French couple reveal ordeal on Phuket

A French couple have told their story of a harrowing encounter with Phuket police and immigration officials after they were among a small group which embarked from a Qatar Airways flight and accidently missed immigtration procedures.

Frenchwoman Elodie Triche told the French media this week how she, her husband Damien, and infant daughter Oxanna were treated after leaving Phuket International Airport without a visa or arrival card.

Her first-hand account in French has been translated and published by news outlet, Phuketwan.

Her account not only confirms that the couple were arrested, fined and treated poorly for their honesty. It also alleges that officials on Phuket tried to concoct a false story to make themselves look good, Phuketwan reported,

This is the woman’s story:

We left on holidays to Phuket on the third of May 2013 with our 21-month-old daughter. What a joy to share family time under the Thailand sun.

Via a stop at Doha and Kuala Lumpur (27 hours trip), we arrived at Phuket airport on the 4 of May 2013.

Out of the plane, we followed passengers (there were a group of young people in front of us) and went to get our luggage.

Nobody asked for our passport, neither our entry cards.

We came out the airport without going through the border service, neither crossing any agent who has to control our passport.

Surprised, worried not to have any stamps on our passport we talked about that to the taxi agency at the exit of the airport, then to the travel agent, and at the reception of our hotel, and the three persons replied ”no problem”.

During an excursion, a French person offered us to go and see a French travel agency in Patong. This one advised us to go back to the airport.

We went back the day after at 8am at the airport Immigration service to make the notice. (We took a taxi at 7am).

We were questioned in Thai and English but as we can’t speak both of those languages, we called someone who speaks English to translate.

The immigration staff took our pictures, they also shouted at us. Everybody came around us.

The immigration asked us to redo the way we took when we arrived as being filmed. They were still no control, no staff at this place.

The immigration made us sign some forms in Thai; so we didn’t know what was written in it.

Then we had those forms translated, and we have realised that those statements were wrong.

I explain: on the paper, it was written they had contacted us by email to come to the airport, and as we didn’t show up, the police came to arrest us at our hotel! which was entirely wrong because we showed up at the immigration service by ourselves!

By the way, the immigration service didn’t have our email address. (in addition, during the questions, the Immigration wanted our email address and we didn’t give them!)

Why did they want us to sign wrong statement?

A new statement has been done at the police station to tell the truth!

Then we were transferred to the police station of Talang City (Tachatchai police station). A custody of 12 hours starts!

Our daughter had not eaten and we didn’t have the stuff to change her.

The policeman questioned us, took our pictures, took our fingerprints.

We insisted to contact the embassy. The French consul in Phuket hurried to join us at the police station with his wife.

They informed us that 10 passengers of the flight QR 624 are in the same case; which prove a fault in the airport security and the lack of professionalism of the airline which has to be responsible for their passengers until they enter the country.

The police asked for a deposit of 60,000 baht. After bargaining, the deposit was 40,000 baht. Qatar Airways paid, which explains a certain responsibility.

The day after, we were called at the Correctional Tribunal of Phuket. The consul and his wife, his secretary and a police volunteer invited us to wait in the basement of the tribunal, where prisoners were chained.

The consul action succeed, we avoided the cell and were able to wait next to it! Fortunately because it would have been inappropriate to imprison us with our daughter with prisoners.

Seven long hours of waiting at the tribunal and the judgment has been made without our attendance, neither somebody to represent us.

We have been condemned to one year of prison with deferment; a fine of 2000 baht by person had been asked.

Between this time, the consul got a form from the French embassy in Thailand authourising us to stay on the territory from the 9th to the 13th of May 2013.

Out of the tribunal, the consul brought us to the airport to get the passports in order to sort out our situation. We came out with our passport but still with no stamps.

Qatar Airways presented us their excuses and promised us that when we come back we’ll have favoured treatment.

Two unacceptable days for tourists who wish to visit Phuket. Such treatment is not correct.

Our daughter locked up at the police station and at the tribunal, we would have preferred to spend our holidays on the beach!

The holidays we were waiting for were messed up!

On the 13th of May we went back to France. The consul and his wife brought us to the airport.

We couldn’t wait to know what will the favoured treatment from Qatar Airways will be!

Arrived at the airport, our luggage were registered in business class, we went through the immigration service where it needed two hours of forms.

Somebody representing ”Qatar Airways” brings us to embrkation and make us wait with our daughter in order that all the passengers enter into the place.

Once the boarding was done, we were able to get into the plane and ended up in economic class!

We thought we’ll be leaving on a positive touch. It was pitiable until the last second.

I gave a file to Qatar Airways and to the Foreign Ministry.