Several Nations Race To Repatriate Nationals Stranded In Thailand

[12DrinkMore]

to quote a non famous policeman in Pattaya

If you (falang) werent here then accident would not have happened

can be translated as if you were not here on holidays then you wouldnt be stranded at the airport and need compensation

TIT

That is a hilarious comment, and an idiotic one too, haha!!!

But that is the way the Thais think. It is SOOOO typical.

Everybody else is responsible except the Thais themselves.

[Tonycheston]

Maybe this will help some stranded folks.

I am now stranded and wasn't sure what I should do. I tried to call Air Asia, always busy. I tried to call TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) couldn't get a connection. It all seemed so helpless.

Anyway I checked the homepage of TAT and found a list of hotels that are under the agreement to support stranded tourists.

I phoned a few hotels and enquired what I needed to do.

VERY EASY. Show up at the hotel with your ticket and passport.

We did that and were given a room straight away. We get 3 meals a day and free accommodation until the airline gives a date to leave. Excellent service, great food and very first class staff.

I know this is no help to those of you who are anxious about losing jobs or business but for many I think the government are trying very hard to make your stay as pleasant as can be. Those of you who are blood thirsty and want to see fights, let me remind you, you are talking about killing mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. Do you really want that? I am happy that the police, army, navy, airforce or any other group are NOT using force.

I wish and hope for a peaceful speedy end to all of this and will try to enjoy my compulsory stay as much as I can.

Good luck to everyone and thanks to TAT for your help (after all it not TAT's fault that this is happening)

I cannot imagine the UK doing this, they are I think the only country who are not sending in relief flights to help their citizens. Very sad.

(this message has been posted in other forums)

[southerndown]

Maybe this will help some stranded folks.

I am now stranded and wasn't sure what I should do. I tried to call Air Asia, always busy. I tried to call TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) couldn't get a connection. It all seemed so helpless.

Anyway I checked the homepage of TAT and found a list of hotels that are under the agreement to support stranded tourists.

I phoned a few hotels and enquired what I needed to do.

VERY EASY. Show up at the hotel with your ticket and passport.

We did that and were given a room straight away. We get 3 meals a day and free accommodation until the airline gives a date to leave. Excellent service, great food and very first class staff.

I know this is no help to those of you who are anxious about losing jobs or business but for many I think the government are trying very hard to make your stay as pleasant as can be. Those of you who are blood thirsty and want to see fights, let me remind you, you are talking about killing mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. Do you really want that? I am happy that the police, army, navy, airforce or any other group are NOT using force.

I wish and hope for a peaceful speedy end to all of this and will try to enjoy my compulsory stay as much as I can.

Good luck to everyone and thanks to TAT for your help (after all it not TAT's fault that this is happening)

I cannot imagine the UK doing this, they are I think the only country who are not sending in relief flights to help their citizens. Very sad.

(this message has been posted in other forums)

mods please move if this in wrong place and sorry for late post

yesterday somchai home in maerim guarded by police, today at 5pm replaced by red shirts??? have since heard he is in issan today.

why are we getting so few comments from witnesses on what is going on. im can understand the media black out but not thaivisa

[JetsetBkk]

... Those of you who are blood thirsty and want to see fights, let me remind you, you are talking about killing mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. Do you really want that? ...

Yes, very clever of the PAD to put them in the front line, like a "human shield" - a common tactic amongst terrorists.

[diehard60]

So why is the airport closed?

For starters because the PAD have taken over the Control Tower- duh...

I like this. This is cute. PAD = Peoples Alliance for Democracy? I thin a more apporpriate name would be PAS = Peoples alliance fpr socialism, OR PISS = Peoples Inspired Socialist Society?

Either way they are not acting on behalf of the Thai comunity.

[M13UGS]

I too am stuck in Phuket, and whilst I agree with a previous post that life is normal in Phuket, and also another saying that stranded and Phuket do not go together... ordinarily this may be the case, but not when you aactually want to leave.

