Stranded outside Thailand - Australia

[aussienam]

Would appreciate those wanting to have a dig at me from refraining and just hopefully have any possible solutions.  COVID19 issues have ramped up massively.  

 

I came back to Oz early March for a quick trip for several reasons.  Am renting in Thailand and on non-imm OA visa. 

Rules came quickly came about that I need to get a COVID19 swab and clearance via doctor's certificate.  Needs to be issued within 72 hours of arriving.  Tricky as labs take 2-3 days to get results back, so need time it perfectly as the listed flights now are multiple stops and over 20 hours.  But i found a clinic who will do it for $110 AUD.  

 

Health insurance needs COVID19 cover at minimum of 100,000 USD.  Application just sent off.  

 

Australians barred from leaving Australia as of 25/03/2020 - but there is a provision for compassionate grounds and certain employment.  I called Dept of Home Affairs and yes I qualify with the supporting documents for compassionate.  

 

I jumped online to book flight.  Only basically one airline now that offers flights to Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur.  I booked and paid, then 30 minutes later received message from airline that flights were cancelled due to COVID19 issues.  I noticed the same flights were still being advertised after and I could even get in and proceed booking process right up to paying for the flights again.  I located a hard to find link on airline's site where dates are listed for flights to be cancelled. 

But those flights are still being advertised and sold still.  Confusing. 

 

Flights are selling up fast and getting extremely expensive.  But the online agent, the airlines are all unable to be contacted.  Claiming they are attending to those who have flights leaving in next 24 hours.  Don't even know how those people are getting in contact as well.  The whole thing is a debacle, confusing and misleading.  And I don't even know if I will get a refund, but the flight is one of the cancelled dates on the airline's list.  Not sure if there is just going to be rolling cancellations or not because the obscure link is nowhere to be seen on the available flights page.  

 

All I am trying to do is get the hell out of here and back to my rented condo. But it is looking more and more impossible and this could go on for 6 months, 1 year or more.  Nightmare and lease expires later in the year.  Will be bloody sleeping in a park here soon or swinging by a noose.  

 

[RotBenz8888]

24 minutes ago, aussienam said:

Health insurance needs COVID19 cover at minimum of 100,000 USD.  Application just sent off.  

What company? 

[aussienam]

2 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

What company? 

Mate it was Regency.  But don't bother unless you are working in Thailand.  Just read new link that all foreigners have been barred from entering Thailand, unless you have a working permit.  Hence why all the flights getting cancelled.  All of us stranded outside now just have to wait it out.  Going to be mighty painful.  

 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by aussienam

[timendres]

At this point, I think you are stuck. And at midnight tonight, dear leader gets "emergency powers" to further shutdown the country. I think you are looking at at least a month or two before you can even think of getting back in.

[holy cow cm]

Yeah work permit or you dress up like a pilot or flight attendant to try to get through. Otherwise it be a closed done deal. 

[RotBenz8888]

31 minutes ago, aussienam said:

Mate it was Regency.  But don't bother unless you are working in Thailand.  Just read new link that all foreigners have been barred from entering Thailand, unless you have a working permit.  Hence why all the flights getting cancelled.  All of us stranded outside now just have to wait it out.  Going to be mighty painful.  

 

 

I have 2 very young children to take care of. But now i cant enter despite my family visa. How on earth could a work permit be more important?

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

4 hours ago, aussienam said:

Just read new link that all foreigners have been barred from entering Thailand, unless you have a working permit. 

And it seems to remain unclear what the deal is for non immi O marriage visa holders wanting to return to Thailand.

Maybe check e.g Melbourne>Jakarta with KLM >BKK if you haven't already..

Edited March 25, 2020 by WhereIsMyRyeBread

[MaiDong]

I really feel for you, I hope you find a way back! 

 

I spent some months last year back in the UK and it was flippin horrible, I couldn't wait to get back to my wife, our son & our dog. 

 

I'm in Bangkok now, and despite the pollution and all the other madness here, I wouldn't swap it for anywhere else. 

 

My heart goes out to you. 

[Polaky]

I am in the exact opposite position, my flight from bkk to mel on the 31st was cancelled, jetstar offered no other solution, and i cannot find a flight back so i am stuck here.

[MaiDong]

2 minutes ago, Polaky said:

I am in the exact opposite position, my flight from bkk to mel on the 31st was cancelled, jetstar offered no other solution, and i cannot find a flight back so i am stuck here.

Oz is a great place, but I'd rather be here, if financially plausible. 

[gearbox]

Sorry to hear that. The things are changing daily. I'm more or less in the same boat but stuck in Goa, India. I'm in my second O-A year with reentry permit, and I have a flight to from Mumbai to Samui, but I don't think it is going to happen.

If you want to fly my advice is don't rely too much on websites to book. The booking sites like Kayak and Skyscanner can't keep up with the quickly changing environment. The airlines' websites are better, but not that much. I would just pack and go to the airport and try to get ticket there, or buy over the phone after you talk with an airline's staff.

