Last flight to Bangkok: 'If I die, I want to die in my country'

By Jiraporn Kukahan

 

FILE PHOTO: A view of empty at queue lines, as airlines reduce flights following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Singapore's Changi Airport March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su

 

SINGAPORE/BANGKOK (Reuters) - As airlines worldwide cut flights due to the coronavirus outbreak, the last service from Singapore to Bangkok departed on Saturday with only a few dozen passengers, mostly Thai citizens desperate to get home to ride out the pandemic.

 

    "If I die, I want to die in my country," said Chinana Dotkhruea, a 66-year-old Thai national who had been in Singapore taking care of her niece.

 

After Thailand enacted emergency measures on Thursday, it barred almost anyone but its own citizens from entering the country and placed strict requirements for Thais to have special papers to enter.

 

Singapore Airlines Flight 972 on Saturday was the last scheduled service to Thailand. It is not known when flights will resume.

 

Singapore's Changi Airport was almost empty, with only one check in counter open for passengers dropping off luggage.

Inside the terminal, airline staff stood around without customers to care for. Almost all passengers wore face masks and some wore gloves.

 

Another passenger, Ammara Viparsinon said she was afraid if she didn’t get back to Thailand she might be stranded.

 

Ammara, 33, said she was shocked at the ticket price of 600 Singapore dollars (about $420), which is about double what a flight would normally would cost. But said she felt there was no choice, as any other route to get into Thailand would involve long connections and layovers and be even more expensive.

 

“The risk is too high, so I'd rather take this last direct flight,” she said.

 

    Thailand reported 109 new coronavirus cases and one death on Saturday, bringing the total to 1,245 infections and six deaths.

 

Singapore has about 740 cases of coronavirus and has been praised for a swift and rigorous process of quarantines and tracking of contacts to halt spread of the disease.

 

The coronavirus disease that first broke out in China has spread to most countries worldwide, infecting more than 551,800 people while nearly 24,900 have died.

 

(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Mike Harrison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-29

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6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"If I die, I want to die in my country," said Chinana Dotkhruea, a 66-year-old Thai national who had been in Singapore taking care of her niece.

Seems an ironic comment, given the situation.

 

When she gets back, will she self-quarantine? I hope she won't be irresponsible and effectively want her fellow Thais to potentially die.

Should that not read 'when I die'?

 

Perhaps she knows something we don't.

Edited March 29, 20206 yr by anchadian

Some peaceful music for that ride home and beyond...????

 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

placed strict requirements for Thais to have special papers to enter.

Banning your own citizens from entering their country.  The world governance bar has been lowered to an unprecedented low.  The US and other nations watched as Cambodia allowed a cruise ship dock, ending hardship of many people.  Cambodia also allowed self reliant Brits to arrange a charter flight out of the country when the British embassy refused to help its citizens.  A very low bar indeed.  

43 minutes ago, TooBigToFit said:

Some peaceful music for that ride home and beyond...????

 

If I have to listen to Kenny G when i die - I'm gonna live forever........

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Seems an ironic comment, given the situation.

 

When she gets back, will she self-quarantine? I hope she won't be irresponsible and effectively want her fellow Thais to potentially die.

I hope returnee's would adhere to the requirements imposed, but I fear a large party will be held for someone returning to their family....Some people just do not get it.  

44 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

If I have to listen to Kenny G when i die - I'm gonna live forever........

I second that motion...

What difference will it make? when you are dead nothing ever happened.

Just now, soalbundy said:

What difference will it make? when you are dead nothing ever happened.

Nothing ever happened? Nothing is going to happen anymore. 

5 minutes ago, toolpush said:

50 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

If I have to listen to Kenny G when i die - I'm gonna live forever........

I second that motion...

 

I had a motion just imagining the horror of it.

Just now, Isaanbiker said:

Nothing ever happened? Nothing is going to happen anymore. 

Certainly not to the 'me'

49 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I hope returnee's would adhere to the requirements imposed, but I fear a large party will be held for someone returning to their family....Some people just do not get it.  

...no doubt many will get 'it'

 

she should focus on the process; if she gets sick surely she'd want to be somewhere with the best possible  healthcare system?

2 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

If I have to listen to Kenny G when i die - I'm gonna live forever........

 

I hope I go stone deaf before I go.

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Banning your own citizens from entering their country.  The world governance bar has been lowered to an unprecedented low.  The US and other nations watched as Cambodia allowed a cruise ship dock, ending hardship of many people.  Cambodia also allowed self reliant Brits to arrange a charter flight out of the country when the British embassy refused to help its citizens.  A very low bar indeed.  

Under the Thai constitution it is prohibited to prevent a Thai citizen from entering the Kingdom.  There are no exceptions allowed.

2 minutes ago, Arkady said:

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Banning your own citizens from entering their country.  The world governance bar has been lowered to an unprecedented low.  The US and other nations watched as Cambodia allowed a cruise ship dock, ending hardship of many people.  Cambodia also allowed self reliant Brits to arrange a charter flight out of the country when the British embassy refused to help its citizens.  A very low bar indeed.  

Under the Thai constitution it is prohibited to prevent a Thai citizen from entering the Kingdom.  There are no exceptions allowed.

 

Thailand has declared a State of Emergency which may supersede the Constitution. 

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I hope returnee's would adhere to the requirements imposed, but I fear a large party will be held for someone returning to their family....Some people just do not get it.  

Agree 100%

Many people just do not get it, in many things than one.

 

17 minutes ago, Arkady said:

Under the Thai constitution it is prohibited to prevent a Thai citizen from entering the Kingdom.  There are no exceptions allowed.

I believe that most countries have a similar law.

The problem for many people at present is to get close enough to the border to actually enter!

3 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Banning your own citizens from entering their country.  The world governance bar has been lowered to an unprecedented low.  The US and other nations watched as Cambodia allowed a cruise ship dock, ending hardship of many people.  Cambodia also allowed self reliant Brits to arrange a charter flight out of the country when the British embassy refused to help its citizens.  A very low bar indeed.  

Cambodia also offers free medical care to foreigners infected with Covid-19.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50706641/two-indonesians-flee-thailand-to-cambodia-for-free-covid-19-treatment/

45 minutes ago, VBF said:

I believe that most countries have a similar law.

The problem for many people at present is to get close enough to the border to actually enter!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_return

 

It's an international law even, ratified in pretty much every international agreement like the hague convention that thailand signed too. 

it's just ... laws dont mean anything here anymore.

5 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

If I have to listen to Kenny G when i die - I'm gonna live forever........

 

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thailand has declared a State of Emergency which may supersede the Constitution. 

Kind of like the army.

16 hours ago, SEtonal said:

Cambodia also offers free medical care to foreigners infected with Covid-19.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50706641/two-indonesians-flee-thailand-to-cambodia-for-free-covid-19-treatment/

Amazing.   HS is a funny guy.   He does bad, but does some good too.  Most westerners don't know about the shipped that docked in Sihanoukville or the Brits allowed to charter a flight.  It will be interesting when the dust settles.  

16 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

It's an international law even, ratified in pretty much every international agreement like the hague convention that thailand signed too. 

 

Thailand makes their own International agreements as they go along

22 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"If I die, I want to die in my country," said Chinana Dotkhruea, a 66-year-old Thai national who had been in Singapore taking care of her niece.

 

id  rather  be  in  Singapore