Trapped in Bangkok

[Grannycb]

Here are some current links:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/26/bangkok.stranded/index.html

 

http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=154023

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/29/thailand.airport.protests/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

[bvfrenchknitter]

I am a US citizen and have already registered with the US embassy. I should also add that Luftanza is getting people out by bus to a smaller airfield and then flying them out from there so it is possible to get out in some ways. Wealthy people are chartering planes and helicopters and getting out also.

 

I disagree with those who say Princess has no responsibility. The local company in charge of our stay is communicating with Princess all the time. Some people have written a group letter to Princess and Princess has responded, mostly saying no we can't help. Princess has directed the local company to keep us here in the hotel, has forbidden us from taking tours far from the hotel (like the old capital - about 45 km away) and Princess has negotiated a slightly cheaper hotel rate for us and a free buffet breakfast (how big of them). Now they are running a few free tours and a couple of cooking demonstrations to amuse us. We've had meetings frequently about what Princess says and will do, previously daily but not in the last 2 days.

 

Our airplane reservations have been re-booked several times by the local company in hopes that the airport would open and as that date passes they re-book them again. Currently we are due to travel on the 4th of December.

 

If I had arranged this trip independently without Princess I would not consider them responsible but they are clearly involved in decision making here.

 

I don't know how long the standoff will continue. Some people are worried about the financial cost and others are facing losing their job. How many people can afford an unplanned hotel stay for an undetermined time? How many weeks could you afford to stay at a hotel on an unplanned basis?

 

As far as the trip insurance, some people say that this qualifies as a trip delay and we are covered. I don't know. I don't have the insurance documents here.

 

I can't imagine why anyone would think Princess bears no responsibilty in this situation. And as far as the reason for my posts, I think it is important for all to know what Princess is and is not doing for us. There are many angry people here but I am not one of them; I am frustrated and disappointed in Princess' responses to our troubles.

[Toto2Kansas]

Normally, you can pull up the insurance information to the policy online, have you attempted that since you do have internet access? I would be looking into making sure I was covered on this one while I had the time.

[hobo1937]

So sorry to hear about your problems in Bangkok.

 

We were on the Sept 20th 30 nite Diamond sailing and were concerned at that time about potential problems because of the unrest in Thailand. It's unfortunate as all the Thai people we met were lovely and the sites in Bangkok were amazing.

 

The situation at the airport is dangerous so you are definitely safer in a hotel. For a new airport they could have done a better job with available places to sit and the seats that are available are very uncomfortable...

[Goldryder]

Sit tight in the hotel and keep your head...since everyone else seems to be losing theirs out there...

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7756050.stm

 

Princess and other holiday companies are doing the best they can with what little they have. There are hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers trapped in Thailand as a whole, not just Bangkok. Like India, this situation has been boiling under the surface for a very long time and will inevitably run its course. As to the outcomes for the two countries, goodness knows.

 

All you need do is...as you have done...register with the embassy and just hang tight until alternative travel or some other method of getting you home can be organised.

 

I do think you should think yourself lucky in one respect, your hotel is not being ransacked and overrun with gunmen looking for foreigners to kill, which has been the case in Mumbai over the last 72 hours.

 

You and the rest of the passengers are in the best place possible currently, going off on tours is not going to be possible, the Thai authorities and various airlines and air forces are trying to get everyone home. Stay calm, stay in touch with the embassies and listen to what news you can get via the hotel staff in regards to your repatriation. No-one knew that things would kick off like they have done, there have been protests before but not to this scale.

 

Be patient, be calm and you will be home just as quickly and safely as possible when the situation eases enough to allow it.

[Colo Cruiser]

I wonder why we haven't seen any of this in the News. Not on TV or newspaper. I don't doubt this is happening and feel sorry for the stranded people.

I would never chance taking a bus somewhere else to leave a city that is not safe. Who will keep you safe on a bus.

 

 

MSN coverage this morning (World news).

It is there. :)

[camarodrivenrs]

It doesnt seem like there is too much wide spread violence. Thailand has a good train system. If it were me I would catch a train to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They have an international airport. He is a link to the train directions.

http://www.seat61.com/Cambodia.htm#Bangkok%20-%20Phnom%20Penh

Hope thats not against the rules. Search for flights from there to the USA. I see two options

#1 Phnom Penh->Shanghai->LAX

#2 Phnom Penh->Ho Chi Minh City->Tiawan->LAX

 

Good luck

[Goldryder]

Breaking News from the BBC...

 

Blast hits Thai government house in Bangkok

[Host CJSKIDS]

I can only tell you what I did after we were going to have to leave the Star Princess after the fire. Princess couldn't give me much information other than the fact that they would get us home by Monday and here it was Thursday morning and we had nothing but the clothes on our backs and I wasn't feeling well from the smoke, so staying in Jamaica was not something I wanted to do.

