Penwortham couple's holiday of a lifetime for their joint 50th birthdays turns into nightmare as they remain stranded in Laos

A distraught couple fear they could be stranded in South East Asia until May as the coronavirus crisis escalates.
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Paul and Deborah Marshall, from Penwortham, travelled to Cambodia, Vietnam and then Luang Prabang in Laos as a present to each other.

They departed on February 29 after being assured by their travel agents there were no travel restrictions.

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But during their trip the coronavirus crisis escalated, and as most countries have closed their borders the couple have ran out of options to get home.

Paul and Deborah MarshallPaul and Deborah Marshall
Paul and Deborah Marshall

Speaking from Laos' capital Vientiane, which is seven hours ahead of the UK, the couple say Paul, who suffers asthma and lung problems, is running out of medication, and that their travel insurers cannot help them.

As their cash dwindles they have been forced to move to a crowded backpackers hostel and have been warned they may not be able to fly home until May.Paul, a manager for Electricity North West, and Deborah, a street work administrator for the same firm, have so far spent £3,000 in their unsuccessful quest to get home, including flights to Bangkok, Dubai and London, which were cancelled, to Vientiane as advised by the British Embassy, and six nights of accommodation.

Deborah says: "Up to getting to Hanoi on March 12 there were no issues.

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"We then travelled to our final destination in Luang Prabang, Laos, expecting to leave on March 18.

Deborah MarshallDeborah Marshall
Deborah Marshall

"Vietnam Airlines cancelled our flight and rearranged it to March 19. But on March 19 we arrived at the airport to be informed that the Vietnam government would not allow us to fly to Hanoi to transit back to the UK.

"We contacted the British Embassy in Laos and they said we needed to find other means of getting back to the UK.

Deborah went back to their hotel in Laos and arranged the next available flight - for March 22 - at their own cost.

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The day before the flight both had to attend the local hospital for the doctor to sign a form for the Thailand government declaring they did not have coronavirus - but the Laos government would not allow the doctor to sign anything.

Paul MarshallPaul Marshall
Paul Marshall

Whilst at the hospital they found out their flight to Bangkok was cancelled.

The worried couple again rang the embassy in Laos and were advised to fly to the capital, Vientiane, as they would be more likely to be able to get international flights home.

The Marshalls managed to fly to Vientiane on March 24, and were then advised us to book a flight via Bangkok, but every flight from March 25 onwards was unavailable, except one at £3,000 each.

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Those flights have since been cancelled as Thailand has declared a state of emergency.

The embassy has also advised them not to travel through China or Moscow - their only other flight options - as they will not allow transit onto the UK.

Mum-of-two Deborah adds: " We have spent almost £3,000 ourselves as our insurance will not cover us and we are unsure when flights to UK will recommence.

"My husband has severe asthma and has previously suffered from a collapsed lung and without his medication it could be fatal. He is due to finish what medication we brought with us.

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"I just don’t understand why UK citizens cannot be repatriated like they have done for the people in Peru.

"Paul and I are both 50 and this was our birthday present holiday to each other. He has reoccurring pleural effusions and is on steroids to keep the fluids from returning.

"People may say why go on holiday but was our dream 50th holiday birthday together, bucket list style."

Paul said: "We have already maxed our credit cards booking for flights that have been cancelled.

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"The embassy is saying make your way out of Laos but all flights are gone and there's nothing until mid April - and that is only if Malaysia opens its border."

The couple are trying to keep in good spirits and joked they might set up a Just Giving page to charter a private jet home.

These are your rights if you get stranded abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak - and what to do if you have a holiday plannedA spokesman for the Marshall's insurers, Travel Insurance 4 Medical, said: “We are acutely aware that this is a very stressful time for everyone, especially those who are a long way from home and we have a lot of sympathy with this couple’s situation, there are sadly a number of people across the world who find themselves in similar positions due to border closures.

"If the airline cancelled their flight, then they should have been responsible for providing them with a new flight as well as assistance with accommodation etc.. or offered a full refund so that customers can rebook their own flights if they could and needed to.

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"This is why most travel insurance policies would not cover this sort of eventuality, simply because protection exists elsewhere. It is unfortunate that in this situation the airline have not fulfilled their obligation and we hope that they are able to return home safely soon, in the meantime their travel insurance will extend to ensure they are protected for medical expenses until they are physically able to return to the UK.”

The Post has contacted the Vice Consul in Laos for a comment.

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