350 British Tourists Cause Near-Riot At Bangkok Airport

[Basil B]

do you know they speak thai when in thai airspace

can anyone confirm this- i do hear rumours

I presume you are referring to ATC/Pilot communications?

I would be horrified to learn if this was the case on frequencies used by international flights, one thing I have learned as a student pilot and watching many documentaries on air crash investigations is communications between ATC and a pilots is the need for other pilots to be alert other air traffic using the same air space which would be impossible for when communications are not in an language understood by all.

[aras]

britts, always making trouble where ever they are lol

[Daewoo]

I can't believe the attitude of people here to paying customers who have been left stranded through no fault of their own. Remember these people live in the real world, where they have to scrimp and save for their holiday, not passing out their time in a cheap country like Thailand... they pay their bills in their own currenct, pay for a home in their own country...

I travelled with my family to Thailand this year, and I can tell you, extending that by a couple of weeks would have been very difficult... and remember, these are often people on their way FROM somewhere else... or who came on a package which included accommodation... they don't know where to go for cheap accommodation in BKK... the places they know are probably 4,000 baht a night... double that for a family...

How many on here with a cheap charlie lifestyle can reach into their pocket for 40,000 baht at a moments notice...

What I don't understand is that this sort of thing happens on a smaller scale all the time, I don't understand how the airlines don't have a well planned and rehearsed strategy to deal with it in place... They face snow storms and fog closing airports all the time... mechanical breakdowns... The Airline should be paying for hotels and meals, providing information accurately and timely... prioritising passengers without them needing to camp out at the airport...

Thai is a world class carrier, they should be as good at this as anyone... Although nowhere does it say the problem is restricted to Thai...

Daewoo

[Naam]

The source puts it all in perspective.

I never realised that EU regulations applied in Thailand.

What are the international rules for the situation where a national airline cannot fly to another country for reasons that are beyond their control?

force majeure = passenger screwed, airline not obliged to do anything. period!

[geriatrickid]

What a crock of sh*t.

There are many flights now available and despite the woman's statement in the BBC video that the flights cost 2-3000 pounds, Kingfisher has a flight today with available seats at 847 pounds and Airfrance at 1215 pounds. I just checked both airlines and search engines.

The refunds on the tickets the PAX have can be used against the new tickets.

Here's an example Jet Airways for Sunday April 25

Flight 67 Departs: 20:55 Bangkok (BKK)Arrives: 23:40 Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM) Coach | Fare code: YOW | Boeing 737-800 (winglets) (Narrow-body Jet) | 4h Stopover in Mumbai, India (BOM) for 2h 05m

Flight 120 Departs: 01:45 Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM) Arrives: 06:45 Heathrow (LHR)

There are all sorts of seats available through the coming week. It seems to me that there is something about alot of these tourists that isn't right. Either stupid, or can't afford the ticket or looking for a handout. These are not kids but middle aged people that have no excuse.

Edited April 25, 2010 by geriatrickid

[LomSak27]

and why dont they bring a few credit cards for emergency situations. Were these Cheap Charlies really so stupid to travel and get drunk for their last pennies??

The airport is not a nursery and neither a hostel. Let them sleep in the parking lot, not in the departure hall, so they are not blocking the way for travellers with valid tickets.

Why am I not surprised that those Cheap Charlies are Britons?

Glad thats been sorted

[neverdie]

I wonder if any of them had thought of taking a flight to somewhere else and then onto inglande?

Im sure one could bunny hop to vietnam, singapore or somewhere and get a flight to the UK.

Sometimes one needs to think outside the box.

[Basil B]

As a UK and EU citizen, I was lucky, I flew back on the Sunday preceding this catastrophe and jokingly have said I was unlucky, but really I was lucky, I could have survived but it would have ment digging into personal savings in a big way, I also realise there was no cover for this on my worthless travel insurance, I also realise that had I not been able to travel back on the day intended my travel insurance would have expired so if I had a medical emergency the next day I would not have had any cover.

I hope at some time soon the lessons learned can lead to revised legislation of the EU and its members that will address the issue of hardship and an unfairness highlighted by the problems of the last 10 days.

