Zimbabwean family leave Bangkok airport after three months
The four children and four adults survived with help from staff in terminal
A Zimbabwean family of eight have finally left Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after being stranded there for three months in an administrative nightmare.
The family - four children aged between two and 11, and four adults - first arrived in Bangkok in May, the BBC reports. In October, they tried to board a flight for Barcelona via Kiev, says The Phuket News, but didn’t have the correct visas.
They were not allowed to leave the airport, however, because they had overstayed their Thai tourist visas, and refused to return to Zimbabwe, saying they feared persecution there.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The family’s situation came to light in December when an airport employee posted a photo of himself giving one of the children a Christmas gift. Their plight has drawn comparisons to 2004 film The Terminal, in which Tom Hanks plays a man stranded in a New York airport.
A Thai immigration bureau spokesperson identified Muvadi Rodrick as the head of the family, and said they had been cared for by Ukraine International Airlines, according to the Bangkok Post.
The spokesman told the BBC that the family left Bangkok for the Philippines on Monday. It was unclear whether the Philippines was their final destination.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has indicated that he would welcome the return of the family of “refugees”, The Washington Post reported in December.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published