Second group of?87?Sri Lankans from Thailand return

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 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,

Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Sales and the Head Office team and 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.