Saudi girl’s issue in Bangkok clarified

Okaz/Saudi Gazette report

BANGKOK — The Saudi Arabia’s Embassy here sought to clarify the issue of the Saudi girl who had fled her family to Thailand and was stopped at the airport on Sunday.

Charge d'Affaires Abdul-Ilah Al-Shuaibi told Saudi Gazette the Saudi girl, who claims to have fled from her family to Thailand for reasons of family violence, had used her presence in Kuwait to escape. He also clarified that, her father, who lives in Kuwait and Hail, was the one who had reported her escape and possible disembarkation in Thailand.

He added that the Saudi Embassy contacted the Thai authorities in a bid to return her to her family.

The Thai authorities earlier stated that if it is found that the girl had reached legal age and had complete papers to travel then they could not assist in bringing her back to the Kingdom.

But it turned out that her papers were not complete and she was stopped at the airport for violating Thai immigration laws. The also said the girl did not have a return reservation or was a member of a tourist program, and this straight away required deportation by the Thai authorities.

The girl had also charged that Saudi Embassy officials took her passport away, which was denied immediately. Diplomat Al-Shuaibi denied that her passport was impounded by the Saudi embassy, and said: "Diplomats haven’t met her, the embassy doesn’t have the authority to stop her at the airport or anywhere else, and she was stopped by Thai airport authorities for violating the laws and regulations of the country."

Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Bangkok, added through a statement on its Twitter account, that the girl will be deported back to Kuwait, where her family lives, adding that the embassy is in constant contact with her father.