First, I want to see a defined EU standard for travel insurance policies which will define the minimum requirements a policy will cover; it seems that most policies do not cover much and very few policies have covered at all and they seem to be a money making scheme for insurance companies with no risk, "act of God" and force majeure should be outlawed on all travel insurances.

Second, the anomalies regarding what airlines should do for stranded passengers, if you are flying from Europe you are entitled to get hotels and meals while you are stranded also on your return journey as long as you are flying with an “EU based airline” so those returning with non EU airlines such as Jet, Thai, Emirates, etc, probably got nothing nor will they be able to reclaim reasonable expenses incurred.

My views on this is that where the problem is outside the control of airlines insurance policies should cover this with the exception of passengers in transit that should be the responsibility of the airlines, for their part airline should clean up there act, BA and others selling tickets for flights at very high prices before clearing the backlog of stranded passengers, this is profiteering in the most disgusting way as many of those tickets will have been bought by stranded passengers so desperate to get home that other stranded passengers will have to wait even longer to get home.

Third, more government and EU assistance, I suspect that many of the cries of “destitute” were crying wolf just to try and get something but also there were certainly real cases of genuine hardship, for our government through our embassy and consulates to advise get a family member or friend to lend you the money you need is a big assumption that everybody actually has family of friends who can or are actually willing to help , I really would like to see where there is genuine hardship a loan system based on surrendering passports until the loan is cleared.

Unforeseen catastrophes as I would class the event of the last week can and do happen, nobody could expect every airline and insurance company to have a bottomless piggy bank but I really think they should have had sufficient reserve funds and contingency plans to last at least one or two weeks for and incident on the scale of the last ten days (which really only lasted 5 days), then governments and EU help would be expected, but even then governments and the EU do not have bottomless piggy banks, but then probably I would be one of a few survivors of a Nuclear Armageddon and there would be no governments.

One thing for sure even though this volcano belongs to Iceland they will not take any responsibility…

[jackh]

While I fully understand why you Brits are so passionate to leave your crappy country, pull your heads out of your ^&* and TAKE MONEY! For Christs sake, know how to plan your travel, or stay home in the pub.

[yumidesign]

If you can't get the flight you want just sharpen some bamboo and pile up some tires and someone eventually will give you what you want.

todate this method has not worked, fortunately, anyway don't poms love to cue

[taupo67]

Just for some perspective. I have 2 friends stuck in Swampy (and 4 others in Hong Kong). Money isn't really their problem, it's the lack of information about when they will be rescheduled and when the information comes out its never accurate, consistent or reliable. They're on Thai Air flights and they cannot believe the way this is all being handled (the 4 in Hong Kong are saying its just as bad with BA, who have also stopped paying their hotel rooms). They totally understand these things happen and have cash and/or credit cards, but they are saying the information flow is just appalling.

Another problem is that their insurers have informed them that if they leave the airport and stay anywhere within the Greater Bangkok area then their insurance is invalid (due to FCO travel warning). Obviously a big risk to not have travel insurance and so they have had no choice but to stay on the airport floor.

They have said that provisions for sleeping have been poor and unlike the reports they see on the TV at places like JFK, no camp beds or blankets have been provided. They are obviously desperate to get home and a bit frustrated and their main complaint is that there doesn't really seem to be any contingeny or emergency planning by the authorities.

They have mentioned there are other flights, but the price is really prohibitive (reckon BA is hiking their prices) and are weighing up their options of:

( a ) sitting tight and being rescheduled (although they have twice been told they would be on a flight only to have it withdrawn)

( b ) Accepting its not going to happen and pay for another flight (they're not sure whether this will be refunded, Thai Air say they won't refund and not sure about insurers).

( c ) Popping off to a resort for a week and then coming back (although Thai Air are saying they will only accept rebookings/schedulings in person at the airport at the moment)

I get the impression its the lack of communication, lack of contingency planning and the uncertainty that is the biggest problem, not the money.

Edited April 25, 2010 by taupo67

[barnsworth]

They should complain to their pommy government as it was they who grounded all flights on what could have been dodgy computer models instead of getting some hard evidence.

I love low season when these professional whingers are back in the UK. Sooner they get them out, the better.

Most poms are not talk to think as in the UK they have big governemt, lawyers to sue everybody they don't like and a general we are right attitude.

