Phuket –
A Russian man has returned home after he stayed at the Phuket International Airport for 14 days.
The Phuket Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) told the Phuket Express on Thursday (September 21st) that fourteen days before, a 38-year-old Russian man whose name was withheld by airport officials missed his flight back to Russia. He had no money left after spending it all on his holiday and had no luggage or way to purchase a hotel room or another ticket. The only two things that he had left were his mobile phone and his passport. He said he was waiting for his mother to buy him a new flight ticket to get back home but cash was tight and as a result he was stuck living in the airport terminal.
The TAC, the Phuket Tourist Police, and staffers at the airport helped to take care of him for the past several weeks. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment for an infection in both of his eyes and during his stay at the airport, staffers helped to find clothes and food for him and covered his bill to resolve his eye infection.
On Thursday (September 21st) he finally returned to his home in Russia. The Russian man and his mother said thank you to everyone for taking care of him for the past few weeks.
Amazingly, the TAC told the Phuket Express that this was not the first time that the Russian man missed his flight and was stuck in the Phuket airport with no money. Last year the same man reportedly missed another flight and with help from staffers stayed at the airport for a shorter period of time than his current issue until he returned home.
Phuket Airport staff hopes the man will visit Phuket again but also hoped he didn’t miss his flight for the third time.
