Canadian traveller detained in Thailand amid COVID-19 confusion coming home

[rooster59]

Canadian traveller detained in Thailand amid COVID-19 confusion coming home

Rachel Gilmore
CTVNews.ca Writer

 

Campbell Chamberlin appears in this undated image. (Photo provided by Kelly Chamberlin)

 

OTTAWA -- A Canadian who was detained in Thailand for five days amid the COVID-19 outbreak is finally coming home.

 

Campbell Chamberlin, 26, had been travelling throughout Asia for more than a year when the pandemic began. On Tuesday, while Chamberlin was on a flight from Thailand to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka shut its borders to some foreign visitors -- meaning the Canadian could not enter.

 

“They asked me why I was there in Sri Lanka, and when I answered tourism, the man just shook his head disappointingly at me and took my passport and left,” said Chamberlin.

 

With that, after immigration authorities confiscated all their passports, he and three other tourists -- two from France and one from Germany -- were placed back on the plane they had flown in on. But when they arrived in Thailand, they learned that they were barred from entering that country as well.

 

Full story: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canadian-traveller-detained-in-thailand-amid-covid-19-confusion-coming-home-1.4863095

 

CTV News: 2020-03-22

 

[Canuck1966]

5 days at the airport detention centre, can't have been pleasant

[bkk6060]

Sounds like a selfish fool.

Traveling during a pandemic.

Dumb..

[bkkcanuck8]

37 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Sounds like a selfish fool.

Traveling during a pandemic.

Dumb..

Last thing I would want (well except for maybe detention in Thai holding cell) is to be one of those 'emergency evacuated' by the Canadian government since there are so many people panicking and there will be more than likely more than a few that will be masking symptoms that might get them disallowed boarding of the flight.   Better to hold up and wait it out where you are.

[chuang]

Real dumb.

[jackdd]

It surprises me how little empathy these people (airline staff and immigration) show for somebody who didn't do much wrong and was just unlucky to end up in this situation.

[SEtonal]

The guy is an idiot.  He needed to be locked up for five days.

[LivinLOS]

Odd thing is there was not any entry restrictions back last tuesday if not from China, Hong Kong, Italy or Iran in the last 14 days. 

 

So the story has parts that dont add up (many visa exempt entries this year, back to back tourist, etc). 

[NCC1701A]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“They asked me why I was there in Sri Lanka, and when I answered tourism, the man just shook his head disappointingly at me and took my passport and left,” said Chamberlin.

i know just how the Sri Lanka immigration man feels.

there are some members on this forum that i would like to take their passports.

many here still don't get it.

 

[300sd]

Yes we all think the kid shouldn't be travelling. I hope this treatment doesn't get down to us smart farlangs!

[pegman]

The Canadian  gov has asked all  Canadian citizens to return home. Did he not get the memo? I watched a guy from Toronto last nite live streaming on YouTube. First from a Bangkok Hooters then some bar that stayed open. He went till about 6am. All the time with a Karan vacation honey who coughed on his arm all nite while wiping her sweaty forehead.  That. 42 year old moron, Jeff from Pickering, who knowingly flaunted Thai virus precautions should have a lengthy stay in detention until this is over. It would be justified by protecting Thais and Canadians alike.

[MasterBaker]

He was not detained in Thailand tho

[CanuckThai]

Ah, ok, let me help with some CSL (Canadian as second language).  We, back home would commonly refer to such people as a kcuf tard (purposely re-arranged first word letters back to front).  Slang and shortened version of **cking retar*

 

So, immigration folks, should have said: "Hey kcuf tard, see what happens when you don't wear your special helmet and bump your head, now get back on the looney bus, before I poke you in the eye".

[mauGR1]

Should the airline be accountable for flying customers to countries they are not allowed to enter ?

Do we expect now travellers to know more than the airlines they are flying with ?

[from the home of CC]

35 minutes ago, pegman said:

The Canadian  gov has asked all  Canadian citizens to return home. Did he not get the memo? I watched a guy from Toronto last nite live streaming on YouTube. First from a Bangkok Hooters then some bar that stayed open. He went till about 6am. All the time with a Karan vacation honey who coughed on his arm all nite while wiping her sweaty forehead.  That. 42 year old moron, Jeff from Pickering, who knowingly flaunted Thai virus precautions should have a lengthy stay in detention until this is over. It would be justified by protecting Thais and Canadians alike.

30 yrs ago he maybe would of been forgiven, but in the this information age his selfishness makes me sad - just how many will his actions affect? He personally could be responsible for many deaths, clown..

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Sounds like a selfish fool.

Traveling during a pandemic.

Dumb..

Dumb as pondering , pondering , pondering about flying home until its too late ? 

[ChrisY1]

Great free advertising for Thai Lion Air....they sound such a wonderful airline, just a shame they have useless staff!

[Teee]

Bit stupid of him not to check before he got on the flight from Bkk to Sri Lanka that SL closed the border already for 'tourist'.

Why did he travel? Does he not understand what is going on in the world???

