Charter flights from Taipei to Thailand offer a route home

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many citizens of Thailand have been effectively stranded in Taiwan. Border rules and canceled flights have prevented them from getting back to their home country. But on Wednesday, the first of two charter flights from Taipei to Thailand allowed them to go home at last. Taiwanese citizens who live and work in the Southeast Asian country were also glad to have a chance to get back to normal life. The second flight is on Thursday.

The departures hall is full of people clutching their passports and documents. This long queue is heading for Thailand.

All the adults are wearing masks, and the kids too. Pandemic-safe travel is essential. This Thai citizen has lived in Taiwan for 12 years. Now he’s finally going home. His family is well, he says, and the situation there is no worse than in Taiwan.

The Thai tourist industry has suffered greatly from the pandemic, and border controls in the country are strict. Flights are slowly being restarted, but direct flights from Taiwan to Bangkok and Chiang Mai have been curtailed. These two charter flights have been arranged to help Thai residents come home. Of the 292 on this flight, 40 are Taiwanese citizens.

Taiwanese citizen
The situation in Thailand is a lot like in Taipei. The rules are OK and the public health situation is good. I work there. Only these special charter flights are going, no other flights. I had a ticket booked with China Airlines but they canceled it so I was stuck.

Airline staff was careful to maintain hygiene rules, in the hope that all these travelers will get back safe and won’t pose a risk to their friends at home.

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