It's a hard world and you (poms) should be more adapted to survive in it and quit the whining.

[Mxcross]

why are people with no money going on vacation?

and why dont they bring a few credit cards for emergency situations. Were these Cheap Charlies really so stupid to travel and get drunk for their last pennies??

The airport is not a nursery and neither a hostel. Let them sleep in the parking lot, not in the departure hall, so they are not blocking the way for travellers with valid tickets.

Why am I not surprised that those Cheap Charlies are Britons?

Some people are not as fortunate as YOU and have to save a long time for thier holiday, they come here on a budget and when circumstances are changed beyond thier control it is quite easy to run short of money.

Please keep your BIASED comments about other nations to yourself, after all You could end up in the same boat one day and you wouldn't want people commenting on your nationality now would you?

[eurasianthai]

Indeed

[neverdie]

why are people with no money going on vacation?

and why dont they bring a few credit cards for emergency situations. Were these Cheap Charlies really so stupid to travel and get drunk for their last pennies??

The airport is not a nursery and neither a hostel. Let them sleep in the parking lot, not in the departure hall, so they are not blocking the way for travellers with valid tickets.

Why am I not surprised that those Cheap Charlies are Britons?

Some people are not as fortunate as YOU and have to save a long time for thier holiday, they come here on a budget and when circumstances are changed beyond thier control it is quite easy to run short of money.

Please keep your BIASED comments about other nations to yourself, after all You could end up in the same boat one day and you wouldn't want people commenting on your nationality now would you?

There seems to be a problem with you're keyboard, it seems to get stuck on CAPS sometimes .

It also sounds like those people that you are talking about need to save a little more perhaps before they embark on holidays, seriously, if you travel overseas, no matter where you go, you should have an emergency fund that you do not tap into until after you get back home, unless of course there is an emergency (such as this one).

Remember, pisse poor planning often ends in tears & stuff happens especially in Thailand

[eurasianthai]

Remember, pisse poor planning often ends in tears & stuff happens especially in Thailand

Indeed again...

[kevbap]

NEAR RIOT ! now there's a buzz word for you.

Maybe the Thai's could learn something from 'our' 'near riot' !

joking aside the European press has never been kind to Asia, something about spending our Euro's outside of Europe, me thinks.

I personally have two very friends 'stranded' here, one's gone to Samui to, and i quote 'get out of Thailand' ! and the other is swimming in his pool drinking gin and tonic.

Both have businesses in London and they need to be back there, but they both said 'no planes, what can we do?'

Just a small point of order, If you are in Samui, you are still in Thailand or is my memory gone altogether!?????? :D

Sorry Yorkshirepud that was my 'Shropshire' humour, lived on Samui for 5 years and i never believed i was in Thailand ! That's why my Thai is so 'nik noi' :D

[minburi2]

I did'nt realise that the ousted PM had so much influence to get western media to fabricate such events. Probably was just a few louid mouths who did'nt know better. I hardly think repatriation is even a remote thought at the moment.

The ousted PM has even bigger powers, he is inviting Ninja Monks to support the red-shirts.

the goods in his bag were weapons, no preaching shit.

after taking this picture I was detained for over an hour by the guards

[Basil B]

Just some interesting reading from UK news papers online;

www.Independent.co.uk

Scotsman.com

Guardian.com

Timesonline.co.uk

[Taleung]

I left BKK yesterday and didn't notice any problems at all.

What a story!

[eltelboy]

They should complain to their pommy government as it was they who grounded all flights on what could have been dodgy computer models instead of getting some hard evidence.

I love low season when these professional whingers are back in the UK. Sooner they get them out, the better.

Most poms are not talk to think as in the UK they have big governemt, lawyers to sue everybody they don't like and a general we are right attitude.

It's a hard world and you (poms) should be more adapted to survive in it and quit the whining.

Pathetic post, childish anti-UK rantings. You say other people are 'professional whingers', read your own post and see the irony. Yes I have survived thank you very much and I can guarantee doing a dam_n site better job of it than you.

[safeandsound]

They should complain to their pommy government as it was they who grounded all flights on what could have been dodgy computer models instead of getting some hard evidence.

I love low season when these professional whingers are back in the UK. Sooner they get them out, the better.

