PHUKET: Frenchwoman Elodie Triche told the French media this week know how she, her husband Damien and infant daughter Oxanna were shockingly treated after accidentally leaving Phuket International Airport without a visa or arrival card.
Now she has written her own first-hand account in French for Phuketwan. The account has been translated into English and is published for the first time today.
Her account not only confirms that the couple were arrested, fined and treated poorly for their honesty. It also alleges that officials on Phuket tried to concoct a false story to make themselves look good.
With the publication of Ms Triche's own first-hand account, Phuketwan has decided to name all passengers who were in the same situation.
It is believed that as a result of the honesty of Ms Triche and her husband Damien Della Libera, Qatar Airways was able to contact the other passengers who had missed Immigration and entered Phuket without visas.
The last of those passengers, Russian Vitaly Shirokov, was due to fly out from Phuket today.
The others are Marie Martinez, from France, Jamal Bahloul and Ahmad Omar, from Jordan, Mohammad Ghamloush, from Lebanon, and Mohammad Alenzi from Kuwait.
By Elodie Triche
FRANCE: We left on holidays to Phuket on the third of May 2013 with our 21-month-old daughter. What a joy to share family time under the Thailand sun.
Via a stop at Doha and Kuala Lumpur (27 hours trip), we arrived at Phuket airport on the 4 of May 2013.
Out of the plan, we followed passengers (there were a group of young people in front of us) and went to get our luggage.
Nobody asked for our passport neither our entry cards.
We came out the airport without going through the border service, neither crossing any agent who has to control our passport.
Surprised, worried not to have any stamps on our passport we talked about that to the taxi agency at the exit of the airport, then in the travel agent and at the reception of our hotel and the three persons replied ''no problem''.
During an excursion, a French person offer us to go and see a French travel agency in Patong. This one advise to go back to the airport.
We went back the day after at 8am at the airport Immigration service to make the notice. (We took a taxi at 7am).
We were questioned in Thai and English but as we can't speak both of those languages, we called someone who speaks English to translate.
The immigration staff took us into pictures, they also shooted us! Everybody came around us.
The immigration asked us to redo the way we took when we arrived as being filmed. They were still no control, no staff at this place.
The immigration made us sign some forms in Thai; so we didn't know what was written in it.
Then we made those forms translated, we have realised that those statement were wrong.
I explain: on the paper, it was written they had contacted us by email to come to the airport, and as we didn't show up, the police came to arrest us at our hotel! which was entirely wrong because we showed up at the immigration service by ourselves!
By the way, the immigration service didn't have our email address. (in addition, during the questions, the Immigration wanted our email address and we didn't give them!)
Why did they wanted us to sign wrong statement?
A new statement has been done at the police station to tell the truth!
Then we were transferred to the police station of Talang City (Tachatchai police station). A custody of 12 hours starts!
Our daughter had not eaten and we didn't have the stuff to change her.
The policeman questionned us, took us into pictures, took our fingerprints.
We insisted to contact the embassy. The French consul in Phuket hurried to join us at the police station with his wife.
They informed us that 10 passengers of the flight QR 624 are in the same case; which prove a fault in the airport security and the lack of professionalism of the compagny airline which has to be responsible of their passengers until their entrance in the country.
The police asked for a deposit of 60,000 Bath. after bargaining, the deposit was 40,000 Bath. Qatar Airways paid, which explains a certain responsibility.
The day after, we were called at the Correctional Tribunal of Phuket. the consul and his wife, his secretary and a police volunteer invited us to wait in the basement of the tribunal, where prisoners were chained.
The consul action succeed, we avoided the cell and were able to wait next to it! Fortunately because it would have been inapropriate to imprison us with our daughter with prisoners.
Seven long hours of waiting at the tribunal and the judgment has been made without our attendance, neither somebody to represent us.
We have been condemned to one year of prison with deferment; a fine of 2000 Bath by person had been asked.
Between this time, the consul got a form from the French embassy in Thailand authorising us to stay on the territory from the 9th to the 13th of May 2013.
Out of the tribunal, the consul brought us to the airport to get the passports in order to sort out our situation. We came out with our passport but still with no stamps.
Quatar Airways presented us their excuses and promised us that when we come back we'll have faveur traitement.
Two unacceptable days for tourists who wish to visit Phuket. Such treatment is not correct.
Our daughter locked up at the police station and at the tribunal, we would have preferred to spend our holidays on the beach!
The holidays we were waiting for were messed up!
On the 13th of May is the going back to France. The consul and his wife brought us to the airport.
We couldn't wait to know what will the faveur treatement from Qatar Airways will be!
Arrived at the airport, our luggage were registered in business class, we went through the immigration service where it needed two hours of forms.
Somebody representeing ''Qatar Airways'' brings us to the embarqement and make us wait with our daughter in order that all the passengers enter into the place.
Once the boarding wad done, we were able to get into the place and ended up in economic class!
I thought is was a joke but it was our faveur treatment . . . while children have priority, we had to wait the end of the boarding to have the right to get in.
We thought we'll be leaving on a positive touch. It was pitiable until the last second.
After those facts, we paid extra (taxi, phone call, fine, no holidays . . .)
The French media are informed of our story. I gave a file to Qatar Airways and to the Foreign Ministry.
Just to information, I want to add another fact that happened to us when arrived at Patong:
The day after the judgement at the tribunal, we rented a scooter. My husband parked where all the scooter were parked, in front of a police officer. He went to exchange some money and found his scooter chained! The police officer took his driving license and asked for 1000 bath! My friend had to give him the money in order to take the chain out.
Now she has written her own first-hand account in French for Phuketwan. The account has been translated into English and is published for the first time today.
