An Athlone couple stuck in Thailand due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic are appealing to South African authorities to assist citizens abroad. Saadiqa and Muhammad Akram Coghlan have been in Bangkok since March and are among several South Africans wanting to be repatriated back home.

In anticipation of an epidemic similar to other countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that a three-week nationwide lockdown would commence from Friday 27 March onwards. A ban on travel was gazetted which closed all borders immediately; shutting down all seaports, cancelling all flights and public transport modes were restricted to only transporting essential workers.

Speaking to VOC this week, Saadiqah, a teacher, said they hadn’t planned to stay in the country and were in Thailand before any coronavirus cases were reported.

“I was teaching in China at the time. My contract was ending when the coronavirus epidemic hit. We needed to get out of China before our visa expired, unaware that the government, would announce an extension. So, in the process, I was trying to find another job in China, at a different school. And then we had to leave China so that they could get my documents in order. But I couldn’t make my way over at the same time because they had to wait for them to get my work permit. We decided to come to Thailand and wait it out,” she explained.

With many South African tourists living in a state of limbo abroad, there is a sense of anxiety as some of them are running out of money for food and accommodation.  Most South Africans in Thailand are “sticking together” but their planned budget is running dry.

“This is the second month now that it’s becoming very difficult and some people don’t have accommodation,” said Saadiqah.

Muhammed said that when they found out the borders were closed down they rented an apartment for another month, but not everyone was as fortunate.

“The first thing we did when we the borders closed down, we found a place. Most people still wanted to rent for a couple of weeks, which actually cost more. So we actually got a place that we could rent for one month, Alhamdulillah, that (was) cheaper.”

“There is a lot of Muslims as well and we’re trying on our own to support one another. But at the moment, we’ll all suffering. That’s why we’re making an appeal to get a fundraiser started, so we can not only help ourselves but everyone in Bangkok that is suffering,” he said.

“We are in a group and many people are in close communication was DIRCO and with both embassies to try and work out the plan, but so far we don’t have anything feasible,” revealed Saadiqah.

According to Mohammed, plans to board a chartered flight fell flat and the group that was assisting them acted suspiciously. The pair said it was as if this group, which advised them not to question anything or try to contact DIRCO or the South African Embassy, were trying to scam them.

Mohammad said there were some “sketchy things” going on in a Whatsapp group which had been set up to coordinate the repatriation plans. After the individuals assisting the tourists had been questioned on why certain decisions were being made, the couple were removed from the group.

“It was very, very sketchy to me,” he said, speaking about his communication with the group.

The group allegedly then pulled the plug on the repatriation plans because they became “negative” and  “unruly”. According to Saadiqah, “everything went crazy (from there) and people started to panic.”

Muhammed however advised his fellow South Africans to be cautious. He said everyone stuck abroad is trying to remain calm and be positive.

“I told them that if you give your last money away, there’s no one else who can help you. So just be safe. After that, I just did my own initiative and decided to start a fundraising effort because there’s a lot of kind people here and I don’t want them to be used,” he expressed.

He added that there are people in the group who need medical attention and don’t have access to those services in Thailand.

Muhammed explained that Dirco had repatriated about 1000 people but the group there hadn’t been informed of how to go about getting onto that list. The group they had been in contact with had not informed them about the enrollment list, which would have amounted to an estimated 3000 people.

“We only found out that two weeks after that visa and they sent us the information regarding DIRCO. And DIRCO hadn’t actually informed the people. Now they’re saying they’re first going to sort out a minimal amount of people,” said Mohammed.

He noted that there were people that are willing to sleep at the airport or the embassy because they don’t have accommodation and are running out of food.

The couple appealed to South Africans to bring attention to the issue, adding that Thailand might be closing its borders, which would leave them stranded at least until May.

“I would just like to raise awareness to each and everyone that there are people stuck here…it’s not a holiday. We would really, really love to get home to our families and to come back home. The situation is dire and it’s not like anything small that needs to be disregarded,” appealed Saadiqa.

“If they could develop a plan, something feasible, you know, we’re just asking to get home. We may be short funds but no one was said it was for free. We just want a plan and we want them to open up the airspace so that everybody can come home during this difficult time, to our own soil.”

According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson, Lunga Ngqengelele, the department is doing all it can and the main issue is securing the flights back home.

“It’s not only that you have to get permission to fly from Thailand, but also all the countries that you would be flying over. And now with those countries, airspace shut because of the lockdown, it’s a process that we have to negotiate” he said.

He also noted that there are people willing to support those families stuck abroad, but the process of working through governments takes time.

“We have a 24 hour one and command center in that department that is trying to bring back South Africans. And we have people who did are dedicated to South Africans in every area,” he said.

He committed that the department will reach out and do what it can.

“As soon as there is good news that there would be we can convey to them, we shall be able to do that. In the meantime, let us be able to look at what other form of support we can provide in the meantime.”

VOC