Most poms are not talk to think as in the UK they have big governemt, lawyers to sue everybody they don't like and a general we are right attitude.

It's a hard world and you (poms) should be more adapted to survive in it and quit the whining.

Pathetic post, childish anti-UK rantings. You say other people are 'professional whingers', read your own post and see the irony. Yes I have survived thank you very much and I can guarantee doing a dam_n site better job of it than you.

Don't bite eltelboy hes obviously either jealous at not being a "pom" or a just a moron. You get these tossers all over the internet he is plainly one of them. Funny thing is, he wouldn't meet ya face to face and say it, and i would lay 50,000 baht cash down on the table now he wouldn't.

[taupo67]

They should complain to their pommy government as it was they who grounded all flights on what could have been dodgy computer models instead of getting some hard evidence.

I love low season when these professional whingers are back in the UK. Sooner they get them out, the better.

Most poms are not talk to think as in the UK they have big governemt, lawyers to sue everybody they don't like and a general we are right attitude.

It's a hard world and you (poms) should be more adapted to survive in it and quit the whining.

Wow.

I never had this forum down as a haven for those of low intellect happily espousing their ignorant generalisations and prejudiced views.

Hope this guy is just in the minority.

[earthpig]

put two brits out of their country and u soon enough you get hooliganism. in many brits there is this left over arrogance from the days of empire which asserts their alleged right to behave as they bloody well please.

still, it has to be said i'd take a brit hooligan over a german any day.

[somtom]

What a crock of sh*t.

There are many flights now available and despite the woman's statement in the BBC video that the flights cost 2-3000 pounds, Kingfisher has a flight today with available seats at 847 pounds and Airfrance at 1215 pounds. I just checked both airlines and search engines.

The refunds on the tickets the PAX have can be used against the new tickets.

Here's an example Jet Airways for Sunday April 25

Flight 67 Departs: 20:55 Bangkok (BKK)Arrives: 23:40 Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM) Coach | Fare code: YOW | Boeing 737-800 (winglets) (Narrow-body Jet) | 4h Stopover in Mumbai, India (BOM) for 2h 05m

Flight 120 Departs: 01:45 Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM) Arrives: 06:45 Heathrow (LHR)

There are all sorts of seats available through the coming week. It seems to me that there is something about alot of these tourists that isn't right. Either stupid, or can't afford the ticket or looking for a handout. These are not kids but middle aged people that have no excuse.

Results come up on websites like Expedia and Kayak but if you actually try and book these flights you'll find that they've long-gone. Trust me, I've been on the phone to Jet Airways and down to their offices too and there are NO seats back from BKK to Europe for sale at any price. The company policy has been to simply refuse new bookings for April in order to clear backlog.

The crock of shit in this case are the airfare search websites which can't update for this unique situation. I saw flights back with FinnAir for 600 pounds on Kayak but click through to buy them and they're either not there or are now first class only for 2500 pounds.

[andyptrav]

Most of these people at the airport are idiots. Firstly, the fault lies with NATS and the CAA in the UK who closed the airports without valid reasons for doing so or carrying out an appropriate risk assessment. Why should Thai Air, the Thai people or the British tax-payer pay for their hotels? If they are now skint they really should not have come here should they. You have to be thick to think you are going to get home without a long wait: ten or eleven Thai Air flights to London did not run so that is about 5000 people trying to get the spare seats on the planes now flying. However, whilst I agree Thai Air are hopeless in a crisis they are no worse than other airlines. I am stuck in Thailand and Thai gave me a new confimed seat on 03 May but put me on the waitlist for the next 3 flights -- it was obvious I would not get on those flights. "How many are on the waitlist?" I enquired. "I don't know." was the answer. Airlines always lie.

[NamKAheng]

If you have to to save every pennies to get to Thailand for a holiday you are the one who need a good travel insurance. Some said that their travel insurance do not cover re booking of flight or hotel room and food, I say to them that they have to change their insurance since my insurance cover those things.