As for being held in detention centre back in Bkk, correct...as i hear they have stopped VOA now so he would not be entitled to a new visa.

 

Tough on him but rules are rules.

 

 

[Eibot]

Should be at least 20 days. That will be teach him.

[White Christmas13]

7 hours ago, SEtonal said:

The guy is an idiot.  He needed to be locked up for five days.

Make that 14 days

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, Teee said:

Why did he travel? Does he not understand what is going on in the world???

But that's the problem with many people who have led a trouble-free life - off they go on their dream trip, never thinking for a moment that anything could go wrong and no idea of keeping informed of world or local events while traveling ...

 

On the other hand in Jan 1990 when the 1st Gulf War fighting began and Scud missiles started coming out of Iraq towards Israel, hundreds of people in Adelaide Sth Australia (!) rushed out to army surplus stores to buy gas masks ...

Edited March 22, 2020 by mfd101

[mauGR1]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Great free advertising for Thai Lion Air....they sound such a wonderful airline, just a shame they have useless staff!

Yes, i don't understand why so many here are blaming the guy, he should not have been near the plane.

[DJ54]

7 hours ago, SEtonal said:

The guy is an idiot.  He needed to be locked up for five days.

Says he’d been traveling over a year. 

 

Campbell Chamberlin, 26, had been travelling throughout Asia for more than a year when the pandemic began

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, Teee said:

Bit stupid of him not to check before he got on the flight from Bkk to Sri Lanka that SL closed the border already for 'tourist'.

Why did he travel? Does he not understand what is going on in the world???

As for being held in detention centre back in Bkk, correct...as i hear they have stopped VOA now so he would not be entitled to a new visa.

 

Tough on him but rules are rules.

His permit to stay was probably finished and he thought that going to Sri Lanka is better than going back home.

I think for Canadians it's still possible to get a visa exempt, they only cancelled them for some countries. They would have had to bend the rules a bit, but considering that he probably didn't do this on purpose they could have given him a visa exempt stamp and let him go.

If they didn't want to do this they could at least have him spend the time airside instead of locking him up.

[bkkcanuck8]

53 minutes ago, jackdd said:

His permit to stay was probably finished and he thought that going to Sri Lanka is better than going back home.

I think for Canadians it's still possible to get a visa exempt, they only cancelled them for some countries. They would have had to bend the rules a bit, but considering that he probably didn't do this on purpose they could have given him a visa exempt stamp and let him go.

If they didn't want to do this they could at least have him spend the time airside instead of locking him up.

The purpose of the restriction is to prevent the spread of covid into the kingdom.  Locking him up in detention in a crowded cell where if he were positive he would spread it to others, to immigration eventually and to airline crew... is moronically stupid.  The airline should have been punished for making the mistake and had their butts kicked... but it would have been better served having him have a COVID test (and him paying for it) and in the meantime placing him under quarantine at a hotel (again on his dime - including paying for a guard)... by himself.  If he came back clean he should have been released on a temporary stay.  Yes, travelling Air Petri during a pandemic is not smart, but the response to it was even stupider

Edited March 22, 2020 by bkkcanuck8

[Evobase]

16 hours ago, Teee said:

Bit stupid of him not to check before he got on the flight from Bkk to Sri Lanka that SL closed the border already for 'tourist'.

Why did he travel? Does he not understand what is going on in the world???

As for being held in detention centre back in Bkk, correct...as i hear they have stopped VOA now so he would not be entitled to a new visa.

 

Tough on him but rules are rules.

 

 

 

[Evobase]

Just now, Evobase said:

 

Visa on arrival in Thailand have been cancelled?

 

[jvs]

22 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

many here still don't get it.

I am like you,i don't want to get it!!

Gate is closed,they have to be really cute to be let in!!

[geriatrickid]

22 hours ago, jackdd said:

It surprises me how little empathy these people (airline staff and immigration) show for somebody who didn't do much wrong and was just unlucky to end up in this situation.

He did do wrong; He put his hedonistic selfish desires ahead of the greater good. His government asked all Canadians to return to Canada immediately, before he departed to Sri Lanka for his "tourism". He  continued to travel despite knowing that there is a deadly pandemic underway. He wasn't "unlucky". On the contrary, he was lucky that Sri Lanka stopped him.

 

14 hours ago, DJ54 said:

Says he’d been traveling over a year. 

Campbell Chamberlin, 26, had been travelling throughout Asia for more than a year when the pandemic began

So what? The  seriousness of this pandemic was evident two months ago. He should have returned home a month ago when the warnings of travel instructions were being given.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians were still departing Canada in March, with others  still traveling despite the travel advisories and airline  shutdowns being warned of. Now they are all crying and demanding that their government come rescue them.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

He did do wrong; He put his hedonistic selfish desires ahead of the greater good. His government asked all Canadians to return to Canada immediately, before he departed to Sri Lanka for his "tourism". He  continued to travel despite knowing that there is a deadly pandemic underway. He wasn't "unlucky". On the contrary, he was lucky that Sri Lanka stopped him.

Your government probably told you the same. Did you follow it or did you selfishly stay in Thailand?