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Tourists Stranded in Asia by Canceled Flights, Shut Borders

Associated Press

   PHUKET, THAILAND - From the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand to the
   foothills of Mount Everest in Nepal, tourists across Asia are finding
   their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines
   cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against
   the coronavirus pandemic.

   Thousands of tourists escaping cold weather in Europe were scrambling
   this week to find alternative ways to return home from the Thai island
   of Phuket in the Adaman Sea.

   Ksenia Vostriakova and her friends were scheduled to fly back to Moscow
   on an April 3 Singapore Airlines flight, but it was among those
   canceled when the airline slashed its operations. They have booked a
   flight on Qatar Airways for April 6 and are hoping nothing else
   changes.

   "Now we're really worried that this flight also might be canceled,"
   Vostriakova said, adding that their Thai visas run out in mid-April.
   "We might still stay here because everything changes."

   Thailand went under a state of emergency this week as the government
   gives itself new powers to deal with the virus crisis. The country,
   which last year welcomed 39 million tourists, announced it was closing
   its borders to nearly all foreigners. Its national airline, Thai
   Airways, said it was suspending almost all of its flights.

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