Since I travel a lot for work and vacation I always do it on the safe mode, I have travel insurance, a empty credit card, my ATM card and a stash of $4000.00 CDN in traveler check that I never touch. Those traveler checks I get them free with my credit card and I can cash them free at my bank, I cash them once a year to renew them. I had to use some of the traveler checks 2 years ago in Siam Reap Cambodia because my ATM card have a 5 digits PIN code so I was not able to use the ATM and the same for my credit card who also have a 5 digits PIN code. I was able to pay the hotel and some other things with the credit card but you can not go by on a daily basis without any cash. It happened also in Thailand a few years back when the telecommunication network was not working, I was not able to used the ATM so I used my traveler checks. I never traveled with a load of cash because it is a sure way to get in trouble if you loose or being rob of your money.

Reading some comments about the British being the problem I do not think so, it is more about rich countries tourists who are used to be spoon fed by their government. It always puzzle me when I am traveling how some people can be so clueless about traveling to a other country at the other end of the world. We are now in 2010 and most of the people who are traveling have access to Internet so there is no excuse to say that you don't know about what can happens to you when you are traveling. Some people are so clueless it baffle me when I go to the airport and I see them without a plastic bag for their liquid, with big bottle a perfume that they have to put in the trash if they want to fly or the tourist who arrived at the hotel in Bangkok from the airport who do not have money to pay the taxi because he did not change or take out some bath at he airport or the first time traveler to Thailand who are at the taxi counter at the airport who don't know where they are going and since they only know the name of the guest house or the obscure little hotel they are in trouble at the beginning of the trip. How about people who go to their flight door and go the counter to ask if it is the right door even if they see a big sign with their flight number and destination right in front of them.

Traveling on your own mean that you have to rely on your own so don't put yourself in arm way get inform before you go. The worst thing you can do when something like that happened is to go in panic mode, take the time to think calmly about your options that will get you far more solution than the bad decision that you will make in panic mode.

[phutoie2]

todate this method has not worked, fortunately, anyway don't poms love to cue tongue.gif

Another genius from down under??, an <deleted> cue is something you have in your hands to play snooker/pool etc.

Do not worry too much TV folk, our man in Bangers (Quentin) has informed all that 800,000 Brits a year visit Thailand and everything possible is being done to assist those in a few difficulties.

Edited April 25, 2010 by phutoie2

[sharecropper]

Unforeseen catastrophes as I would class the event of the last week can and do happen, nobody could expect every airline and insurance company to have a bottomless piggy bank but I really think they should have had sufficient reserve funds and contingency plans to last at least one or two weeks

Why is it that people expect airlines to indemnify them for this kind of event? It isn't the airlines fault, nor is it the passenger's fault. It's just tough. Another risk of travelling. Maybe insurance companies could fill the gap if they didn't argue it was an Act of God. Maybe they should be insured against as well?

That objectionable loudmouth Michael O'Leary of Ryanair got it right for once. Why should passegners paying 50 Euros a ticket expect to be bailed out for thousands of Euros for hotels etc when sometihng like this happens?

One thing for sure even though this volcano belongs to Iceland they will not take any responsibility…

You got that right. These weasly financial ratbags can't even stand up and be counted for their shameful Icesave debacle. I don't think they will be offering to set up a fund for losses from the volcano.

[jackr]

While I fully understand why you Brits are so passionate to leave your crappy country, pull your heads out of your ^&* and TAKE MONEY! For Christs sake, know how to plan your travel, or stay home in the pub.

todate this method has not worked, fortunately, anyway don't poms love to cue

I love low season when these professional whingers are back in the UK. Sooner they get them out, the better.

Most poms are not talk to think as in the UK they have big governemt, lawyers to sue everybody they don't like and a general we are right attitude.

put two brits out of their country and u soon enough you get hooliganism. in many brits there is this left over arrogance from the days of empire which asserts their alleged right to behave as they bloody well please.

Do you a-holes trawl the net looking for any excuse to do your typically-pithy bash the pom effort? You're the type of sad pricks I enjoyed slapping the <deleted> out of while enduring your fly-infested desert, before I had enough and got out to the greener pasture of NZ. I've lived and worked with aussies, and while there's some really good eggs, to be fair you're the biggest bunch of whining, whinging pricks around.

We're talking about ordinary people stranded in a foreign land with their PAID FOR flight cancelled <deleted>. If you had 350 aussies over here on those flights, god forbid, they would also be stranded and would hang for their PAID for flight.