Thread by @ReneeEzra

My next couple of tweets are about the horrible ordeal that I went through @bangkok_airways in Thailand at the Bangkok airport and @TurkishAirlines the international flight I booked with from Nairobi to Cambodia!
Kindly bare with me! It’s a long Read! I’m infuriated!

I will describe this whole ordeal as black profiling in flights and airports, something that governments need to put a stop to, to protect the black travel community!

As a frequent traveler, all my bookings are always last minute! A night before departure!
Hence, this time round it was no different! Booked @TurkishAirlines flight late Monday night, for Tue, 8th of October, 4:30 flight from Nairobi to Cambodia via Turkey and BKK

All connecting flights were provided by @turkishairways
First leg of the journey went well with no problems at all! My nightmare began soon as I landed early Wednesday Morning, Thai time, the 9th October in Bangkok airport for my connecting flights to Cambodia! I had at-least 3h

I immediately headed to @bangkokairways
Connecting departure desk to get boarding passes! They had a look at the itinerary and documents, everything was in perfect order from flights to accommodation!

They asked for the visa to Cambodia, told them it was on arrival! They checked and confirmed it! Having found literally nothing to hold against checking me in, after over ten minutes, that’s when all hell broke loose!

#Travelingwhileblack

They said they needed to see 2000 USD CASH for them to allow me to board the flight! I showed them my previous visa to Cambodia in 2016, where the immigration in Cambodia just required my bank statements then, they needed no cash proof.

After a lengthy conversation leading nowhere, I decided to go withdraw money and show it to them to get it over with! Managed to get 500 USD as that’s my limit in a day! No atm gives you 2000 USD instantly! 🙄

Brought them the 500 USD with an additional 132,000 KES that was to be exchanged at a bureau in Cambodia! That’s literally almost 2000 USD CASH!
The KES couldn’t be exchanged inside the Thai airport sadly! So they didn’t acknowledge it!

So I decided to show them my bank statements and account balances online, even with all the money they saw, they still refused and insisted on CASH!
And that’s how I missed the flight as they refused to check me in!
Next option? Decided to call the Cambodian immigration.

They responded and said they didn’t need cash, the bank statements would do, and furthermore I had all return tickets and full itinerary showing it was just a week of holidays, they said they saw no problem at all! Right in front of them!

@bangkok_airways

They seemed unnerved even after the phone call! Now, the part that hurt most was that there were soo many people being checked in without having to show cash!
To make matters worse, there was a black man facing same problem!

We were utterly being profiled by our skin color!
@bangkok_airways do you only require black travelers traveling through you to show you 2000 USD CASH? Even after the country they’re transferring to confirms that they do not need that

@bbcswahili @BBCBreaking @KTNKenya

Anyway, after trying for hours, Tried to contact @TurkishAirlines to no avail! No one was helping! At that point I just needed a flight back home because I’ve never felt this low through all my years of travel!

When the transfer desks for @TurkishAirlines opened, I told them I needed a flight back. I was done! They started deliberating with @bangkok_airways as to why I wouldn’t board! I stood there stood for over two hours as they “tried” to find a flight back home!

They asked for the passport citing they needed my details! Details they already had in their systems! And even went ahead and took photocopies of it against my will!
I was only informed as the flight was boarding that they’ll put me on that flight.

They wouldn’t let me have my travel documents till I got back to Nairobi! Escorted by one of their staff!
I was shocked and traumatized!
Why would they do this an explanation?
Is this what you call deportation? Under what grounds?

@TurkishAirlines @bangkok_airways

What was the reason other than being black!?????

Even as the air hostesses were being rude towards me as they were serving citing they don’t have to offer me any services while serving the other passengers!
Didn’t I pay for that flight????
I’m I not on the same flight as them?

@TurkishAirlines

@TurkishAirlines why on earth would you do treat your passengers like this?
Without giving them a reason to begin with?
Because they’re black?
Because they don’t walk around carrying 2000 USD in cash but have thousands in their accounts...

As a human being I am deeply hurt, saddened and disappointed by your actions @bangkok_airways and @TurkishAirlines
You need to do better as service providers and not segregate!

Dear black people, we deserve better! Especially black travelers!

#Travelingwhileblack

There are many others going through this daily!
Just a week ago, a group of East African Girls studying in China went through the same shit!
Same country, Same airport!
#Thailand #Bangkok

Landed in Turkey this Morning ,escorted to the transfer desks by staff carrying my documents! It’s been over 2 hours now, no word from them!
To make matters worse, near me is a
group of ONLY ALL BLACK PEOPLE in the same situation! All Black!
So it’ a pattern! It’s a norm! 😡

Shame on You @bangkok_airways and @TurkishAirlines

Do better as service providers and prove us wrong that this isn’t a mere case of racial discrimination!

@citizentvkenya @ImmigrationDept @KTNKenya @BBCBreaking @bbcswahili @cnni @cnnbrk

12 hour forced layover, No Food, no water where they’re holding us!

@ImmigrationDept Help!
@KTNKenya

Being held against my will for no reason at all!

@TurkishAirlines @bangkok_airways

Called the Kenyan embassy in Thailand while at the airport but the lady who picked up said it wasn’t their place to intervene!

Are you kidding? That’s why there is an embassy there!

@ImmigrationDept

UPDATE:

Landed safely back to the country early today morning!
Upon receiving my passport back at JKIA immigration offices, the official claim on the envelope is not the same claim that Bangkok Airways had!

Bangkok Airways said I wouldn’t board their flight to Cambodia because I didn’t have 2000 USD cash on me,
Of which they were even willing to get it to 1700 USD, meaning it’s not a set policy if they were willing to accept either amount!

The official envelope that was carried throughout the deportation states

“Refused by BKK Immigration.”

Which is ridiculous because I was in transit to board my next flight!

I NEVER PASSED THROUGH IMMIGRATION!

Neither did I meet anyone from immigration as I was not stepping out of the airport!

All this comes down to one thing! THEY HAD NO VALID REASON for the deportation!

And citing one of the Turkish officials who took me to the plane, he was very friendly and even smiled saying “Same old, same old Reasons!”
Meaning, this is the same thing they do to black travelers!
So even if I had the 2000 USD, they probably would have found something else!

Soo many loopholes which I’ve taken up with the Kenyan authorities at the airport and hope this will serve as an example to all these airlines that do not advocate for fair and pleasant treatment to all their customers regardless of their skin color!

Massive thanks to everyone who followed up on this, sent words of encouragement and even shared their own personal experiences!

And @ImmigrationDept Thanks for reaching out and making sure I was okay and that you’re willing to meet to look into this!

Here’s to hoping this opens the conversations about matters that we as black people esp. from 3rd world countries face during travels,

Puts an end/helps into advocating for Black Travelers who are discriminated day in day out during their Travels!

The Fight’s Just Began!