Icelandic Volcano - Are you stuck in Thailand?

[Gaybutton]

I'm wondering if the volcano in Iceland has grounded any of you in Thailand. As far as I know, this is the first time an "Act of God" has created this kind of circumstance and so far the reports are that no end to the volcanic eruption is in sight.

 

If you're struck in Thailand, and your visa is about to expire, have any of you been to Immigration? If yes, what are you being told? If you are eligible for an extension, are they making you pay for it? What happens if your extension runs out, but you're still stuck due to flight cancellations? Will Immigration continue granting extensions until flights are running again? Are they making you leave Thailand despite the volcano and saying you'll have to go to another country?

 

On the other hand, many farang who live in Thailand went to other countries to escape Songkran and are due to return to Thailand within the next several days. Are any of you stuck somewhere and find yourself unable to return to Thailand? What problems are you encountering?

 

What's the story?

[Guest fountainhall]

I have a Thai friend totally stuck in Brussels. She was due back on Saturday and has been told by THAI that the earliest flight she might be able to take will be on Tuesday 20. That is now looking increasingly unlikely. However, she is relatively wealthy and so the extra costs are not a major issue for her.

 

I'm not quite in the categories you list, but I am due to leave for 3 weeks in Europe in 10 days time. Once there, I have six low cost carrier flights before I finally return. My real concern is that whereas the present plume of debris should clear well before the 28th, the volcano is still active and other plumes will almost certainly develop. So I am starting to prepare for the worst. Thankfully I took out insurance for this trip and so should get some of the costs refunded if I have to cancel.

 

The totally unpredictable nature of this event should be a wake-up call for the need for travel insurance when planning long distance trips.

[Guest painai]

I checked in on the 17th at the Malaysia Hotel, thinking it would be almost empty due to the Red Shirt demonstrations scaring Farang away. (I came to escape the worst of Songkran in Pattaya, which scares me more.) Just the opposite of what I had expected, the hotel is full. European guests are not checking out, their flights have been cancelled. Consequently there are few rooms available. Luckily I had a reservation and was able to check in yesterday. Today, I ate at my favorite restaurant, the Mali for breakfast. It too was doing a brisk business. So the problems with the Volanco disruption of flights is certainly helping this area of Bangkok, which is a distance from the demonstration area anyway.

[Guest]

I have family that was visiting London and are stuck in a hotel. They are not sure when they will get out and have been changing their tickets almost daily. They are pretty frustrated at this point.

[Gaybutton]

The totally unpredictable nature of this event should be a wake-up call for the need for travel insurance when planning long distance trips.

If you really want a pleasant thought, from what I have been reading there is a second volcano nearby, the Katla volcano, that has a history of erupting only shortly after the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and has a potential of being 50 to 100 times as problematic. Better still, scientists are saying the Katla volcano does appear to be on the verge of erupting.

 

There are already problems due to travelers who are running out of money for food and a place to stay, visas getting ready to expire, credit cards being maxed out, etc. The list of problems can eventually become quite extensive.

 

Also, aviation is not the only travel concern. Apparently there are also worries about the volcanic ash clogging the air filters on cars, buses, trucks, etc. Ground transportation such as buses and railroads are rapidly becoming overcrowded.

 

Even when the airlines can start flying again, it will probably be similar to the way things were following the end of the Yellow-Shirt takeover of Suvarnabhumi airport. It took days for everyone to be able to get flights out, only this time it can encompass most of the major airports throughout Europe and even airports in countries that are not directly effected by the volcano, possibly including Thailand, for Europeans and travelers trying to get to Europe. It may actually be fortunate that this is happening during the low season. I have not yet seen news items talking about Europeans stuck in Thailand who can't get home, but I suspect that problem already exists for many.

 

I suggest reading the following articles:

__________

 

More Eruptions Possible

 

Located near the southern tip of Iceland, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano lies between the Eyjafjallajökull Glacier and the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier near the caldera of the Katla volcano.The Eyjafjallajökull last erupted on March 20, 2010 and before that it erupted off and on between 1821-1823. It was considered to be dormant until it began to show signs of renewed life late in 2009. Historically, the Katla has erupted following each eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull, leading experts to believe that the Katla may be close to erupting now.