The flight you book may not board you as Malaysia doesn't allow foreigners to transit. Check carefully any transit airport restrictions before buying a ticket.

I got stuck initially in India in the Andaman islands, and had heaps of ordeals to move to Goa. At one point the flight was cancelled when I was at the check-in counter! 

 

So for us who are now out of Thailand we need to deal with at least 3 things to get back:

 

- the travel restrictions of Thailand

- the travel restrictions of the country you are currently in

- the travel restrictions of the transit points

 

All need to align.

 

I live in Samui in a bungalow which is rented by my gf, so no issues with leases and property, but I'm keen to go back. The Indians alone have total travel ban the next 21 days, realistically I don't think I can make it in April, even in May.  

 

[RotBenz8888]

4 hours ago, gearbox said:

Sorry to hear that. The things are changing daily. I'm more or less in the same boat but stuck in Goa, India. I'm in my second O-A year with reentry permit, and I have a flight to from Mumbai to Samui, but I don't think it is going to happen.

If you want to fly my advice is don't rely too much on websites to book. The booking sites like Kayak and Skyscanner can't keep up with the quickly changing environment. The airlines' websites are better, but not that much. I would just pack and go to the airport and try to get ticket there, or buy over the phone after you talk with an airline's staff.

The flight you book may not board you as Malaysia doesn't allow foreigners to transit. Check carefully any transit airport restrictions before buying a ticket.

I got stuck initially in India in the Andaman islands, and had heaps of ordeals to move to Goa. At one point the flight was cancelled when I was at the check-in counter! 

 

So for us who are now out of Thailand we need to deal with at least 3 things to get back:

 

- the travel restrictions of Thailand

- the travel restrictions of the country you are currently in

- the travel restrictions of the transit points

 

All need to align.

 

I live in Samui in a bungalow which is rented by my gf, so no issues with leases and property, but I'm keen to go back. The Indians alone have total travel ban the next 21 days, realistically I don't think I can make it in April, even in May.  

 

Are Indians like the Thais? New rules every day?

[falang1969]

Plenty of Thai Air flights leaving for Europe tonight. I wonder how busy they are?

 

 

[mstevens]

3 hours ago, falang1969 said:

Plenty of Thai Air flights leaving for Europe tonight. I wonder how busy they are?

 

 

Friend flew Thai Bangkok to London yesterday and said not a free seat on the flight. 

[USNret]

Too late. Thai borders are now closed to all foreigners. 

[gearbox]

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Are Indians like the Thais? New rules every day?

Much worse. The public servants are trying to outdo each other who is going to put the dumbest restrictions. There are no food shops opened, and you can't buy food online. I have only 2 small blocks of KitKat in my fridge. As the shops are closed no clean water is available,but I always carry a Sawyer portable purifier. All the hotels are closed, if you are a foreigner who doesn't live here and needs temporary accommodation there are big problems to find a place to stay. "Foreigner" is a dirty word here, a few people told me "go home". As if I want to stay...

 

 

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Much worse. The public servants are trying to outdo each other who is going to put the dumbest restrictions. There are no food shops opened, and you can't buy food online. I have only 2 small blocks of KitKat in my fridge. As the shops are closed no clean water is available,but I always carry a Sawyer portable purifier. All the hotels are closed, if you are a foreigner who doesn't live here and needs temporary accommodation there are big problems to find a place to stay. "Foreigner" is a dirty word here, a few people told me "go home". As if I want to stay...

 

 

Food shops are closed  ?

 

When did that happen ?

[tifino]

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Are Indians like the Thais? New rules every day?

...more to protect their million new babies regularly dropping 

 

[gearbox]

11 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Food shops are closed  ?

 

When did that happen ?

3 days ago. The only shops opened are the pharmacies, and they sell only KitKat or similar. Actually I saw protein powder in one of them.

 

The caretaker at the place I stay tries to help me, but last night after looking 3 hours around trying to buy food, he came pretty much empty handed, only a small pack of butter and cooked noodles, I suspect he just got them from somebody's house.

 

Although I woke up hungry this morning, I can't complain, I chose to come here and its a good adventure. I so far have a place to stay, I'm healthy and cashed up. I don't have dependants to worry about. The main thing is not to get sick here - either from corona or something else - otherwise one can end up in some substandard hospital and pick up extra diseases.

 

Some of the locals are quite unfriendly to say the least, they are blaming the foreigners for all these problems. I got kicked out from a hotel in the middle of the stay and got my money back - they didn't want foreigners there. The police and the Australian consulate helped me to get a taxi to move to the current place, as there is a lockdown and of the few remaining taxis nobody wanted to take the foreigner.

 

 

[RJRS1301]

21 minutes ago, gearbox said:

3 days ago. The only shops opened are the pharmacies, and they sell only KitKat or similar. Actually I saw protein powder in one of them.

 

The caretaker at the place I stay tries to help me, but last night after looking 3 hours around trying to buy food, he came pretty much empty handed, only a small pack of butter and cooked noodles, I suspect he just got them from somebody's house.

