BootsnAll Travel Community

Does anyone have a phone or currne email contaact for Poona Travel in Phra-Arthit Rd Banglampoo Bangkok?

I am trying to track my daughter's and son-in-law's whereabouts. Sarah and Dan flew into Rangoon on Friday May 2 ahead of the cyclone. They emailed me from Poona Travel and Sarah took the time to give me the full address, but no phone or em. They may have booked or discussed accomodaation with Poona.

Does anyone know about current visa entry status to Burma?? I am planning to fly to Bangkok and then to Rangoon (Yangon) to look for them.

Michael

Michael

I don;t have specific help but there is a huge network of local folks on Couch Surfing. You can make a quick profile and leave a similar message there. Couple of folks there are also searching for loved ones.

http://www.couchsurfing.com/

Also there is current information from local Couchsurfers on the Burma/Mynmar group. Latest news from one of the CSers was not to try and go to alone because of the chaos ( i think she meant it more for folks who want to go and volunteer).

Also, read in news that aid workers themselves are waiting for visas.

Here is a number for the Australian disaster hotline. 612 6261 3305 that I got from the CS website (Mynmar group..couple of folks there are searching for freinds from Australia as well..maybe they can help you with some details on who you can contact at the OZ embassy)

The Swiss embassy hotline number.
From the US 011 41 31322 3151
e-mail: pa6-komsschutz@eda.admin.ch
(maybe they can help as well)


Best of luck..sorry could not help more.

Madhu

Thanks for your help. I am blown away by how many people are offering helpful bits to my questions.

I am about to go to the local agent and ask them to check visa availability, flights etc. As I probably need to register (wich I WILL do but later), I would appreciate it if you could ask the Couch Surfer folks on my behalf and I would love to make em contact with fellow searchers for friends from Australia. How best to do that?

Michael

Need full names of your kids and also any alias they use. Do you know if they use any of the travel boards, have a blog etc etc.

Will def post it for you on CS website.

Hi Flickring Away thaks for your help especially.

Thanks to all of rest of you (including Thorn Tree and BootsnAll) who so generously contributed to helping Linda and I deal with the angst of having Sarah and Dan in Burma with no communication from them since Cyclone Nargis. Last night we were overjoyed to receive an email from Sarah. Heres a quote:

"We are both fine. We were in Rangoon the night the cyclone hit and it was pretty scary. MOst of the windows in the hostel shattered, all of the trees on the street were uprooted, a large tree fell on our hostel and the building flooded. The city is now without any power, water or phone connection and there are major food and water shortages.
I knew you would be worried, but we had no way of contacting you until today. We managed to get a train to Mandalay in the North last night and arrived here this morning. I think we will just spend a few days in the north and then try to get an earlier flight back into Thailand.
The internet connections here are very unreliable ( even before the storm) so we probably won't be able to contact you again while we're here, but there's no reason for you to worry. We are safe and will email you as soon as we get back to Thailand."
(end quote)

Well I have already had my Hep A and Typhoid shots, and got Cholera and malaria medicine (plus a whole stack of other pain kilers, antibiotics and anti-dyssentery type medicines). I was booked to fly out on Thai Airlines arriving Rangoon Sat am. Now I will cancel this one. A lot of the medicines I may hang on to as we are off to India for 12-16 months in September. Also I am now well on the way to being packed for India, at least for the hot.

My message to all travellers is:
When travelling 'rough', please register your movements with the Embassies as you go, for the sake of your loved ones, and carry a mobile.

Cheers and happy trails to you all.

Michael and Linda Gardiner

Thanks to Margaret Graham at the Consular Operations Centre, Australian Embassy Canberra for your compassion and support (1300 555 135) in passing on all relevant information about Sarah and Dan to the Embassy in Rangoon. I was unable to contact Rangoon directly by phone. I got a reply email back from Rangoon which was very reassuring.

Margaret was posted to Bangkok when the 2004 Tsunami hit and was immediately seconded to Phuket with the brief "to find people". Be reassured that the Embassies are not just staffed by beuraucrats. They are out and about on the scene, in the thick of it should disaster strike. Well worth registering your movements with them as you go. Never be deluded into thinking it "wont happen to us"- and that in no way will registering youselves lessen the adventure and thrill of your travels.

Take risks and tether your camel.

Michael Gardiner

I'm so glad they are safe and were able to contact you.

Best wishes to you all.