 

Eruption of Icelandic Volcano Creates Travel Nightmare

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Glaciologist: Katla Only Needs a Nudge

 

Glaciologist Helgi Björnsson is concerned that the current volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier could cause the neighboring volcano Katla to erupt as well, which could have much more serious consequences.

 

http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=40764&ew_0_a_id=360895

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Volcanic Ash Disruption Enters Fourth Day in UK

 

The UK is enduring a fourth day as a virtual no-fly zone, as the travel chaos caused by volcanic ash drifting from Iceland shows no sign of ending.

 

Flight restrictions have been extended until at least 1900 BST and forecasters say the ash cloud could remain over the UK for several more days.

 

BBC business editor Robert Peston said the disruption risked becoming a "major business and economic disaster".

 

BBC News - Volcanic ash disruption enters fourth day in UK

[Guest fountainhall]

If you really want a pleasant thought, from what I have been reading there is a second volcano nearby, the Katla volcano, that has a history of erupting only shortly after the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and has a potential of being 50 to 100 times as problematic. Better still, scientists are saying the Katla volcano does appear to be on the verge of erupting.

Thank you for your cheery, optimistic news!

 

Another BBC web page does offer some hope, tho'.

 

Two air lines have carried out test flights to see if it is safe to fly.

 

The Netherlands' KLM said one of its planes, a Boeing 737, had reached its maximum operating altitude of about 13km in the skies over the Netherlands, and there had been no problems during the flight. The aircraft and its engines were being inspected for possible damage. After the results of that technical inspection the airline hopes to get permission from the aviation authorities to start up operations again.

 

Germany's Lufthansa said it had flown several planes to Frankfurt from Munich. "All airplanes have been inspected on arrival in Frankfurt but there was no damage to the cockpit windows or fuselage and no impact on the engines," a spokesman said.

 

BBC News - Volcanic ash spreads more travel misery across Europe

Maybe British comic actor and film star John Cleese ("A Fish Called Wanda", "Shrek", the James Bond movies, etc.) deserves a prize for one of the most original ways to get at least part of the way home. He was stuck in Oslo and needed to get back to London. So he spent almost US$4,800 on a 1,500 km taxi ride to take him all the way to Brussels (the taxi driver engaged 2 other drivers to help him). From there he hopes he will be able to get a train back home!

[Guest RichLB]

So the problems with the Volanco disruption of flights is certainly helping this area of Bangkok, which is a distance from the demonstration area anyway.

 

Just as there are people "trapped" here in Thailand, I wonder about the effect on tourism for all those visitors who had planned to vacation here, but are unable to get get to Thailand.

[Guest]

The Eyjafjallaj

[Gaybutton]

Thank you for your cheery, optimistic news!

Here's even more cheery news that was just published:

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Volcano Chaos Could Continue for Months

 

The Icelandic volcano causing travel chaos across Europe could go on erupting for months, geologists warned last night.

 

Volcano chaos could continue for months - Telegraph

 

I'm also wondering if anyone reading this has been forced to cancel or postpone your trip to Thailand.

[Guest fountainhall]

Volcano Chaos Could Continue for Months

Europeans who had planned to come here will presumably just have to cancel and hope the airline or their insurance policy will enable them to reschedule. Painai has told us that the Malaysia Hotel here is full with many guests unable to get home. Presumably the Immigration Department will permit visas to be extended automatically at no extra cost. So, if the chaos goes on for more than another few days, at least Bangkok is relatively inexpensive. For most Thais and other Asians now stuck in Europe, however, all the extra costs will quickly become horrendous.

 

Odd how we thought the financial crisis was the one event which might bring the world to its knees. If this volcanic activity really does cripple air traffic for many more weeks, will we be facing a similar scenario, I wonder?

[Guest joseph44]

Was about to fly to Ancona from Dusseldorf (Weeze) last Wednesday, with a return flight on last Friday. Luckily my appointment was in Holland an not in Italy otherwise I would have been stuck in beautiful Ancona.

 

An English friend is about to leave Thailand on Monday the 19th with JET-Air. I doubt whether she will be able to leave.

[Gaybutton]

If this volcanic activity really does cripple air traffic for many more weeks, will we be facing a similar scenario, I wonder?