 

Although I woke up hungry this morning, I can't complain, I chose to come here and its a good adventure. I so far have a place to stay, I'm healthy and cashed up. I don't have dependants to worry about. The main thing is not to get sick here - either from corona or something else - otherwise one can end up in some substandard hospital and pick up extra diseases.

 

Some of the locals are quite unfriendly to say the least, they are blaming the foreigners for all these problems. I got kicked out from a hotel in the middle of the stay and got my money back - they didn't want foreigners there. The police and the Australian consulate helped me to get a taxi to move to the current place, as there is a lockdown and of the few remaining taxis nobody wanted to take the foreigner.

 

 

I cannot being to imagine what this is like for you. I trust this will resove itself sooner rather than later, I am surprised the food shops are not open, seems more than draconian. I suppose the one factor in your favour is the consulate is aware of your plight and presence 

Edited March 26, 2020 by RJRS1301

[elgenon]

In California renters can't be evicted for not being able to pay rent. Yikes! But my tenant is stuck in Canada. So it is happening all over. I'm thinking it might be a blessing for her to be stuck in Canada. Just like Americans stuck in Taiwan are fortunate. Evaluate where you are and where you want to be based on personal safety. Saving a few bucks and dying doesn't do it for me.

[gearbox]

11 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I cannot being to imagine what this is like for you. I trust this will resove itself sooner rather than later, I am surprised the food shops are not open, seems more than draconian. I suppose the one factor in your favour is the consulate is aware of your pliht and presence 

 

There are people in much worse situation around:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/britons-stuck-india-say-feel-abandoned-by-uk-government-coronavirus

 

I know a group of Eastern Europeans nearby stuck here too. Soon they'll probably run out of money, and they may lose their jobs if they don't turn up in a month or two.

 

I've heard the poorest Indians around are coping it really bad, all the casual jobs disappeared, and they just have no money to buy food.  So my problems are just first world problems...nothing to worry about.

[murraynz]

10 hours ago, MaiDong said:

I really feel for you, I hope you find a way back! 

 

I spent some months last year back in the UK and it was flippin horrible, I couldn't wait to get back to my wife, our son & our dog. 

 

I'm in Bangkok now, and despite the pollution and all the other madness here, I wouldn't swap it for anywhere else. 

 

My heart goes out to you. 

i also sympathise with the poster... i was nearly in a similar position, was just very lucky that my flight back to BKK  was 13 march, before things got so difficult..

[murraynz]

22 minutes ago, elgenon said:

In California renters can't be evicted for not being able to pay rent. Yikes! But my tenant is stuck in Canada. So it is happening all over. I'm thinking it might be a blessing for her to be stuck in Canada. Just like Americans stuck in Taiwan are fortunate. Evaluate where you are and where you want to be based on personal safety. Saving a few bucks and dying doesn't do it for me.

same same in NZ , renters cannot now be evicted for not paying rent, no rent increases.

im grateful that most of my tenants are good, are beneficiaries or have secure jobs.

 

[moojar]

Sucks to be separated from family, but I'd honestly rather be in Oz over the coming months.  You read about Italy taking life-giving ventilators away from the over 65s, and in Spain from the over 60s, and then wonder who are they going to take them away from first in Thailand if the <deleted> hits the fan?

 

 

[BritManToo]

I very narrowly missed being stuck in Siem Reap.

But it didn't appear I would have had a fraction of the problems that others are facing.

Good luck to all of you trapped away from the home of your choice.

[moojar]

8 minutes ago, murraynz said:

same same in NZ , renters cannot now be evicted for not paying rent, no rent increases.

im grateful that most of my tenants are good, are beneficiaries or have secure jobs.

 

I would expect rent decreases, at least in Oz.  Newly-unemployed moving back home, plus all those Airbnb places flooding back into the regular rental market.  

[elgenon]

13 minutes ago, murraynz said:

same same in NZ , renters cannot now be evicted for not paying rent, no rent increases.

im grateful that most of my tenants are good, are beneficiaries or have secure jobs.

 

I wish my situation was like that. This could bankrupt me. Selling the places would be a fire sale right now. Same thing as usual, the rich will scoop the properties up at a bargain price.  Yes, also no rent increases. The politicians know there are more renters than owners. So more votes.

[gearbox]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I very narrowly missed being stuck in Siem Reap.

But it didn't appear I would have had a fraction of the problems that others are facing.

Good luck to all of you trapped away from the home of your choice.

You were lucky to get out of there. The health care standards in Cambodia are quite low. You don't want to get seriously sick there.

IMO anyone stuck in a country of no citizenship should try to self isolate and not to get sick. If the situation gets really serious you may end up last in the queue for medical services.

[BritManToo]

Just now, gearbox said:

You were lucky to get out of there. The health care standards in Cambodia are quite low. You don't want to get seriously sick there.

IMO anyone stuck in a country of no citizenship should try to self isolate and not to get sick. If the situation gets really serious you may end up last in the queue for medical services.

I never worry about being sick or medical service.

Happy to die when called, but hope it won't be dragged out.