minutes ago, Sheryl said: According to her own account, her passport was confiscated immediately on arrival by a Security officer from Kuwait airways (namecard shown in her tweet -- Arab name). Never attempted to enter Thailand or pass Thai immigration, she was just trying to change planes. So this part of The Nation article OP here is wrong? Quote Al-Qunan told rights groups and reporters that a representative of the Saudi embassy in Bangkok had intercepted her at the airport and seized her passport. And the comment from Surachate at the end of the Reuters article: Quote "We acknowledged this and checked her paperwork. She had a passport but no return ticket, no travel plan, and no destination or hotel reservation in Thailand ... so per airport security procedures, immigration denied her entry." And the part in one of the above articles where she said she had planned to spend several days in Thailand before continuing onward to Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchadian Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Jonathan Head has said that we need some realistic information here. The UNHCR - as they told us yesterday - is not a state or law-enforcement agency. Rahaf is under Thai jurisdiction now and the UN can only urge - not force - the Thais to honour their promise not to deport her. However Thailand did respond to publicity about Rahaf, and is allowing the UN to assess her asylum request in safety in Thailand. Her best option is quick 3rd country resettlement. Thailand did the right thing - but has often been very harsh to previous asylum-seekers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shocked farang Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Quoting the article: "Thai-Saudi relations have been strained ever since a major ruction over a Thai migrant worker’s theft of a diamond from the Saudi royal palace and the assassinations of Saudi diplomats in Bangkok in 1989-1990. Several attempts have since been made to normalize relations, none successful. " There´s a book (banned in Thailand) written by an Aussie that says that the diamond that was stolen from the Saudi Royal palace (by a Thai worker) ended up on the necks of the Thai Royal family. Since then Thailand never really managed to normalize relations with the Saudis. I think this incident was a try in this direction, the Thai authorities were contacted after she boarded the plane and they gave free entrance to the Saudis from the Embassy in Bangkok to the transit area of the airport. Her passport was confiscated so the Thai authorities claiming that was had no travel document were free to deport her back to Kwait. What they didn´t expect was the International coverage that the story got after she barricaded herself in the hotel. Then seeing the international outcry for the well being of the poor girl, they came up with the bullshit; "we are the Land of Smiles and would never deport her to her death..." This incident should be a wake up call to anyone who expects Thailand to be more than a banana republic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: So this part of The Nation article OP here is wrong? And the comment from Surachate at the end of the Reuters article: And the part in one of the above articles where she said she had planned to spend several days in Thailand before continuing onward to Australia? I'm just repeating what she herself said in her tweets. There is even a photo of the namecard of the man who took her passport. The card says Kuwait Embassy but he could be a Saudi, who knows. I doubt that newspaper articles saying she said she planned to stay in Thailand actually spoke directly to her. As for Thai authorities the "not enough funds/paperwork to enter the Kingdom" sounds like a knee jerk formulaic response to me,. By all accounts her passport was seized right off the plane, she never got near a Thai immigration counter. And she'd hardly have been sent to the Miracle Lounge if she had been barred from entering Thailand by TI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nong Khai Man Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Saudi woman has left Bangkok airport ‘under care of’ UN agency: Thai official An 18-year-old Saudi woman seeking asylum has left Bangkok airport “under the care” of the UN refugee agency, a Thai official said Monday, following her desperate plea against deportation. “She is allowed to stay… she is under the care of the UNHCR now,” said immigration chief Surachate Hakparn. “She left the airport with the UNHCR.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oziex1 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Gotta love the gormless comment, "we are the los would never send her to her death" An international incident and they use some feeble tourism promo phrase that diminishes the gravity of the stuation. After a major backpeddle when the world got hold of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolgeoff Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 This is a strange case why her passport was taken then claim asylum if she reached Australia. Now the United nations taken up her case in bkk.one more pt why was she allowed to leave Saudi if they was a issue and they after her or her family was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 28 minutes ago, Sheryl said: I'm just repeating what she herself said in her tweets. There is even a photo of the namecard of the man who took her passport. The card says Kuwait Embassy but he could be a Saudi, who knows. I doubt that newspaper articles saying she said she planned to stay in Thailand actually spoke directly to her. As for Thai authorities the "not enough funds/paperwork to enter the Kingdom" sounds like a knee jerk formulaic response to me,. By all accounts her passport was seized right off the plane, she never got near a Thai immigration counter. And she'd hardly have been sent to the Miracle Lounge if she had been barred from entering Thailand by TI. There's a lot of details here that are fuzzy at best, based on the various media reports.... BTW, I too was wondering about the Miracle Lounge part... I had kind of expected her to be tweeting from the detention facility within the airport... so at least that part was good...for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MekkOne Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 This girl got more balls that most of the dudes in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 28 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said: Saudi woman has left Bangkok airport ‘under care of’ UN agency: Thai official An 18-year-old Saudi woman seeking asylum has left Bangkok airport “under the care” of the UN refugee agency, a Thai official said Monday, following her desperate plea against deportation. “She is allowed to stay… she is under the care of the UNHCR now,” said immigration chief Surachate Hakparn. “She left the airport with the UNHCR.” I believe there were some cases a while back where some folks who had asylum applications pending with the UN in BKK were somehow spirited out of Thailand and back to their home country, China, I think. And that provoked a big backlash from the UN and rights groups for Thailand not honoring its treaty obligations. