00:00I'm stuck in Thailand, my travelers, and the worst part is that I don't know how long this situation will last.
00:05Since the conflict in the Middle East began, hundreds of flights have been cancelled daily.
00:11The airports are overwhelmed; there are thousands of tourists who have been trying to return home for weeks and can't.
00:18They have been able to.
00:18And today I am one of them, I am here at the airport figuring out how I can get out of here.
00:23Mass flight cancellations are being reported worldwide, with a critical impact on the Middle East.
00:30where several airspaces have been closed due to geopolitical conflicts.
00:34This is directly affecting airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad.
00:40The crisis is considered one of the biggest air chaos incidents in recent years.
00:46The number of cancelled flights has now exceeded 52,000.
00:49In addition, the rise in fuel prices has also forced the cancellation of several flights in Europe.
00:55Wow, look at the number of canceled flights.
00:59This is incredible, we haven't seen anything like this since the pandemic.
01:02Everything in red is cancelled.
01:06This is undoubtedly the worst global air travel chaos since the pandemic.
01:10There are too many cancelled flights.
01:12And many tourists have been arriving at the airport for hours, days, and even weeks.
01:18hoping to find a solution to return to their homes.
01:29To give you some context and help you understand the whole situation that's happening,
01:34A couple of weeks ago, when the whole conflict in the Middle East broke out,
01:38Many airlines were affected, especially those connecting Asia with Europe.
01:42because many of these airlines rely on making stopovers in cities like Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi
01:48And these airspaces are closed or restricted because they have been affected.
01:53In fact, when I flew here to Thailand, I was in Madrid and I did it with Qatar Airways.
01:58Of course, I had a layover in Doha, and everything was normal that day.
02:01And when I land in Thailand, that's when all this trouble happens and they close the airspace.
02:07So I almost got stuck in Qatar before all this happened.
02:13This whole situation has, of course, led to airlines having to either postpone or cancel flights
02:19And there are many tourists here, who came for vacation.
02:22This is completely out of their hands because upon arriving here they have their exit ticket
02:27And when they arrive, the flight is either cancelled or not always, or almost never, to be more precise.
02:31Airlines take responsibility for this because it is something that is also beyond their control.
02:35That's why we see so much chaos, so many people coming here trying to buy tickets, trying to change everything.
02:41And that is my situation today as well.
02:49One thing in my favor amidst all this chaos is that I bought my ticket out of Thailand.
02:55with flexible date.
02:56And this is because every time I come to Thailand I never know how many days I want to stay, I always want to extend my stay.
03:00So I preferred to pay a little more to have that flexibility.
03:04However, while the flights are cancelled, there's nothing I can do.
03:08The only option I have right now to leave Thailand and get to Venezuela, which is my
03:12urgency,
03:13It's about being able to find an airline or flight that doesn't stop over in any Middle Eastern country.
03:19and that it does not even fly over this airspace.
03:22There are very few options, among them is Air France, which is back here.
03:26And last night I went online to see if I should make the investment, buy that ticket,
03:30But it didn't come out for me until two weeks later.
03:34So I said, well, I'm going to grab all my things and head to the airport to see if I can sort this out there.
03:38The lines are extremely long, and I actually verified it.
03:41Since I'm here, there are no openings in 20 days, and what they suggest is that I put myself on a waiting list.
03:46wait
03:47and that they call me.
03:48So for now it's not an option.
03:56Okay, I've definitely tried too many options and now I'm trying to find a flight out of Southeast Asia.
04:02At least as far as Europe, it's impossible.
04:05Staying in Thailand would be a waste of time and money because I've already recorded everything I needed to record.
04:10I've already done what I had to do here.
04:11So I'm looking for a flight that will get me out of Thailand right now.
04:15at least to go to another country and continue creating content for all of you.
04:20Here's to go to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I already know that country but I've never recorded there.
04:25And I just checked and I see that there are one-way tickets from here, from Phuket, the city I'm in.
04:29in Thailand,
04:30for 45 dollars.
04:31So I think that's going to be the option to at least get out of Thailand for now.
04:38My God, I don't know what's going on.
04:41Mercury, retrograde, that's you.
04:43I just bought my flight and I'm like, well, at least I'm going to Thailand now, I'll see what
04:47do.
04:48And it turns out that when I look there's a very long line to get my passport stamped.
04:52Normally everything here is very fast, it works incredibly fast, but because of the same collapse everything is very busy.
04:57And right now I only have 20 minutes to get my passport stamped and go through security before I start boarding my flight.
05:04So it's very likely that I've also lost those 45 dollars, my friend.
05:09But come on, Faith, take a deep breath, everything is going to conspire in your favor.
05:13So let's find out where this line ends so we can get in.
05:22Ugh, it's so long, I'm not going to make it.
05:25I won't make it, I won't make it.
05:26Look at this.
05:27I think it's more than an hour in line.
05:29Ugh, I can't even find the end.
05:31Where does this row end?
05:32It's really crazy because they're not even letting people queue up to go to the passport office.
05:38Because it's so long that they're already saying the flight was missed.
05:41However, I tried to sneak in here and see if there was enough time.
05:46But it's total madness.
05:48Even the people here at the airport don't know where the lines are.
05:51Because the line practically goes all the way around the airport and you can't tell where it starts anymore.
05:55It ends.
05:56But oh well, let's wait and see what God wills.
05:58So, if I have to stay longer in Thailand, well, we'll see what we do.
06:03I'm super stressed and I don't have that urgent feeling of saying yes, I have to go now, now, now.
06:09Because, well, thank God I work in this field and I can, if not be here, be in another country, and keep generating income.
06:13content.
