Embassy of Sri Lanka-Bangkok

A second group of 87 Sri Lankans, who were stranded in various cities in Thailand due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, were repatriated to Sri Lanka from Bangkok-Thailand this morning (21), via a special Sri Lankan Airlines charter flight UL 403, organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok.

The special flight that had onboard a few Buddhist monks, students, Sri Lankans who were on short term visit  visas to Thailand, and  several  others  on humanitarian grounds, arrived at the  Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, on Friday 21 August  2020 morning.  All repatriated individuals will undergo the necessary medical tests, and will be directed by the Sri Lankan security forces and health authorities to the mandatory quarantine centers, both State-sponsored and self-paid private hotels, designated by the Government of Sri Lanka.

This  special repatriation  flight  that arrived in Bangkok on 21 August early morning also  carried  a group  of Thai  citizens, and  Sri Lankans  who have  received  re-entry permission to Thailand, and  the inward  trip  from Colombo  to  Bangkok was  organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo and HE Madam Chulamanee Chartsuwan, the Ambassador of Thailand to Sri Lanka.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok acknowledge the close cooperation and prompt directions received from the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Sri Lanka, including from Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, the COVID Task Force at the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry’s COVID-19 Focal Point, in making this repatriation process a success. The Embassy also received excellent support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and the staff of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, by timely facilitation of the repatriation of this second group of Sri Lankans from Thailand, who had been registered with the Embassy and in the ‘Contact Sri Lanka’ online portal created by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, requesting assistance to return to Sri Lanka. The Embassy appreciates the support of the National Carrier – Sri Lankan  Airlines,     Mr. Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Sales and the Head Office team and Mr. Riza Yusoof, Country Manager, Thailand and his team, for the excellent cooperation extended through this entire process.

Dr. Nenette Motus, the Director  of  the  Regional  Office of International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangkok and IOM Colombo deserves  the sincere  appreciation of  the Embassy  for  their  prompt and generous  response  and  support  received under  the Assisted  and  Voluntary  Return  and   Repatriation (AVRR) project for Bali Process Member States. 

Earlier in the month, the Embassy also made arrangements to repatriate a Group of 16 Sri Lankans in Phnom Phen Cambodia via Singapore.
Embassy of Sri Lanka-Bangkok
21 August 2020