Tears and heartbreak as flight ban keeps farang-Thai families apart

[rooster59 16,448]

Tears and heartbreak as flight ban keeps farang-Thai families apart

By Wichit Chaitrong
The Nation

 

The ban on international flights is stopping Michael O’Halloran from returning to his three daughters and wife in Chonburi. O’Halloran is stranded in Ireland. 

 

Foreign nationals married to Thai citizens who are stranded overseas due to the ban on incoming flights are pleading with the government to let them return so they can be with their families. Some have even contacted Nation Thailand to ask for help.

 

James Jacobs, seen here with his wife, is stranded in France.

 

 

Briton James Jacobs, who is stranded in France, says he wants to return to his wife Sopa, 29, who lives in Chiang Mai.

 

Speaking to the Nation over the phone, Sopa said her husband has been stranded in France since April, when Thailand stopped all incoming flights for fear of importing Covid-19 cases. She said she can only keep in touch with him online.

 

Another Briton, Alan Cheetham, who is stranded in the UK, said he wants to get back to his family in the northeastern province of Udon Thani. 

 

Cheetham set up a Facebook page called “Thai Expats Stranded Overseas due to Covid-19 Travel Restrictions” last week and nearly 150 people who are in the same predicament have joined so far.

 

Foreign nationals married to Thais have created two Facebook groups – Thai Expats Stranded Overseas due to Covid-19 Travel Restrictions and Farangs Stranded Abroad due to Lockdown in Thailand – to share information as part of their efforts to reunite families. 

 

Michael O’Halloran, who is trapped in Ireland, said he wants to be with his three daughters, aged 13, nine and 20 months, who are living with his wife in Chonburi. 

 

Alan Edwards, another expat who is in a similar situation, said it is unfair that families are being kept apart during this difficult period just because one of the spouses is not Thai. 

 

“I understand that in these difficult times, many difficult decisions have to be made by the Thai government, but does the prejudice against Thai/foreigner families have to go on for so long? How is it fair that Thai people and children must be without a loved one or a parent because they are not Thai?” he asked. 

 

Rob Kennedy, who is trapped in Brunei, said the Thai embassy there was helpful, but the high-ranking officials in Bangkok are showing little interest in his case. He said he is willing to pay for quarantine if he is allowed to return.

 

Kennedy belongs to the “Farangs Stranded Abroad due to Lockdown in Thailand” Facebook group, which has 300 members. 

 

Another expatriate, who has a family in the southern resort city of Phuket, said on condition of anonymity that he left Phuket in March and now cannot return to Thailand. He has a four-year-old son who has a medical condition. 

 

Mam, a Chiang Mai resident who did not wish to reveal her real name, told the Nation that her husband has been stranded in Canada. “My two-year-old girl often asks, ‘where is Daddy’?” she said. 

 

Daniel Nolan has been stranded in Australia for close to three months now and can’t return to his wife and child. He said he went to Australia to attend his father’s funeral in March, only to learn he could not take the flight back to Bangkok.

His spouse, Chonpiti Duangsangaram, told the Nation that their child is only 7 months old. 

“My husband is missing helping me look after the baby. Now I have had to move to my father’s home so someone can help me look after my little girl,” she said. 

 

Chonpiti said she has spoken to immigration officials at Suvarnabhumi International Airport about her husband being allowed back, but they said it was beyond their authority. 

 

For Jaco Willem Kotze, the reason for separation was different. He and his wife and daughter left Thailand for a holiday in South Africa on February 25. However, when they returned on March 25 – he with all his documents attested by the Thai Embassy in Pretoria – officials at the airport forced him to return to South Africa because no foreigners were allowed to enter Thailand despite having a long-stay visa and marriage certificate. 

 

“Now my wife and daughter are in Thailand and I am sitting in South Africa,” he said.

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand banned all incoming passenger flights since April 4 and has extended the ban several times. The latest extension is until June 30. 

 

The government says it is worried about people bringing new Covid-19 cases to Thailand as the rate of infections is still pretty high in many countries, while here it has dropped to a single digit for several days. 

 

The authorities, however, are letting Thai nationals stranded abroad return home in limited numbers based on the capacity of state quarantine facilities and hospitals. 

 

Recently, the government decided to have hotels and hospitals work together on quarantine facilities that can accommodate people who want to be comfortable and are willing to pay for it. This model may also apply to foreign tourists.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30388342

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-05-23

 

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[tribalfusion001 5,806]

Little chance of opening up until October, 14 day quarantine when returning to the UK from 8th June now.

[ezzra 42,507]

Same issue with Australia letting out 28 million prisoners to tend to urgent matters and going back to countries where they have set up homes and families, one can understand the restrictions put on holiday makers but many of us just wanna go back home...

[Chelseafan 4,333]

I'm in the same boat and it's heart-wrenching not to be together with the missus and the kids.

 

[richard_smith237 24,858]

11 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I'd prefer they stay locked out than risk importing the wuFlu.

For how long? 

 

Thai's can return (when there are flights) but foreigners with families in Thailand can't. Why is that ok for you?

Why would a Thai present any less risk than a foreigner?

 

So.. is it only foreigners you want to prevent from entering Thailand, or everyone?

 

Think about that and work out if you are being a little sanctimonious or just cold, or both.

