This archive report was first published on 13 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, Renee Ezra, owner of tour firm The African Wanderlusts, boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport bound for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, via Istanbul and Bangkok.
Her journey was uneventful until she reached the check-in counter for the final leg of her flight, where she was asked to show $2,000 in cash by a Bangkok Airways agent, despite having a valid visa on arrival and a return ticket.
Ms Ezra was shocked and fazed by the request, as she had not been asked to show cash during her previous trip to Cambodia in 2016. She showed the agent some Sh132,000, but was told that they wanted to see US dollars.
After logging onto her online banking apps to prove that she had enough money, the agent refused to accept this as proof. Ms Ezra was forced to withdraw $500 from an ATM, but the nearest forex bureau refused to accept Kenyan currency.
With time running out, Ms Ezra sought help from the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand, but was told that it was not their place to assist in such matters. She then called the Cambodian immigration, who confirmed that there was no requirement for Kenyans to show $2,000.
However, the problem was not solved, and Ms Ezra was eventually put on a flight back home on Thursday. She was escorted by airport staff like a criminal and was not served by the hostesses on the plane.
Upon landing back at JKIA on Friday morning, Ms Ezra was handed back her passport and an envelope with a note stating that she had been denied entry into Bangkok by the immigration.
Ms Ezra has taken up the matter with the Kenyan authorities and has filed a case with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, recorded statements with the Immigration Department in Nairobi, and will be visiting the Foreign Affairs ministry on Monday.
