Stranded Filipinos arrive at Thailand's Chiang Mai
MANILA, Philippines - A group of more than 400 Filipinos who were stranded in Bangkok because of the ongoing protests have arrived at the Chiang Mai airport, a television report said Monday night.
The group, according to the report aired over GMA News' 24 Oras, said that the group left Bangkok 5 a.m. and have arrived at U-Tapao airport.
The 427 Filipinos were booked for a special flight after being stuck for nearly a week in the midst of massive protests in Bangkok.
In Chiang Mai, they will take a Philippine Airlines flight that will finally take them home.
In an interview on dzBB radio, Philippine ambassador to Thailand Antonio Rodriguez said the first group of Filipinos proceeded to Chiang Mai aboard 10 buses. A second group of stranded Filipino nationals are slated to board another PAL flight Tuesday.
"Dito unang grupo paalis Chiang Mai, meron kaming 10 bus na naghihintay... yan ang capacity ng 747, lahat ng seats mapupuno yan (We're filling up 10 buses with 427 passengers, that's the capacity of a 747 plane. The plane's going to be filled to capacity)," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the PAL flight was initially expected to arrive at 5 p.m. Monday but was delayed by an hour. He said that with the delay, the flight is expected to reach Manila at 10:30 p.m. Manila time.
The first batch includes 91 overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait who were stranded in Thailand since Nov. 26. The others include tourists, he said.
President Arroyo on Sunday ordered the repatriation of Filipinos stranded in Thailand, whose airports were closed due to protest actions.
Rodriguez said the passengers, most of them tourists, will have to pay for their flight home as the PAL plane is a commercial flight, but they can make arrangements such as promissory notes.
"Ang instructions, use my good judgment. Kung talagang walang pambayad ipa-board natin (My instruction was to use my good judgment. If the passenger cannot pay, I'll let them board for the moment)," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said a second batch has signed up for another flight that may arrive Tuesday.
He said this includes an "overflow" of 138 PAL passengers who failed to make the first list last Sunday, and up to 300 passengers of Cebu Pacific.
The ambassador said families of stranded Filipinos can call his office phone at +662-2590139.- GMANews.TV
The group, according to the report aired over GMA News' 24 Oras, said that the group left Bangkok 5 a.m. and have arrived at U-Tapao airport.
The 427 Filipinos were booked for a special flight after being stuck for nearly a week in the midst of massive protests in Bangkok.
In Chiang Mai, they will take a Philippine Airlines flight that will finally take them home.
In an interview on dzBB radio, Philippine ambassador to Thailand Antonio Rodriguez said the first group of Filipinos proceeded to Chiang Mai aboard 10 buses. A second group of stranded Filipino nationals are slated to board another PAL flight Tuesday.
"Dito unang grupo paalis Chiang Mai, meron kaming 10 bus na naghihintay... yan ang capacity ng 747, lahat ng seats mapupuno yan (We're filling up 10 buses with 427 passengers, that's the capacity of a 747 plane. The plane's going to be filled to capacity)," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the PAL flight was initially expected to arrive at 5 p.m. Monday but was delayed by an hour. He said that with the delay, the flight is expected to reach Manila at 10:30 p.m. Manila time.
The first batch includes 91 overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait who were stranded in Thailand since Nov. 26. The others include tourists, he said.
President Arroyo on Sunday ordered the repatriation of Filipinos stranded in Thailand, whose airports were closed due to protest actions.
Rodriguez said the passengers, most of them tourists, will have to pay for their flight home as the PAL plane is a commercial flight, but they can make arrangements such as promissory notes.
"Ang instructions, use my good judgment. Kung talagang walang pambayad ipa-board natin (My instruction was to use my good judgment. If the passenger cannot pay, I'll let them board for the moment)," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said a second batch has signed up for another flight that may arrive Tuesday.
He said this includes an "overflow" of 138 PAL passengers who failed to make the first list last Sunday, and up to 300 passengers of Cebu Pacific.
The ambassador said families of stranded Filipinos can call his office phone at +662-2590139.- GMANews.TV
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