A British yoga teacher found herself stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport after being barred from boarding her flight home due to a minor tear in her passport. Rosie Viscomi, 27, from Norfolk, was scheduled to fly back to London from Bangkok on Thursday, July 4. However, airline officials denied her passage on her £370 multi-stop flight, which included layovers in India and Turkey, citing a 1-centimetre rip on the photo page of her passport.
Viscomi, a dance and yoga teacher, had been residing on the Thai island of Koh Pha Ngan since April, following the completion of her yoga qualification in India. During her stay, she engaged in voluntary work and furthered her yoga practice before deciding to return home. Despite having extended her visa just days earlier, she was informed at the airport that her visa had expired, making her stay illegal.
Left in distress, Viscomi spent the following days coordinating with Thai immigration and the British Embassy to secure her return, incurring significant expenses in the process. “When I went for my flight on Thursday, they said, ‘You’re not going anywhere with that,’ referring to the small rip in my passport,” Viscomi recounted. “They told me India won’t let me in, and I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London. I missed my £370 flight and had to apply for emergency documents. I don’t have any money left.”
Previously, Viscomi had traveled to America and Jamaica without encountering such issues, leaving her shocked by the strict enforcement. “I didn’t know if they were going to arrest me because I didn’t have the correct stamp. I was at immigration just crying, and everyone kept saying there was nothing they could do. I thought I had all the right visa documents. I just want to go home.”
Viscomi’s family has stepped in to help with the financial burden. Her sister has set up a fundraising page, which has raised £280 of the £1,000 target so far. Meanwhile, Viscomi has managed to secure a new flight and emergency travel documents, hoping to return to England on July 9. IndiGo Airlines has been contacted for comment, reported The Mirror UK.
Attending the incident were various officials and staff from IndiGo Airlines, who maintained their stance on the passport issue. Despite the setback, Viscomi remains hopeful for a smooth return journey.
