Thai Hospitality for Stranded Tourists

[Mark]

The Thai government has been extraordinarily hospitable to stranded tourists.

The Public Health Ministry ordered all hospitals, both private and government, to give necessary health care to stranded foreigners at government expense.

Last week, the Foreign Ministry said it would reimburse all stranded tourists 2000 baht (a little over US $ 50) per day, both foreigners in Thailand and Thais overseas.

($50 gets a lot in Thailand, but doesn't get much in many overseas countries.)

Those in power have always been very foreigner friendly and internationalist. So have the opposition party, but I couldn't say the same for the PAD.

So many ordinary Thais I know have expressed compassion towards stranded foreigners in Thailand.

[Mark]

The government Cabinet approved 1.9 billion baht = US$ 50 million to compensate tourists for the airport closure, at a rate of 2000 baht per day including the day of one's ticket, for delays in travel between November 25 and December 9. That's about US$ 57 per day per person.

$57/day goes a fair way in Thailand.

For a group of tourists pooling their resources for accomodation, that's fairly good.

The NASA Vegas hotel a short ways down the expressway charges 600 to 800 baht per day for modern rooms, and there are many guesthouses and suburban hotels spread around Bangkok offering similar rates, such as the ecclectic "13 Coins" so-called resorts or resortels near some of the restaurants in their well known chain.

Outside of Bangkok, you get more for your money.

Of course, it's no substitute for going home, but why complain and get stressed out over things you have no control over? For some travellers, it's nice to get some compensation.

The airport was gotten up and running fairly quickly after the protesters left.