However, I was due to fly out on Sat 29th Nov and arrive home on Sun 30th. Obviously I could not.

- Absolutely no information from Thai Airways who I had booked to go to Bangkok. Recorded information lines and referencing to web page.... not really helpful.

- Oman Air who I had booked for Bangkok to Muscat then to Gatwick also pretty evasive.

- My insurance company.... p155 poor, won't cover the extra nights accomodation as they state "because the airport closure was publicly announced prior to my intended departure date"

- TAT, say that the hotel I am staying in, which is a pretty modest, not too expensive, family run place in Kata, need to apply for the grant direct from TAT to claim the nightly rates for my forced extension.

The post saying that people should be travel wise and look for alternative ways out of Thailand is not really productive.

- At the end of holidays, not too many people have a great deal of cash left, yes, they, like me, may have credit cards, but the crux of the matter is... why are you expected to pay out yet again, another £500-£700 if you're lucky enough to even get a flight within the next week (yes I tried..) , and then not be able to recover this cost due to some bamboozling jargon and 'cop-out' from insurance company.

I agree with the posts regarding the long term impact this will have on Thailand.... this is my 7th or 8th trip in the last three years, normally twice a year... this is definately my last for sure.

Thai Bhat dropping (or rising...) to 50 to the pound... it's as expensive here now as it is in Europe... 150-200 Bhat for a spirit is £3-£4... which is dearer than England !

Bottled beers.. 80-120 Bhat... = £1.50-£2.40 a bottle... same as many pubs on England... I even went to a 'traditional English pub' and was alarmed when I got my 'check bin' to discover that the Magners Cider I was drinking was 275 Bhat a bottle... five pints and a bit of English Pub Food... my bill was 1,600 Bhat... over £30 !!

What outrages me, is the fact that some of the locals (Thai) here in Kata think it is a good thing that people are stuck here.. I quote "yeah a good thing airports closed, have to stay longer, spend more on drink... good for us..."

The penny didn't even drop for them when I explained that (at that time) there were 100,000 stranded, that are at the end of their hols, don't have much money left to spend...and that there are far more people that were on their way here that couldn't arrive... they are the ones with the money at the start of their hols...

Thailand.... for me... no longer land of smiles.... the pople are getting greedier and greedier... it's a shame....... but... for me... I will be travelling elsewhere in future.

I am fortunate enough to be able to have 5 or 6 holidays a year.... 2 of those are normally in Thailand.... not no more.

I apologise for my long winded rant, but I'm really peeved at having to stay longer than the three and half weeks I had planned and booked.

And I missed my anniversary date on the 2nd (special night booked and paid for......) and I'm due to go away again with my partner (she's in the UK) on the 9th December for our Christmas Holiday.. Which, due to the clever wording in the insurance policy, probably won't pay if I cannot get back there in time and she has to cancel....or go alone.... hmmh.. nice.

What a <deleted> up !

[discomick]

Just wondering why they have not started using Korat airport to clear some of the stranded tourists , mail ,ect ect , its not that far from BKK and i am sure it can handle more traffic than the Navy base as is has terminal , baggage handling ect ! TIT again couldnt run a p**s up in a brewery ! As for the 2,000 bht compensation payed direct to the hotels , wonder whos mates own these hotels then ?

[LTGTR]

I am surprised as why PAD did not get to the other airports, too much effort?

anyway yesterday evening a lot of planes took off, could hear that, after some noised that sounded like little explosions or gunshots

(kinda live very near suvi)

ahhh, it's kinda quite at night since a week who should I thank for that ? PAD or policy that does not do their job to remove those xyzHOLES

There aren't enough mutts to go around and occupy all of these airports.

