Real-life ‘The Terminal’: 3 Nigerians stuck at Suvarnabhumi Airport for over 2 months

By The Nation

BANGKOK — Suvarnabhumi Airport confirmed that three Nigerians have been stuck at the airport for more than two months now, waiting for a connecting flight to Myanmar and Laos. Their predicament? The destination countries have been closed, while the three cannot enter Thailand because they have no visas.

The airport’s Special Affairs and Community Relations Department said two of the Nigerians arrived on March 21 on an Emirates Airlines flight and were scheduled to take a connecting Lao Airlines flight to Laos, while the other person arrived at Suvarnabhumi on March 24 on an Etihad Airways plane and was to take a connecting Bangkok Airways flight to Myanmar.

But on the day all three arrived, the countries of destination announced they were closed to incoming flights. The Nigerians were also unable to fly back home as both Emirates and Etihad Airways cancelled their flights due to the virus crisis.

Moreover, the three did not apply for a visa to enter Thailand and the Immigration Division therefore could not allow them to leave the airport.

The Immigration Division is coordinating with the Nigerian Embassy to help their stranded citizens.

The airport is meanwhile providing assistance to them by providing food, drinking water and basic care.

All three have undergone tests at the international communicable disease control checkpoint and none were found to have contracted Covid-19.