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janclaes47 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: And that provoked a big backlash from the UN and rights groups for Thailand not honoring its treaty obligations. Thailand is not part of that treaty, so they have no obligations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oziex1 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 While the focus of this story is understandably on Thailand, the underlying issue is the treatment of women in SA, right out of the dark ages. Why did these backward people have to be so wealthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will27 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 1 hour ago, Sheryl said: According to her own account, her passport was confiscated immediately on arrival by a Security officer from Kuwait airways (namecard shown in her tweet -- Arab name). Never attempted to enter Thailand or pass Thai immigration, she was just trying to change planes. Yep, it's not a long bow to suggest that the family has some "pull". Obviously working with Thai Immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
off road pat Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 9 hours ago, ezzra said: Expect a flood of similar situations to come about now that this woman has showed that immigration rules can be flaunted and circumvented by simply saying that your life is in dander true or not... true or not ??,..just google Saudi honor killings !!!! if I have to spoon fed you,... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommysboy Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 9 hours ago, Briggsy said: She will be back in Saudi within 18 months. I am not wishing it but it always turns out like this. The Saudi family will never give up and will resort to all means certainly including use of the powerful Saudi state apparatus to get her back dead or alive. It is entirely conceivable that the Thais will abruptly change their decision if enough dollars are waved around. Also this young lady is 18, will miss her friends, will probably have her bank accounts frozen and income stream cut off and the Saudis will use that to pressure her home without having to use kidnapping. What's the alternative?...she couldn't stay there and certainly can not go back. Do you understand the full gravity of the situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerritkaew Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Not easy for an 18 year old to leave life and family behind and go live on her own in a strange country and start all new again. I hope she's gone make it tru. Its all over the news, even in Europe. So thumbs up Thailand.. I hope she have some more clothing to ware and her luggage still be there,, after 2 days she will need some cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony125 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 9 hours ago, Briggsy said: She will be back in Saudi within 18 months. I am not wishing it but it always turns out like this. The Saudi family will never give up and will resort to all means certainly including use of the powerful Saudi state apparatus to get her back dead or alive. It is entirely conceivable that the Thais will abruptly change their decision if enough dollars are waved around. Also this young lady is 18, will miss her friends, will probably have her bank accounts frozen and income stream cut off and the Saudis will use that to pressure her home without having to use kidnapping. Very nieve thinking by you. Do you think missing her friends would make her go back home where she faces a death sentence for publicly denouncing Islam? That is the penalty in Saudi Arabia for doing that, would be the father's duty to stone her to death or she would be beheaded. If given sanctuary by Australia ,US ect she is educated, speaks English and Arabic and could work and have a good life. Heck the US would take her in and hire her as a translator of messeges they hack for intel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony125 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, gerritkaew said: Not easy for an 18 year old to leave life and family behind and go live on her own in a strange country and start all new again. I hope she's gone make it tru. Its all over the news, even in Europe. So thumbs up Thailand.. I hope she have some more clothing to ware and her luggage still be there,, after 2 days she will need some cleaning. Why hard ? She is only 18 already speaks English as well as Arabic and can learn more in schools and have a better opportunity for advancement than many other women in Saudi Arabia. Could drive a car, marry who she wants, take whatever job she wants ect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaZa9 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Its pretty obvious why the Thais thought there should be no danger in sending this young lady back home. After all , the Saudis are staunch members of , and have a seat on the UNITED NATIONS Human Rights Council and 'chaired' a panel of independent experts on Human Rights in 2015. They embrace wholeheartedly the Religion of Peace . And they are close allies to the bastion of democracy for the entire Free World , The United States of America . She should be in good hands back home . So why all the fuss ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipButty Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Ms Mohammed al-Qunun's case echoes that of another Saudi woman who was in transit to Australia in April 2017. Dina Ali Lasloom, 24, was en route from Kuwait via the Philippines but was taken back to Saudi Arabia from Manila airport by her family. She used a Canadian tourist's phone to send a message, a video of which was posted to Twitter, saying her family would kill her. Her fate on arriving back in Saudi Arabia remains unknown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wreckingcountry Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Ms Mohammed al-Qunun's case echoes that of another Saudi woman who was in transit to Australia in April 2017. Dina Ali Lasloom, 24, was en route from Kuwait via the Philippines but was taken back to Saudi Arabia from Manila airport by her family. She used a Canadian tourist's phone to send a message, a video of which was posted to Twitter, saying her family would kill her. Her fate on arriving back in Saudi Arabia remains unknown.Chipped up like Kashoggi Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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