Tenerife Residents Trapped in Thailand After Flight Chaos
The escalation of the military conflict in the Middle East, following the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, has begun to have consequences thousands of kilometres from the front line. The closure of airspace and the cancellation of international routes has left numerous travellers stranded around the world, particularly in Asia—a major destination connected to Europe via that region. Among those affected are eight residents of Tenerife who remain stuck in Thailand after their return flights were cancelled on multiple occasions.
Search for Solutions Amid Official Silence
For one group, comprising María Tomé, Borja, Guayarmina, and Juan, there has been no response from the Spanish embassy in Thailand beyond an initial exchange of emails. For now, they are searching for alternative, multi-stop routes to leave Thailand safely. Meanwhile, Saulo de la Santacruz, Acaymo Damas, Christian Yana, and Alejandro Pérez received a video call from the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez. After several cancellations of the flights they had booked, the city council conveyed reassurance and an intention to contact both the Spanish Embassy and the Thai consulate on Spanish soil.
A Sudden Cancellation and Growing Anxiety
María Tomé, a healthcare worker by profession, recounts that the cancellation of their return flight arrived by email last Saturday without further explanation. Since then, the group has remained in the Asian country with no clear information on when they can return home. They are focusing on finding a safe way out of Thailand by themselves, given the lack of governmental assistance for their situation. Their first clues came from a WhatsApp group with over thirty Spaniards in the same predicament, which they found via social media. The lack of help and institutional communication, María points out, has forced them to seek their own solution.
No Help from Airline or Embassy
Etihad Airways, with whom they were supposed to travel back to Spain, has not been in contact with them. There has also been no helpful response from the highest Spanish authority in Thailand: “From the embassy, all they gave us was an email address. I wrote to them saying we needed help, that we had no information of any kind, and that many people couldn’t afford the expenses in Thailand. They replied asking for my phone number, and no one has contacted me since.”
Wider Concerns Among Stranded Travellers
Beyond the logistical problems, the travellers have also witnessed worrying situations among other Spaniards trapped in the country. These include people who cannot cover the unexpected costs and travellers who need medication they have been unable to obtain from local medical centres. María managed to publicise their plight thanks to a social media appeal that went viral quickly. In it, she described the situation they were experiencing in Thailand and the corresponding fear that this uncomfortable, war-induced predicament would drag on.
Limited Progress and a Glimmer of Hope
For his part, Saulo reports that they remain “in the same situation.” After a trip that should have ended on 3rd March, the group of friends still do not know for certain when they will return to Tenerife. The “only progress” they have made in Thailand is that, in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy, they now have a document justifying their absence from work during these days. This measure benefits three members of the group but leaves the fourth in the same situation as he is self-employed.
Outside of Thailand’s borders, the best news has been a video call from the Mayor’s Office of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to learn about their situation. Furthermore, the Tenerife council’s intention to contact the Thai consulate in Spain and the Spanish Embassy in the Asian country. For now, they have a return ticket for 9th March, but after numerous occasions where the airline, Etihad Airways, has changed the date on them, they say they don’t want to take anything for granted. “We have spoken with our families, who inform us that a ceasefire might be under discussion which would allow us to return to the Island,” explains Santacruz.
They have met other Spaniards in the same situation, with the difference that they claim to be the only ones who have had two flights cancelled: “the others still had tickets for the following days.” Additionally, he states that “no other Spaniard has been re-routed via an alternative return journey.”
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