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Little chance of opening up until October, 14 day quarantine when returning to the UK from 8th June now.

 

Interesting, where did you get October from? - Thats another 5 months with no incoming flights? or just no incomming tourists? or no incoming Western tourists?

 

You could be right, but why October and not November, or September? what thought process?

 

 

 

 

[Don Mega 9,622]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

For how long? 

 

Thai's can return (when there are flights) but foreigners with families in Thailand can't. Why is that ok for you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You seriously think they should also ban Thai Nationals from returning home ?

[geriatrickid 21,396]

Tough but understandable move by the government. The Thais knew what they were dealing with and responded appropriately.

Yes, some foreigners would have respected the  self isolation requirements and yes some have legitimate reasons to return,  Unfortunately, there are alsoforeigners up to no good without  the financial means or health insurance to  take care of themselves. Some would not have respected the self isolation. Thailand did not have the means or resources to manage that exposure. Because of a few duds, everyone will suffer.  And please, no lectures on how  this is unfair when  we see in the forums the stories of how some farangs  play the system  and cheat. Sorry to the many people who  are suffering, but this is the  cost of tolerating scum who are often excused away as poor hard done folk. All it takes is a few selfish gits landing from  Italy, Russia, USA. UK to spread death and disease.

[richard_smith237 24,858]

1 minute ago, Don Mega said:

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

For how long? 

 

Thai's can return (when there are flights) but foreigners with families in Thailand can't. Why is that ok for you?

 

You seriously think they should also ban Thai Nationals from returning home ?

You seriously think that's what I meant? read again...

 

-----

 

Of course, every Thai should be permitted home - that is a basic human right. As is the right for a family to be together.

Thus, my point: If Thai's can enter Thailand to return to their families, why can't foreigners (with families in Thailand).

 

For those who can show proof of marriage, proof of fatherhood to a Thai child, and even those who can provide proof of long term dwelling in Thailand I see no greater risk in allowing these folk in than allowing in Thai's who present an exactly similar degree of risk - this is precisely what Quarantine is for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[baansgr 9,498]

36 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I'd prefer they stay locked out than risk importing the wuFlu.

A little compassion goes a long way you know

[Don Mega 9,622]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You seriously think that's what I meant? read again...

 

-----

 

Of course, every Thai should be permitted home - that is a basic human right. As is the right for a family to be together.

Thus, my point: If Thai's can enter Thailand to return to their families, why can't foreigners (with families in Thailand).

 

For those who can show proof of marriage, proof of fatherhood to a Thai child, and even those who can provide proof of long term dwelling in Thailand I see no greater risk in allowing these folk in than allowing in Thai's who present an exactly similar degree of risk - this is precisely what Quarantine is for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowing non Thai nationals to enter increases the risk of the WuFlu spreading, sucks to be them but it is what it is and I appreciate Thailand's (and the other countries with similar/same policies) hard stance on this.

[baansgr 9,498]

7 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Tough but understandable move by the government. The Thais knew what they were dealing with and responded appropriately.

Yes, some foreigners would have respected the  self isolation requirements and yes some have legitimate reasons to return,  Unfortunately, there are alsoforeigners up to no good without  the financial means or health insurance to  take care of themselves. Some would not have respected the self isolation. Thailand did not have the means or resources to manage that exposure. Because of a few duds, everyone will suffer.  And please, no lectures on how  this is unfair when  we see in the forums the stories of how some farangs  play the system  and cheat. Sorry to the many people who  are suffering, but this is the  cost of tolerating scum who are often excused away as poor hard done folk. All it takes is a few selfish gits landing from  Italy, Russia, USA. UK to spread death and disease.

With the correct visas and mandatory quarantine, how could that be abused. 

[Don Mega 9,622]

1 minute ago, baansgr said:

A little compassion goes a long way you know

A little WuFlu goes a long way too...I'd prefer me or my family don't die from it.

[tomaway 67]

More and more countries are now letting foreigner married with local people to fly back home.

 

Thousands of hotels closed all around Thailand and plenty foreigners ready to pay for quarantine and be able to reunite with families...

 

It sounds like a win win situation for everybody... I am even ready to fly with THAI if it can help!

 

I hope more hotels can do like the ones in BKK, offering quarantine packages, and allow more Thai people and foreigners to come back home.

[Mama Noodle 6,031]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

For those who can show proof of marriage, proof of fatherhood to a Thai child, and even those who can provide proof of long term dwelling in Thailand I see no greater risk in allowing these folk in than allowing in Thai's who present an exactly similar degree of risk - this is precisely what Quarantine is for.

 

Exactly, but the longstanding truth that I noticed within the first year of living here (and that has only really gotten worse, and that most people refuse to believe) is that Thailand is for Thai people. There is very little, if any, consideration for foreigners in any way. Its always been like this, it will always stay like this. When push comes to shove it will always be Thai first, and even if you marry one you will always be a second-class person. 

 

Itll never change. 

[Mama Noodle 6,031]

4 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Allowing non Thai nationals to enter increases the risk of the WuFlu spreading, sucks to be them but it is what it is and I appreciate Thailand's (and the other countries with similar/same policies) hard stance on this.

 

How does allowing non-Thai people married to a local with a family to return and quarantine just like the Thais are (and pay for it themselves) increasing the risk of spreading anything? 

 

They would be in quarantine.