06:14And well, I wanted to be in Venezuela because it's my store's anniversary.
06:17Holy Week is coming soon.
06:18Anyway, I had some family commitments.
06:21But yes, there's no way it's going to arrive, well, to solve it somehow.
06:25I feel very sorry for the families who came here to have a happy time, a vacation, something.
06:30And then they can't leave and they're stuck here with their children, even running out of money.
06:34It's already out of their budget, having to pay for hotels, meals and everything, hoping to find a way to get back
06:40to their homes.
06:41It's unbelievable, what starts as simply a relaxing vacation ends up being so stressful all over.
06:49the current situation.
06:50Not only here in Thailand, but many countries around the world have been affected by all the cancellations of
06:56flights.
07:05I had never seen this before, but I definitely didn't have time anymore.
07:08And I asked, they told me I could buy this little ticket for $40 per person and that way you kind of...
07:14You save yourself the whole queue.
07:15So the fare no longer came out at 45, now it came out at 85.
07:18Let's see if paying for this allows me to take it and if there's enough time.
07:26Wow, look at all the waiting in line I'm saving myself.
07:28I feel that if I manage to get on that flight, it will be totally worth having paid for it.
07:33Wow, look, I'm coming in with this.
07:36Ready?
07:37There's a really, really long line.
07:46After so much running around, I was out of breath, running and running.
07:51And when I get to the departure lounge, it says my flight is delayed.
07:56Breathe with me, please.
07:58$40 in Southeast Asia, $40 in Thailand is a lot of money.
08:04However, amidst all my stress, I feel that was the solution I could take.
08:09Because getting in that line meant waiting two hours or maybe more.
08:12I didn't even feel like that was progressing.
08:14And it's really strange because, honestly, all the airports I've normally used the three times I've...
08:19They've come to Thailand quite quickly.
08:21Everything is moving fast.
08:22But I don't know, I imagine it's the same situation, the same chaos, or the same business now with the $40.
08:27Don't know.
08:28But I felt way too VIP because as soon as I showed my ticket I was like, no, no, come this way, come on in
08:32here.
08:32In fact, not even in the area of security.
08:34When you're not going to put your bags through X-ray.
08:36I didn't even have to wait in line there.
08:37Instead, they sent us through another place where you have to go up some stairs.
08:41They told me I couldn't record anything.
08:43And there, without any kind of edge.
08:45In other words, I practically went through all the immigration control, from getting my passport stamped to going through security, in 4 minutes.
08:525 minutes.
08:53I mean, yes, I feel it's worth it, especially if you're about to miss your flight.
08:57And even more so in this situation, when everyone is booking flights.
09:00It's like, well, right now I'd rather pay the $40.
09:03Give your opinion if you had paid for them.
09:05I usually think this is almost the same as the passage, but oh well, let's look at the positive side.
09:10And that's it, my travelers, for now my plan is this: to keep moving around Southeast Asia.
09:14I don't want to miss that flight I have from Thailand to Madrid.
09:19So for now, what I'm thinking is to travel around here or to some countries in Southeast Asia.
09:24In this case I'm going to Malaysia, where I've never recorded content before.
09:28Hopefully this will improve soon.
09:30Let me know in the comments what you think, if you believe this will be resolved in the next few days.
09:34Or if, on the contrary, you think it will be recorded.
09:37To be honest, I confess that thinking a little about what might happen fills me with anxiety.
09:44Especially when you're so far from home, on the other side of the world.
09:48I have responsibilities in Venezuela.
09:49My store is here, my family is here.
09:51Holy Week is coming soon and I wanted to be there because it's peak season.
09:55But anyway, trusting in God that this will improve, this definitely reminds me too much of 2020, 2021.
10:02I traveled in 2021 when many airports were closed.
10:06And the difference is that there the airports were empty at that time because of all the chaos.
10:10And right now it's more chaos because everyone wants to go home.
10:13If you ask me, if you already have a flight scheduled to Southeast Asia, to Thailand, to any of
10:19These countries from Europe and your flight, the airline you have with does not make a stopover or fly over the Middle
10:27East, take your flight because everything is normal here.
10:30The problem is when you fly with Qatar, Emirates, all these airlines that stop over in Abu Dhabi, in Dubai, in
10:37Qatar, in any of these cities or countries in the Middle East.
10:41That's the problem. Now, if you're flying, for example, with Air France directly here, then take your flight.
10:45And don't lose it.
10:46You don't know what I would do. Everyone has to make their own decisions because you really don't know what's going to happen.
10:50pass.
10:51For now, I hope and believe that in about 10 minutes we should be boarding for Kuala Lumpur.
10:56Come with me on this journey. My God, so much has happened.
11:01Just breathe and trust that everything will be alright.
11:04And that you, through this little camera, will be accompanying me in the wonderful moments in these places
11:10incredible.
11:11And also when these things happen.
11:25Things happened, my travelers.
11:28And look where I am, eating a delicious arepa that I missed so, so much.
11:38I really missed this little Creole flavor, this taste of home.
11:44But, although I would love to tell you that I am in Venezuela, I am in Malaysia.
11:49I arrived a little while ago, I went to a hotel.
11:51I changed, I came to a restaurant that had Venezuelan arepas.
11:55They're literally tiny arepas, but they make me feel closer to home.
12:00I hope to return soon.
12:02And that you continue to accompany me throughout this adventure.
12:05If you haven't liked it yet, like it.
12:07Comment on what you think about this whole situation, what your opinion is about it.
12:11See you in the next Traveling with Beto video.
12:13Bye, bye.
12:15Look, little one.
12:16It can't be in Malaysia, you little Venezuelan.
12:23The food in my country is so delicious.
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