Her account not only confirms that the couple were arrested, fined and treated poorly for their honesty. It also alleges that officials on Phuket tried to concoct a false story to make themselves look good.
With the publication of Ms Triche's own first-hand account, Phuketwan has decided to name all passengers who were in the same situation.
It is believed that as a result of the honesty of Ms Triche and her husband Damien Della Libera, Qatar Airways was able to contact the other passengers who had missed Immigration and entered Phuket without visas.
The last of those passengers, Russian Vitaly Shirokov, was due to fly out from Phuket today.
The others are Marie Martinez, from France, Jamal Bahloul and Ahmad Omar, from Jordan, Mohammad Ghamloush, from Lebanon, and Mohammad Alenzi from Kuwait.
By Elodie Triche
FRANCE: We left on holidays to Phuket on the third of May 2013 with our 21-month-old daughter. What a joy to share family time under the Thailand sun.
Via a stop at Doha and Kuala Lumpur (27 hours trip), we arrived at Phuket airport on the 4 of May 2013.
Out of the plan, we followed passengers (there were a group of young people in front of us) and went to get our luggage.
Nobody asked for our passport neither our entry cards.
We came out the airport without going through the border service, neither crossing any agent who has to control our passport.
Surprised, worried not to have any stamps on our passport we talked about that to the taxi agency at the exit of the airport, then in the travel agent and at the reception of our hotel and the three persons replied ''no problem''.
During an excursion, a French person offer us to go and see a French travel agency in Patong. This one advise to go back to the airport.
We went back the day after at 8am at the airport Immigration service to make the notice. (We took a taxi at 7am).
We were questioned in Thai and English but as we can't speak both of those languages, we called someone who speaks English to translate.
The immigration staff took us into pictures, they also shooted us! Everybody came around us.
The immigration asked us to redo the way we took when we arrived as being filmed. They were still no control, no staff at this place.
The immigration made us sign some forms in Thai; so we didn't know what was written in it.
Then we made those forms translated, we have realised that those statement were wrong.
I explain: on the paper, it was written they had contacted us by email to come to the airport, and as we didn't show up, the police came to arrest us at our hotel! which was entirely wrong because we showed up at the immigration service by ourselves!
By the way, the immigration service didn't have our email address. (in addition, during the questions, the Immigration wanted our email address and we didn't give them!)
Why did they wanted us to sign wrong statement?
A new statement has been done at the police station to tell the truth!
Then we were transferred to the police station of Talang City (Tachatchai police station). A custody of 12 hours starts!
Our daughter had not eaten and we didn't have the stuff to change her.
The policeman questionned us, took us into pictures, took our fingerprints.
We insisted to contact the embassy. The French consul in Phuket hurried to join us at the police station with his wife.
They informed us that 10 passengers of the flight QR 624 are in the same case; which prove a fault in the airport security and the lack of professionalism of the compagny airline which has to be responsible of their passengers until their entrance in the country.
The police asked for a deposit of 60,000 Bath. after bargaining, the deposit was 40,000 Bath. Qatar Airways paid, which explains a certain responsibility.
The day after, we were called at the Correctional Tribunal of Phuket. the consul and his wife, his secretary and a police volunteer invited us to wait in the basement of the tribunal, where prisoners were chained.
The consul action succeed, we avoided the cell and were able to wait next to it! Fortunately because it would have been inapropriate to imprison us with our daughter with prisoners.
Seven long hours of waiting at the tribunal and the judgment has been made without our attendance, neither somebody to represent us.
We have been condemned to one year of prison with deferment; a fine of 2000 Bath by person had been asked.
Between this time, the consul got a form from the French embassy in Thailand authorising us to stay on the territory from the 9th to the 13th of May 2013.
Out of the tribunal, the consul brought us to the airport to get the passports in order to sort out our situation. We came out with our passport but still with no stamps.
Quatar Airways presented us their excuses and promised us that when we come back we'll have faveur traitement.
Two unacceptable days for tourists who wish to visit Phuket. Such treatment is not correct.
Our daughter locked up at the police station and at the tribunal, we would have preferred to spend our holidays on the beach!
The holidays we were waiting for were messed up!
On the 13th of May is the going back to France. The consul and his wife brought us to the airport.
We couldn't wait to know what will the faveur treatement from Qatar Airways will be!
Arrived at the airport, our luggage were registered in business class, we went through the immigration service where it needed two hours of forms.
Somebody representeing ''Qatar Airways'' brings us to the embarqement and make us wait with our daughter in order that all the passengers enter into the place.
Once the boarding wad done, we were able to get into the place and ended up in economic class!
I thought is was a joke but it was our faveur treatment . . . while children have priority, we had to wait the end of the boarding to have the right to get in.
We thought we'll be leaving on a positive touch. It was pitiable until the last second.
After those facts, we paid extra (taxi, phone call, fine, no holidays . . .)
The French media are informed of our story. I gave a file to Qatar Airways and to the Foreign Ministry.
Just to information, I want to add another fact that happened to us when arrived at Patong:
The day after the judgement at the tribunal, we rented a scooter. My husband parked where all the scooter were parked, in front of a police officer. He went to exchange some money and found his scooter chained! The police officer took his driving license and asked for 1000 bath! My friend had to give him the money in order to take the chain out.
Still no apology, I understand Immigration have to follow procedure but surely it is very unlikely a French couple will sneak into Thailand when they could have "sneaked" in if they wanted to with a 30 day Visa exemption on arrival. Could Immigration not have referred the case to a senior figure and common sense prevailed? I said all along there would not be an apology and I still don't see one coming.
Posted by Lost In Translation on May 26, 2013 10:49