U-Tapao, Thailand - Ngisho namantombazane adansa ahlinzekwa yihhotela lendawo awakwazanga ukujabulisa izinkulungwane zabahambi njengoba bezama ukubalekela iThailand ehlaselwe imibhikisho ngale ndawo yezindiza yenkathi yase-Vietnam.
“Ngiyaqala ngqa ukuba seThailand futhi mhlawumbe ngeke ngibuye,” kusho uGlen Squires, isivakashi esineminyaka engu-47 sase-England, ebeka iso elibi phezu kwezixuku.
“Abakwenzile bazidubule onyaweni.”
Kusukela ngoLwesihlanu, isizinda samasosha asolwandle i-U-Tapao amakhilomitha angu-190 (amamayela angu-118) eningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Bangkok kube ukuphela kwendlela yokungena noma yokuphuma kwezwe yezivakashi ezivinjwe uhulumeni ezikhumulweni zezindiza ezinkulu zenhloko-dolobha.
Abahambi abafike lapha bathole izixuku zabagibeli abakhathele nabathukuthele, onogada abahlomile, inqwaba kadoti, izintaba zemithwalo - kanye nesimo esishubile nesishubile.
Yakhiwa ngeminyaka yawo-1960 umbutho wasemoyeni wase-US futhi ifakwe isithwebuli se-X-ray esisodwa sezikhwama, i-airbase ingakwazi ukuphatha izindiza ezingaba ngu-40 kuphela ngosuku, uma kuqhathaniswa nomthamo wezindiza ezingu-700 zesikhumulo sezindiza esikhazimulayo sase-Bangkok i-Suvarnabhumi.
Kepha ngenxa yemibukiso, yikho konke lokho iThailand engakunikeza.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kuwubuwula,” kusho uDanny Mosaffi, 57, waseNew York City. “Babulele ezokuvakasha kuleli, iziphathimandla kumele zihambe zenze okuthile. Akekho umuntu ozoza lapha.”
Iziphathimandla zaseThailand zithi bangaphezu kuka-100,000 abahambi - baseThailand nabakwamanye amazwe - abakhanseliwe izindiza kusukela kwahlala iSuvarnabhumi ngoLwesibili kulokho ababhikishi abakubiza ngokuthi "impi yabo yokugcina" nohulumeni.
Abanye abasebenzeli bezokuvakasha bagibele abagibeli ngamabhasi behlela e-U-Tapao, eseduze nendawo yezivakashi e-Pattaya, kodwa ngolwazi okubonakala kunzima ukuluthola e-Bangkok, abanye beza bodwa benethemba ngaphezu kwalokho ababekulindele.
Isiminyaminya esikhulu sezimoto ezakhelwe ngaphandle kwendawo ethe thuthu. Amasosha aseThailand abephethe izibhamu zohlobo lwe-M16 aqaphe indlela yokungena esikhumulweni sezindiza ukuze avimbele ababhikishi abamelene nohulumeni ukuba bangene, njengoba abahambi befaka izikhwama zabo ngaphansi kwelanga.
Lapho isingaphakathi kwetheminali, kwakuyindawo yokuma kuphela. Abahambi babengaqiniseki ukuthi kufanele bangene kuphi. Olayini abade babezungeze isithwebuli semithwalo esasisodwa, lapho amasosha ayezama khona ukubamba isixuku esasishwibeka.
"Kuyisiphithiphithi esiphelele kanye ne-pandemonium," kusho uBonnie Chan, 29, waseSan Diego, eCalifornia.
“Sinikezwe imininingwane engalungile ezinkampanini zezindiza. Ihhovisi lenxusa laseMelika lithi ngeke likwazi ukusisiza. Siphakeme futhi somile. Izinkampani zezindiza zilokhu zisinikeza ithuba.”
Njengoba lingekho ibhodi lokusuka, abasebenzi bendiza baphakamise izimpawu ezithi “Ucingo lokugcina lokugibela, eMoscow,” kuyilapho abanye abasebenzi bemi ngaphakathi kwendawo yezokuphepha bacindezela izimpawu efasiteleni lengilazi elibiza abagibeli ukuba bagibele indiza eya eHong Kong.
Ngesinye isikhathi, iqembu labagibeli abangalawuleki langena ngomnyango endaweni yokuhlola ezokuphepha ngemva kokuba isisebenzi sezindiza simemezele ucingo lokugcina lokugibela indiza eya eTaipei.
Omunye wesifazane, owabanjwa yilokhu okuhlaselayo, waqala ukuklabalasa, futhi amasosha ayivala iminyango.
"Silaphe iziguli eziyisithupha namuhla," kusho uNan Soontornnon, 24, waseBangkok Hospital ePattaya, emi nodokotela nonesi emtholampilo wesikhashana.
“Abagibeli bake baphathwa yikhanda, ukukhathala nezinye izinkinga ezinjengokuquleka. Kodwa le ndawo ivikelekile emasosheni - iSuvarnabhumi ayinazo,” kusho yena.
Indawo okuwukuphela kwayo yokuthengisa kuka-U-Tapao kwaba yilapho abasebenzi besifazane behhotela elithile lasePattaya, besizakala ngezithameli ezithunjiwe, benza umdanso wesintu wase-Thai.
Abesifazane kamuva bagqoke izingubo ezibomvu nezesiliva ezine-feather boas, becula: “Uzothandana ePattaya. Ayikho enye indawo engcono esingaba kuyo.”
Lesi simo sidale ukukhathazeka kwamazwe ngamazwe.
Ungqongqoshe Wezangaphandle wase-Australia uStephen Smith uthe ngeSonto lesi simo "siyakhungathekisa", wengeza ngokuthi abanye abantu base-Australia abadukile "bacindezeleka kakhulu futhi siyakuqonda lokho."
Kodwa akubona bonke ababengajabule.
Amadoda amathathu aseRussia aqala ukudansa futhi ayangana ngaphandle kwebhilidi letheminali. Ababili bebengagqokile ihembe oyedwa ebengenalo ibhulukwe, bonke bebonakala bedakiwe.
“Konke kuhamba kahle,” kusho enye yala madoda enqabile negama layo. “Ngaphandle kokungaphuzi lutho. Alukho ucansi. Akukho ukudla. Ayikho imali,” emamatheka.
