"kailan ako lalaya? sa anino ng pag iisa? mga rehas lang ang tanaw, nanginginig sa seldang maginaw." - eheads (NGA PALA, NAKARATING NA KO PILIPINAS, SALAMAT SA DIYOS! -12/01/08)How does it feel to be a prisoner in an invisible jailhouse? This is what i'm feeling right now. I flew here from Manila to attend a business meeting last Saturday. My flight back was booked last Wednesday afternoon. But Tuesday night, there was news that protesters blocked the International Airport leaving no choice but to stop business - all flights cancelled - until further notice. The people are demanding CHANGE. Let the prime minister step down his office and start a new era of good governance. The world will know their plea by demonstrating a peaceful protest in one of Asia's biggest airport (infact 18th bussiest in the world) - Suvarnabhumi.
Ok, this wouldn't probably take long....and so i thought. Today is Sunday, my 9th day in Bangkok. Both local and international airports here are closed. You have to go to Pattaya (+ 2hours) or Phuket (+12 hours) then fly to Cambodia or Vietnam or Malaysia or Singapore if your flight carrier can accomodate you. Everyday, the number of stranded tourists are in the thousands. 5 days post airport seige. Booking for train (earliset available booking Dec10!), car (hotel car to Phuket - 17,000 Baht!), bus (fully booked), boat or plane (prioritize nationals - Cathay for HongKong, SQ for Singaporeans, Thai Airways for those already booked) to any destination away from Bangkok is like joining the Amazing Race! Until finally, you're too tired of thinking all the possibilities.Shop. Eat. Walk along the streets of Bangkok. Watch CNN. Sleep. Drink. Sleep. Watch CNN. Walk along the streets of Bangkok. Eat. Shop. Plenty of things to do. A lot of sites to see. But no matter what i do, the reality is - i'm stranded, i'm stucked in prison without the jailbars.
I want to go home. I miss my family.... ganito pala ang malayo sa mga taong minamahal mo, sigh....
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20 comments:
ahaay. kawawa naman ang mama. hamo, baka matapos na rin ang siege na iyan.
change. yes we can. coke in can. haay.
ingat diyan and try not to get too bored.
I know how disappointed you are now being stucked where you are and stranded foreigners also want to get out of there just like you. If I'm in your shoe now, I think I don't know what to do but hope that I have a lot of money so I can still eat and stay there even if I'll be stranded for a month and of course pray that I can go home soon. Mahirap ang nasa malayo, lalo na pag ikaw lang mag-isa. I hope and pray that you can go back to Pinas ASAP.
atticus: thanks for the advice. may balita na baka makauwi kami bukas via chang mai airport, sana nga magkatutuo.....
michelle: salamat. gusto ko na talaga makauwi. the longer we wait, mas mabilis nauubos ang laman ng bulsa ko. marereimburse naman lahat ng gastos, pero mas ok maubos ang bulsa kapag nasa pilipinas ka with my family.
Uhm malapit nba maging ok situation jan?
Gusto ko din kasi magtour jan (pero alam ko wrong timing pa ngayon.)
chyng: mukhang magkakalinao na. tomorrow we will go to Chiang Mai. PAL flight. 10-12 hours from Bangkok. yahoo. ang panalangin namin, ay narinig na.
kasama ka pala sa mga stranded na pasahero. sana nga makabalik ka na. siguro iwasan mo na rin ang mga lugar na pwedeng simulan ng gulo dyan.
dong: sa downtown bangkok parang wala namang nangyayari. talagang tuloy ang buhay. hindi sila violent, kaya tumagal ng isang linggo na halos ang mga tao sa airport na nagpoprotesta.... yun nga lang, apektado sobra ang kanilang turismo at economiya.
ano na balita sa iyo? sana nakasama ka sa flight ng PAL. will pray for your safe and immediate return to manila. mahirap maipit diyan. baka magpasko na di pa tapos gulo.
ingat lagi. keep your cool. stay focused on the goal: ang makauwi agad.
WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
atticus: yes, nakauwi na ako sa pilipinas sa wakas. kasama ako sa flight ng PAL kagabi. pagtuntong nga sa NAIA, nagpalakpakan ang lahat ng nakasakay.
ang sarap makarating sa sariling bansa. iba.
KC: hehe, thanks ngarud!
I can tell you right now that those Thais are one fucked up SOB's. It is not fair for a foreigner, a tourist like you to be suffering for their cause. The least they could do is let foreigners go home coz you've got nothing to do with the crap they're fighting for. I'm incensed believe me. Hope you get out of that hell hole bro. Best of luck to you !
bw: thanks. exactly my sentiment. let the foreigners go home, it's not the Thai people affected in the airport, but us! o well, it's their country. and i'm glad i'm back home...... ours is a different story.
glad your back, this is the worst coup in thailand that i've known so far. dapat andiyan din ako nung 22nd up t 28th, buti na lang na cancel ung convention. ang coup attempts at protests kasi sa kanila diyan parang libangan na lang. ung first coup experience ko nga diyan 2006 kinabahan ako, akala ko violent. eh hindi naman, business as usual. 2007 ko naman diyan walang coup.
sana nagpunta ka na lang ng pattaya or phat pong nagpalipas oras, heheheh.
thanks nga pala 4 visiting my blog dude! rock on!
bertong balibag: nice name btw, hehehe, kewl. salamat. oo, parang natural lang sa kanila yung coup, business as usual. at yung mga thai, yun din ang sinasabi. "wala lang yan" eh ang hindi nila maintindihan, kung sa kanila wala, sa mga foreigners, meron, meron meron! hehehe.
regarding places: hmmmn hindi kumpleto ang thailand kung di mo napuntahan ang mga yan. hehehe. eh soi cowboy napuntahan mo? :-)
mabuti andito ka na ulit! pambihira ano yan ang hirap sa problema ng iba eh nandadamay pa pero sigurado ko you had the best time pagdating mo dito kasi namiss mo silang lahat eh!
prinsesamusang: meoow! oo nga. though i missed my wife's birthday and a weekend family gathering. sigh.
it's great to be home.
whoa!! asan ka na?!
ako i'm stuck in Arizona...kse namiss ko flight ko. katangahan na naman, as usual. yey.
ingat ka.
duke: hehehe, i'm working. dito na sa makati, pilipinas! yey!
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