Six Meaford residents, stranded in Thailand, were supposed to leave last Wednesday but thousands of protestors have taken over two airports in Bangkok and have not allowed any flights out for days.
Bayshore Broadcasting News spoke with one of the Meaford residents Frank Bassingthwaite today (– he says they are safe but anxious to get home.
Bassingthwaite says good news arrived today – 88 Thai Airlines planes had been held captive at the airports, but those have now been released.
He says the tour operator and the Canadian Embassy may try to get small groups of people onto those planes as flights become available.
There is also a military airport about an hour and a half south of Bangkok that is starting to see significant departures each day – but the problem there is they are not ready to process passengers.
But the message from the Embassy is also ‘be patient’ – Bassingthwaite says they’re being told they are in a safe area of the country.
The Amari Watergate Hotel is about an hour’s drive away from the scene of the trouble and Bassingthwaite says they are able to safely leave the hotel grounds.
People in the group with medical problems have been able to fill their prescriptions, with the exception of one woman, and Bassingthwaite says for the moment everyone is coping.
Bassingthwaite says it is getting increasingly frustrating to wake up each morning and think today might be the day they get out, only to turn on the TV and see the protestors still occupying the airports.
Bassingthwaite says a member of their group is in daily contact with the Canadian Embassy officials.
He hopes they will be able to leave for home by the end of this week.
Also stranded are Bassingthwaite’s wife Janet, fellow Meaford residents Don and Marigay Wilson and Ron and Carolyn Mills, and Kincardine residents John A. and Arla Dahmer.