I don't wonder. I don't know how many people realize the potential for catastrophe this can have, especially if it does go on and on and even more especially if that other volcano blows its stack too. Has anyone noticed the incredible number of earthquakes that have happened over the past several months, including today in Papua New Guinea? Earthquakes and volcanoes kind of go together. And it isn't even 2012 yet!

[Guest JD]

Insurance companies and many airlines have classed the eruption as an act of God and will not pay up or help with food and accommodation.

Hotel rooms are very scarce and prices have gone sky high due to the demand from stranded travellers. Trains and ferries are booked solid ,the UK may start using Navy vessels to repatriate stranded travellers.

[TMax]

I'm wondering if the volcano in Iceland has grounded any of you in Thailand.

 

I never have that sort of luck, what a place to get stuck in.

[Gaybutton]

I never have that sort of luck, what a place to get stuck in.

Good point. If you have to be stuck somewhere, it might as well be right here. I can certainly think of worse places to be stuck.

[Guest fountainhall]

More news. This from the independent British Newscaster ITN.

 

A British Airways Boeing 747 has completed a successful test flight in "perfect" conditions and without encountering any difficulties. The jumbo jet, carrying BA chief Willie Walsh, took off from Heathrow Airport at 5.55pm on Sunday before flying 550 miles due west of Cardiff, landing at Cardiff Airport in south Wales at 8.41pm. The flight, which took the aircraft out over the Atlantic Ocean, lasted two hours and 46 minutes.

 

A BA spokesman said: "The conditions were perfect and the aircraft encountered no difficulties. It will now undergo a full technical analysis at British Airways' engineering base at Cardiff." He added: "Initially it ascended to 10,000 feet, then increased altitude in stages of 5,000 feet, remaining for five minutes at each level before reaching 40,000 feet," a spokesman said.

Full article at

BA jumbo completes Atlantic test flight - Yahoo! News UK

 

And if you are stuck, then it obviously helps to be a passenger on one of the top airlines. This from the BBC News website -

 

I am stuck in Hong Kong, en route from Bali to Oslo. I'm currently in a five star hotel courtesy of Cathay Pacific with all the other passengers who were on the plane. We are very lucky compared to some others around the world.

 

Cathay Pacific have been excellent: there has always been at least one representative in the hotel, ready to answer our questions. They organise regular gatherings to give us information and they ring the hotel room of any passenger who isn't present.

BBC News - Stranded around the world: Your stories

[Guest fountainhall]

It seems the skies over Europe are beginning to clear. The UK has just announced that the airspace over Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland will open from tomorrow.

[pong]

as of today, tue 20/4. some flights are now going in the former closed airspsace. KLM send of 3 planes yesterday-eve, to NYC, Dubai and Shanghai. LH tries to bring back some 10.000+ of stranded germans and passengers from outposts, where planes have also been standing idle. Dont know if that includes BKK. You are best of for checking flight details by their websites or the flyertalk forum (with a lot of inside info).

When IN Europe EU-direction say the airline has either give you a full refund on the whole ticket-unused portions OR a free reschedule-with keeping the orginal time out if so wanted. But there is No extra compensation.

Here on the continent though the idea was that hotels were overflowing-the reverse is now the case, as no new visitors are coming in.

As this thing just happened to coincide with the end of easter-holidays in the UK and France, there was understandably a much bigger as usual crowd waiting to travel. The biggest crowds seemed to have buil up at both sides of the Canal/Manche between GB and FR-this also due to some recent (but temporarily now lifted) bans on the nr. of sole foot passengers (who tended to be mainly drunk taxfree booze buyers recently-hence why).

Embassies (to the utter surprise of many) are NOT there to help you out-that's why travel insurance etc. has been invented.

[Guest fountainhall]

Embassies (to the utter surpirse of many) are NOT there to help you out-thats why travel insurance etc. has been invented.

And that's the joke of the week! In my post of April 18, I was relatively cheery about possible cancellation of my long trip to Europe planned to start next week. Even though I have several pre-paid flights, car hires and hotels once I get to Europe, I assumed these costs would be covered by my travel insurance policy taken out weeks ago. Not so! I checked with the insurers yesterday and, as JD suggested earlier in this thread, they say these are classified as Acts of God. I liked the comment of one guy who said: "Act of God? I'm an atheist and don't believe in God, so can I please have my money back!"