168 Thais Arrive Home From Egypt.

[Lite Beer]

168 Thais arrive home from Egypt.

The chartered Thai Airways International (THAI) flight arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the evacuated Thais were welcomed by their relatives and friends upon their arrival.

It was the third chartered flight arranged by the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry to assist stranded Thais living in Egypt to return home.

The evacuated Thais took a flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where they took a connecting flight of THAI bound for Bangkok.

To date, 574 Thais have returned home safely.

Panya Charoensook, one of the students aboard the plane, told journalists that many Thai students are still stranded in Egypt. They wished to return home but communication with the outside world was extremely difficult because telephone and internet lines had been cut off.

These students had to forage for food during the early morning as the Egyptian government has imposed a curfew from 3pm while looting is also rampant, Mr Panya said.

Another returning student identified as Yutthana Pudyenchai said current situation in Egypt is deteriorating and stranded Thai students had tried to contact Thai embassy officials in Cairo. Whenever the internet system worked.

Thai embassy officials would give priority to students living in risky areas to return to Thailand first, while some who have almost graduated wished to stay further and monitor the situation first, Mr Yutthana said.

Among those returnees was a nine-month pregnant woman who earlier stayed with her husband in Egypt. She was sent to a hospital immediately as doctors were concerned that she might deliver her baby soon. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2011-02-06

[asiawatcher]

Not a pleasant flight I am sure - seems Thai International did a good job but didn't get them all.