[LTGTR]

It would seem the only answer to this stalemate is to have the army take over again! Not perfect but may save a lot of bloodshed and get the airports open......One thing that does puzzle me is that tourists are comming in still through U-tapai(sorry if spelt wrong).Only in that i had not heard that before..Just read a press release bbc...

Oh when we we get more Baht to the pound?

Who would be dumb enough to arrive now on vacation not knowing when they could return home?

[LTGTR]

I too am stuck in Phuket, and whilst I agree with a previous post that life is normal in Phuket, and also another saying that stranded and Phuket do not go together... ordinarily this may be the case, but not when you aactually want to leave.

However, I was due to fly out on Sat 29th Nov and arrive home on Sun 30th. Obviously I could not.

- Absolutely no information from Thai Airways who I had booked to go to Bangkok. Recorded information lines and referencing to web page.... not really helpful.

- Oman Air who I had booked for Bangkok to Muscat then to Gatwick also pretty evasive.

- My insurance company.... p155 poor, won't cover the extra nights accomodation as they state "because the airport closure was publicly announced prior to my intended departure date"

- TAT, say that the hotel I am staying in, which is a pretty modest, not too expensive, family run place in Kata, need to apply for the grant direct from TAT to claim the nightly rates for my forced extension.

The post saying that people should be travel wise and look for alternative ways out of Thailand is not really productive.

- At the end of holidays, not too many people have a great deal of cash left, yes, they, like me, may have credit cards, but the crux of the matter is... why are you expected to pay out yet again, another £500-£700 if you're lucky enough to even get a flight within the next week (yes I tried..) , and then not be able to recover this cost due to some bamboozling jargon and 'cop-out' from insurance company.

I agree with the posts regarding the long term impact this will have on Thailand.... this is my 7th or 8th trip in the last three years, normally twice a year... this is definately my last for sure.

Thai Bhat dropping (or rising...) to 50 to the pound... it's as expensive here now as it is in Europe... 150-200 Bhat for a spirit is £3-£4... which is dearer than England !

Bottled beers.. 80-120 Bhat... = £1.50-£2.40 a bottle... same as many pubs on England... I even went to a 'traditional English pub' and was alarmed when I got my 'check bin' to discover that the Magners Cider I was drinking was 275 Bhat a bottle... five pints and a bit of English Pub Food... my bill was 1,600 Bhat... over £30 !!

What outrages me, is the fact that some of the locals (Thai) here in Kata think it is a good thing that people are stuck here.. I quote "yeah a good thing airports closed, have to stay longer, spend more on drink... good for us..."

The penny didn't even drop for them when I explained that (at that time) there were 100,000 stranded, that are at the end of their hols, don't have much money left to spend...and that there are far more people that were on their way here that couldn't arrive... they are the ones with the money at the start of their hols...

Thailand.... for me... no longer land of smiles.... the pople are getting greedier and greedier... it's a shame....... but... for me... I will be travelling elsewhere in future.

I am fortunate enough to be able to have 5 or 6 holidays a year.... 2 of those are normally in Thailand.... not no more.

I apologise for my long winded rant, but I'm really peeved at having to stay longer than the three and half weeks I had planned and booked.

And I missed my anniversary date on the 2nd (special night booked and paid for......) and I'm due to go away again with my partner (she's in the UK) on the 9th December for our Christmas Holiday.. Which, due to the clever wording in the insurance policy, probably won't pay if I cannot get back there in time and she has to cancel....or go alone.... hmmh.. nice.

What a <deleted> up !

Wait until next year when arrivals will drop by half-talk about below low season levels for the next 18 months.

Let's see how greedy they are then,when a million more are out of work.

LOS had indeed lost it's charm for this ex-pat.Thailand=Third World.

[Hanuman2547]

Good news!!!

The airports are scheduled to be open on Friday, 5 December 2008!! Just in time for the King's birthday. Thousands of people paying homage to the King by exiting the country......some never to return again and advising their friends to stay clear as well. Let's hear it for the PAD & PPP parties!!!!