Bob McCarty Writes

I suspect few Americans took time this week to read news articles about the resignation of Thailand’s prime minister. Such news, however, was of great interest to me, since a relative of mine was among the estimated 300,000 foreign visitors forced to remain in Bangkok longer than scheduled as a result of the country’s airports being shut down by anti-government demonstrations that began Thanksgiving Day.

The fall of the Thai government earlier this week was, according to an AP report Tuesday, expected to result in a resumption of airport operations today — and it did.  Unfortunately, opening the airport did not result in all 300,000 foreign visitors who wanted to leave the country being able to do so on the day of their choosing — even if they had purchased tickets.  Far from it.  There simply isn’t enough capacity (i.e., planes + support capability + hours in the day) to move that many people in such a condensed time frame.

An article in London’s Telegraph confirmed it, reporting today that more than 40 flights were set to leave Bangkok’s international airport Thursday morning local time — a fraction of the 700 daily flights a day which normally pass through.

My relative and her travel companion (a.k.a., “the Dynamic Duo”) figured this out well in advance of reading it in the newspapers.   Realizing they didn’t want to spend several more days — possibly a week or two — waiting for airline seats to become available, they initiated a backup plan that many — including yours truly and others inside and outside of our family — would deem unfathomable.

Early Thursday morning in Thailand, they began a trek by car that would take them from the Thai capitol to the Cambodia border — a 4-hour leg — and then another 6+ hours to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capitol.  Once there, they would catch the first available international flight to the much-less-threatening East Asian city where both reside.

As of this post, no one in our family has heard whether or not the Dynamic Duo have made it to Phnom Penh.  If/when I receive more details and photos of their epic automobile adventure, I’ll try to publish them here in the form of an update.

[Editor's note: I have a policy of leaving the names of my relatives out of my posts in order to protect their privacy, so feel free to insert whatever name you would like to use in place of the generic "my relative" description used above.]

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UPDATE 12/05/08 9:12 a.m. CDT: The Dynamic Duo made it to Phnom Penh!  According to an e-mail received late last night, “Trying to relay (details) thru email won’t do it justice.  I’ll give you the replay when I get home for Christmas.”  They were “ripped off” at visa control and had a “small car accident” but “are all okay” and set to fly out of the Cambodian capitol’s airport Saturday night local time.  Unfortunately, the lone camera battery died en route, so photos will not be forthcoming.