Woman flees Thai nightmare in 24hr bus trip
Thursday 4th December 2008, 2:29PM GMT.
A GUERNSEY woman forced to endure a treacherous 24-hour bus journey through Thailand after anti-government protestors struck in Bangkok, is this week relieved to be back home and safe.
Gemma Duport was due to fly from Koh Samui to the country’s Suvarnabhumi airport last Thursday to catch a connecting flight to Heathrow later that day.
But when the 26-year-old Specsavers employee arrived, Thai Airways said her flight was grounded, with the next plane out of Bangkok not until 22 December. Contacting the British Embassy was also rife with danger as official advice from the authorities was to stay out of the capital.
‘It was a lose-lose situation,’ said Miss Duport, pictured. ‘There were all sorts of thoughts going through my head: if you get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from.’
Plan B was to fly out of Kuala Lumpur or Singapore – if she could get there. ‘I thought, “well, at least if I’m in the right area. It will be a start”,’ she said. But everyone seemed to be having the same idea and the online booking site she tried to access kept crashing.
That was when she decided to call in a favour from her work which managed to get her on a flight out of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday morning at 10.45am. But the next challenge was reaching Kuala Lumpur, which meant a gruelling 24-hour bus journey through dangerous terrain broken only by a two-hour boat trip.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
This article is a shame.
I have also been “stranded” in Thailand last week.
There was nothing treacherous or dangerous about it. The Thais were as friendly as always.
The whole thing was merely an inconvenience, not more.
I do not think it is nice of you to try to use this sensationalism to sell some paper or some clicks on your online advertisements.
Shame on you !!!
Report abuse
I have also been in Thailand throughout the protests here. Thai people have been smiling and friendly, and there has been no danger at all.
I agree with Erich… Shame on you!
Report abuse
What a shame reporting such nonsense in a newspaper. People go daily with buses and trains across the country and don’t see this as a nightmare.
Except of around the government house and the airports in Bangkok, which can easily be avoided, Thailand has been as usual during the airports occupation. The rest of the infrastructure worked flawlessly, people were as friendly as at any other time and nowhere was there an air of exceptional agitation.
If there wouldn’t have been papers and TV, 90% of the population would not have been aware that a political struggle was going on. It is reports like this that incite emotions.
If, due to circumstances, travelling across the country bu bus is too much for a tourist, he better should stay at home and watch TV.
Fluxguru
Report abuse
Anyone who has travelled in developing nations needs to go “expecting the unexpected” irrespective of what the tourist brochure says.
The problem is when tourists visit these westernised tourist centres in countries like Thailand and Kenya (remember the trouble in Mombasa earlier this year) and expect western standards. It simply doesn’t happen – if you want that go elsewhere.
Part of the experience and privelege of visiting developing nations is to go “off the tourist track” and see these nations as they really are. It broadens your mind and is humbling to see people with next to nothing in our eyes be so welcoming.
I would suggest the “gruelling” bus ride was probably the closest this lady got to doing that.
Report abuse
I’m off to Koh Samui after Christmas for 3 months. If the airport is closed when I am due to return I will say ‘Thank you!’ and continue to enjoy the island for a bit longer!
Report abuse
i am sure miss Ash was only reporting the truth. Gemma Duport was scared about the situation and that is all that can be said. were you there at the time?
Report abuse
I also can’t believe that they are reporting this rubbish. Using the word ‘nightmare’ to associate with a bus journey in Thailand is ridiculous. 100′s of people make similar journeys every day there.
It’s true that Thailand is an incredibly friendly place (I’ve lived there for 2 years) and even when there are protests going on, you can still be in the middle of it without any relative danger. Once you are out of the protest areas anyway, there is virtually no sign it.
Once again, the Guernsey media has needed to use a totally insignificant event in attempt to create meaningful coverage.
Report abuse
Yeah traveling across the country to malaysia in an aircon buss can be a bit of a long day but its hardly a matter of life and death.
Report abuse
I was in Thailand when this protest started and did not know till I got home and read about it in the papers.
Report abuse
I was due to leave Thailand from Bangkok on 30th November. I too was inconvenienced (together with 300,000 others), by protesters at the airport.
Please quit the emotive journalistic hype; words like ‘treacherous’ and ‘rife with danger’ had no place in this situation.
The Thai authorities did a fantastic job in getting things moving.
Together with four other coaches of visitors, I was transported with a police escort directly onto the Bangkok apron where we boarded our 747. This just five days after my planned departure and one day after the protesters left the airport.
So get a life Miss Duport – effluent happens!!
Report abuse
I’d suggest that if Miss Duport is so scared of travelling she stays at home and spends a couple of weeks on Vazon. Having said that, with the ‘nightmare’ buses and the ‘horrendous’ traffic, she’d probbaly be ‘in fear of her life’ before she slipped in to her bikini.
And what about the ‘treacherous’ seas and the ‘killer’ weavers.
I’m at a loss as what to suggest.
Report abuse