Armenian tourists stranded in Thailand after flight cancellations

Armenian citizens who travelled to Thailand for vacation say they are unable to return home after their flights were cancelled and their appeals to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry have gone unanswered.

Arpi Bekaryan, an Armenian citizen currently in Thailand, said in a Facebook post that she and a group of friends had planned to return to Yerevan on March 7, but their airline cancelled all flights to Armenia until March 23 because of regional conflicts affecting airspace.

According to Bekaryan, about 15 people are travelling together, including four children under the age of six. She said they had purchased their tickets about a year ago for roughly $150 each and booked hotels months in advance to keep the trip affordable.

“We and several dozen other Armenians are now stranded in different Asian cities and trying to find ways to get back to Armenia,” Bekaryan wrote.

She said alternative routes through countries such as China, Russia or Kazakhstan now cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per ticket, sums many travellers had not planned for. The group also faces additional accommodation and living costs while waiting for a solution.

Bekaryan said the group contacted the Armenian Foreign Ministry hotline and its press service on March 3, before the cancellations were confirmed, asking what assistance might be available. She said they had not received a response as of Friday.

According to the post, at least 60 Armenian citizens may currently be in Thailand facing similar issues.

The group suggested that the authorities could gather Armenian citizens stranded across Asia in a single city and arrange a government-coordinated flight back to Armenia.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan recently addressed the issue in the parliament, saying the government had helped transport some citizens by bus from Dubai to Muscat Airport, where permission had been obtained for flights to Yerevan.

Mirzoyan said ticket prices were higher because aircraft had to take longer routes due to closed airspace.

“Let’s also note that these citizens most likely travelled there for tourism,” he said, adding that it would be unreasonable to expect the government to also pay for their tickets.