I took it upon myself to get my family out of there even though Princess was clearly responsible for us under those circumstances. After speaking with them to find out if I could book my own hotel and being informed that if I did that I would have to fly myself home and they would reimburse me, I used the computer on the ship to purchase 5 tickets on AA.com for the very next morning and had a friend call a hotel chain that I frequent and get 2 hotels for my family.

 

I'm sorry that you are stuck, scared and have to go through this, it must be incredibly frustrating. If you aren't happy with Princess and want to try and take care of yourself, call the US Embassy and also use the computer to get yourself out of there and home. Call upon family members and any other contacts that you have and see what you can do for yourself. Not only will it give you something to do and may take your mind off your situation, but you may end up getting out of there sooner.

 

Good luck and please let us know how you make out.

[missannb]

My DH and I* were scheduled to take this cruise but had to cancel due to medical reasons.* We were booked on a* post-cruise tour which went to Cambodia and had to have* visas to go there.* So this person can't just get on a bus or train* and go to Cambodia that easily.I am praying for all of those who are stranded in Bangkok and am so thankful that we are not there.* But for the grace of God we would be stranded also.To all the CCers whom we met online before the cruise, I hope you are home safely.* Please post on the roll call thread when you can.* I am seriously considering not rebooking this cruise for next year.* I am wondering what Princess will do about this itenerary, and if they will be going back to Thailand next year.

[Pam in CA]

I wonder why we haven't seen any of this in the News. Not on TV or newspaper. I don't doubt this is happening and feel sorry for the stranded people.

Sue, while the local TV stations aren't saying much about the stranded people, all of them (at least the LA stations) are covering the standoff and saying that thousands of people are stuck in Bangkok, unable to get out

 

To the OP, it sounds like Princess is trying to do everything it can to keep you safe and re-booking your flights. As Toto says, you need to pay the expenses upfront and then submit your bills to your insurance.

 

If anyone lost their job due to being stranded by an extremely unstable and potentially violent situation where their lives could be at risk, shame on their employer. That is not something one can anticipate as long as the U.S. State Dept. allows travel to/from that country.

[camarodrivenrs]

My DH and I* were scheduled to take this cruise but had to cancel due to medical reasons.* We were booked on a* post-cruise tour which went to Cambodia and had to have* visas to go there.* So this person can't just get on a bus or train* and go to Cambodia that easily.

 

I believe they can get one on arrival.

Taken from Cambodia's travel website:

[by Land

 

Travelers can travel to/from Cambodia by land through Aranyapathet-Poipet Border and Trat-Koh Kong Border of Thailand and Moc Bai - Bavet Border of Vietnam with the following documents:

 

A Passport Photocopy1 photos (3 x 4 cm)US$ 20 Cash for tourist visa fee (Paid directly to the Immigration

[Goldryder]

Something else to remember...just cos Princess aren't visible within the hotels, does not mean that they are sat on their hands doing nothing. 99% of what gets done in this sort of situation will be done behind the scenes and Princess can only do what the various authorities allow them to do. The fact that passengers are being told that Princess is in communication with the hotel companies and airlines is probably true and they along with other holiday companies with guests out there will be working all hours to get you home safe and well.

 

If you see other companies and airlines getting their guests home quicker than you, well that is the luck of the draw. The situation in Thailand and India must be an absolute logistical nightmare...so although you can't see things being done to get you home, don't make the error in judgement and think they don't care, cos they most definately do care and at this time you are in the best place possible...and with you all in two hotels makes evacuation easier too. What would you do if you went off on your own and during that time Princess had organised your repatriation and you were out and about taking in the sights?

 

Stay in the hotel and wait for further instruction from either the hotel, cruise line or authorities.

[mycruz]

Not sure if you have Princess Travel Care or not. I do know that Princess and most insurance companies have a 24/7 Travel Assistance number that perhaps they can advise you and help you out. I believe you posted you didn't have the insurance info with you, you can access the Princess website and check out your coverage. Here's the link

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/pdf/travel_care.pdf

 

I know that this is very stressful and you are ready to leave, but I believe if you contact the Embassy yourself and work with the insurance company something may come of it. From what I've read today, it doesn't appear that things are going to get better overnight.

 

Good luck

[Donray]

As Toto says, you need to pay the expenses upfront and then submit your bills to your insurance.

 

 

 

Almost all travel insurance does not cover acts of war or civil disturbance or insurrection.

Won't hurt to submit them, but don't count on getting them paid.

If I am not mistaken, even if the US embassy helps you will be required to repay the government for the help.

[Shorex]

First, I am very sympathetic to all the travelers caught up in the civil unrest in Bangkok. It must be very frightening. We just canceled a long planned January trip to Bangkok, one of our favorite cities in the world.

