Thread: About 10,000 Foreign Tourists Stranded on Islands in Southern Thailand

Thai tourism authorities have reported that about 10,000 foreign tourists have left stranded on three islands in Southern Thailand. The tourists were stranded after Thailand’s state of Emergency lockdown.


About 5,700 tourists on the Island of Koh Samui, were trapped when flights were suspended due to pandemic, according to the Bangkok Post.


Tikamporn Sutti-udomrat, tourism and sports chief of Surat Thani, said on Wednesday that there are also 3,300 foreign tourists on Koh Phangan and also another 1,000 on Koh Tao.


“They have accommodation, travel and growing expense problems. I have sought help from the Tourism and Sports Ministry,” he said. Mr Tikamporn has also asked hoteliers to let the foreigners stay until they can leave Surat Thani.


His office arranged for accommodation for the foreigners who had urgent problems but they would have to pass health screenings, he said.


Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s branch on Koh Samui said that the Turkish embassy in Thailand has prepared a chartered flight to repatriate Turkish tourists. The flight is scheduled to leave Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday.

About 10,000 Foreign Tourists Stranded on Islands in Southern Thailand

imagine to be stuck in Kho Samui at the mercy of the local mafia,

what possibly could go wrong?

So even Turkey is doing a better job of repatriation than the Brits.

Pathetic.

People have no comprehension of just how much Brexit and this Tory rabble have gutted the government machine.

Nothing works but the rot will worsen the longer the incompetent and weak buffoon BoJo remains as leader.

His sheer laziness and hapless superficiality is destroying the office of government.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

is destroying the office of government.

& others before him? Its part and parcel of the job unless you are blind? Jesus, no wonder you wept!

How many of these tourists are illegal workers/bar "owners", who've been hopping tourist visas and, like the digital gonad "stuck" in Chiang Mai waiting for her "wages", don't have a pot to piss in?

It's not just TH, they're stranded in PI too. AFAIK, there was a repatriation flight which flew from Manila to London in end-March. Cost was £1,000 - inclusive of the rescue flights from the various islands to bring them back to Manila. I don't know if this group was able to get on that repatriation flight.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

Imagine to be stuck in Kho Samui at the mercy of the local mafia,

what possibly could go wrong?

They are not in danger here but they would be in big parts of Europe where people dies like flies nowadays.
cough, cough

Originally Posted by lom

They are not in danger here but they would be in big parts of Europe where people dies like flies nowadays.
cough, cough

Ironic, eh? Couple of months ago my UK family were clamouring for me to bring my Thai family over to escape the virus that was savaging Thailand.

Next we know, both under lockdown with UK having 50x infections and 400x deaths.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

How many of these tourists are illegal workers/bar "owners", who've been hopping tourist visas and, like the digital gonad "stuck" in Chiang Mai waiting for her "wages", don't have a pot to piss in?

There are a lot of people now working like this.

Originally Posted by cyrille

'Very few' would be my guess, simply because that's what they are as a percentage of the westerners around at any given time in Thailand.

Clearly if you're unable to leave a country where you can't make any money then...money is going to become a problem.

You of course have bundles of it as you never tire of implying, but it doesn't seem to be doing much for you.

Spoken like someone who can't stand on their own two feet and who thinks the government owes them a living.

Originally Posted by kmart

There are a lot of people now working like this.

No, there are a lot of people who had tax-paying jobs in their home country and are now relying on the social safety net to get them by.

That is not the same as some gadabout who's been enjoying a tax-free (maybe) working holiday and now expects the same.

They are no different to begpackers as far as I'm concerned.

Originally Posted by lom

They are not in danger here but they would be in big parts of Europe where people dies like flies nowadays.
cough, cough

that virus spread faster in clusters, without people movement, like in a lockdown, it will spread 100% like it happened in some Italian villages in early March

if there is one case on KhoSamui, the whole place will be fucked in a matter of weeks

of course we will never know the real numbers of infections, too difficult to collect

Most of those bums could have got out earlier. I bet a good deal of them would have taken advantage of low priced flights and hols back in Jan, Feb and March ftom the UK instead of staying home.
Now they are resorting to poncing off good poor Filipino folk.
You should do like the Thais, Katie and start firing rocks at those Joes who bring shame onto most of us good British folk.
I will gladly send a dozen slingshots



Some Pinoy aiming tips here...

Its been over a Month since this went out...

Reuters
MON MAR 23, 2020 / 2:00 PM EDT
UK tells its travelling citizens: return home immediately

(Reuters) - Britain's foreign office on Monday advised all travelling Britons to return home immediately, saying the coronavirus pandemic was limiting international travel and causing the closure of some air routes and land borders.

"We are strongly urging UK travellers overseas to return home now where and while there are still commercial routes to do so," foreign minister Dominic Raab said in a statement

"Around the world, more airlines are suspending flights and more airports are closing, some without any notice."


The foreign office urged travellers to contact their tour operators or airlines immediately to try to arrange a commercial flight.

"If you are on holiday abroad the time to come home is now while you still can," Raab said. (Reporting by William James, editing by Andy Bruce) Keywords: HEALTH CORONAVIRUS/BRITAIN TRAVEL

Originally Posted by cyrille

people who are stranded in Thailand through no fault of their own for running low on money then do carry on...

They have my sympathy. But they are not the ones I'm talking about.

@dill - Lol. I can't throw rocks at them. They're in Boracay, Palawan, Siargao or the other tourist island destinations. I've seen some vlog posts of other young backpackers stranded here - they're moaning about having to wash clothes by hand, bars/ restos closed, no alcohol, having to cook, no non-dairy milk (bcos vegan), etc. First world problems. Heh...

I kinda pity them - it's hard to be in a foreign country with diminishing cash. But yes, prior to the lockdown in Manila (15 March), they were given several days warning that Manila was going on lockdown. They should have been aware of the news and got back to their countries pronto.

Prior to my holiday in Baguio/ Sagada early March, I was monitoring the CV situation closely. Cancelled my February hike, since I would hsve to go to Manila for that, and ride public transport. The govt had given out health advisories to avoid crowded places, wash hands, etc. I think the PI govt has been vigilant in warning ppl (and we went into lockdown early - 15 March) , so I guess these foreign tourists were being young & reckless, and not listening/ reading the news.

I've heard that there's an April 24 (today! ) repatriation flight Manila-London via Phil Airlines (PAL) , and rescue flights from the islands. I dunno if the ppl in the BBC vid I posted were able to join that flight.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

that virus spread faster in clusters, without people movement, like in a lockdown, it will spread 100% like it happened in some Italian villages in early March

if there is one case on KhoSamui, the whole place will be fucked in a matter of weeks

There's been 7 cases here, all quickly contained, and no new cases since three weeks ago.
Hotels and restaurants are closed but the beaches are open for swimming.
I'd rather be here than in Belgium or France..

Originally Posted by lom

There's been 7 cases here, all quickly contained, and no new cases since three weeks ago.
Hotels and restaurants are closed but the beaches are open for swimming.
I'd rather be here than in Belgium or France..

you probably don't have the real numbers anyhow, and once it reach 100% of the population, you will be protected. So yes technically, a small cluster when the virus spread fast is preferable, like an island, or a cruise boat. It takes longer for a country, above all if you stop all movements.

It's a hard choice, and I think political leaders are not ready emotionally to take such hard decisions. Hence, they choose the coward option, that is hide and confined. It's too late for that already.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

and once it reach 100% of the population, you will be protected.

Assuming the body can produce viable antibodies against the disease so that one does not get sick again.