 

Probably, if I were in your shoes, my first thought would be "thank God we did not end our cruise with a stay in Mumbai." Next would be a two-fold plan; first, staying safe, and second, getting out of the country. The staying safe part probably means following instructions relayed from government authorities. With internet access, I'd be following all the releases from the US Embassy. With call time, I'd be calling the US customer service of my return airline. Keep in mind the same airlines are dealing with chaos in India and Thailand -- and worrying about the safety of their crews as well as the disrupted service. For example NW has THIS travel waiver posted. However, the situation can change hour by hour.

 

This kind of incident is beyond the capability of any cruise line to manage. Don't put your lives in the hands of cruise line -- they can book a hotel and hire a local guide to bus you around, but they cannot evacuate hundreds of people from the midst of violence.

 

This is from yesterday's NY Times:

Thailand’s tourism minister, Weerasak Kohsurat, said the government would soon begin flying thousands of stranded tourists out of the country using military bases near the Thai capital.

Tourists would be flown by Thai Airways to Singapore or Malaysia for connecting flights, The Associated Press reported.

Government officials also said Thursday they would allow commercial airlines to use one of the military airports, U-Tapao.

 

Hopefully, the situation will resolve peacefully and soon.

[Pam in CA]

Almost all travel insurance does not cover acts of war or civil disturbance or insurrection.

 

Won't hurt to submit them, but don't count on getting them paid.

 

If I am not mistaken, even if the US embassy helps you will be required to repay the government for the help.

I understand that but if you don't ask, you don't get. :) This just emphasizes the fact that whenever you leave the U.S., anything can happen anywhere and to always have a credit card with you capable of paying for an emergency.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I wonder why we haven't seen any of this in the News. Not on TV or newspaper. I don't doubt this is happening and feel sorry for the stranded people.

I would never chance taking a bus somewhere else to leave a city that is not safe. Who will keep you safe on a bus.

 

Sue, we're near you and we haven't seen a thing about it either. :rolleyes: The news here would rather cover Black Friday shopping, some starlet's latest handbag purchase, a kitten that got stuck in a tree or a new recipe for leftover turkey. Forget world news. If I want to hear about what's really happening in the world, I watch BBC's World News and try to filter out the hard slant of any report I hear.

[Toto2Kansas]

Sue, we're near you and we haven't seen a thing about it either. :rolleyes: The news here would rather cover Black Friday shopping, some starlet's latest handbag purchase, a kitten that got stuck in a tree or a new recipe for leftover turkey. Forget world news. If I want to hear about what's really happening in the world, I watch BBC's World News and try to filter out the hard slant of any report I hear.

 

We have turned back and forth to the news on several different channels all day and finally found a two minute report on this. Up until now, absolutely nothing we could find, except online. The news is swamped with India news right now, and piddly things instead.

 

Glad we are home and not traveling Internationally right now, this is not sounding like the best situation in many areas. :(

[Aussie Gal]

Our Australian Government is going to send Qantas Planes to a smaller airport to get our Nationals home.

 

Have you contacted your Embassy to see if they have any contingent plans for their Nationals.

 

Phuket airport is working fine and even though it is a bus ride down there, it would be worth the time and effort.

 

There is no violence at all at the moment, it is a sit and wait campaign but it could turn violent once the Army step in. I would be getting out of Bangkok asap.

 

Jennie

[san diego sue]

to Lady jag,

Some of the posters here made me sound like an idiot. Last night I called friends who also live in San Diego ,who cruise quite a bit and they were also very surprised. Hadn't heard either. I went on line to Sign on San Diego and found the only article which happened to be in todays paper, next to last page in News section.Not any mention on our news stations. Glad you said it wasn't in our local news as well.

I feel terrible for those people stranded in an unsafe environment. I don't think The cost of the hotel would be troubling me at this time, but worried about my life instead.

My husband said he would try the bus route instead of waiting in a hotel. I'm not sure what I would want to do.

San Diego sue

[Aussie Gal]

Once down in Phuket and if you don't like the idea of using a bus, pay for a taxi because getting home safely is the most important thing for you at the moment, you can catch numerous airlines out to Singapore, Hong Kong etc and from there you can fly home.

 

I wouldn't have been sitting around in that hotel for days on end but then again we do travel a lot in Asia and know what to do if we were ever in an emergency.

 

By the way, our newspapers here in Australia, cover every sort of World event and we always know what is happening in the wider world as well as at home.

 

Jennie

[Cruise Raider]

Sometimes, these are the chances we take when we travel outside of the US / Canada. Precisely those kinds of things that keep in nearby home. Don't exactly trust some of these other 'exotic' ports of call.

[Thumper69]

This is beyond the control of Princess and purely an insurance issue. That they negotiated a cheaper accommodation rate says they are trying to do something, you are not sleeping on the streets! They are in the same "boat' as everyone else. How many tourist and business travellers are affected by this makes this quite hard to deal with for any travel or business organisation let alone the indepent traveller.

 

Good luck

 

Anthony

[bplazo]

This is the first I have heard of this story.