A WORCESTER woman has been reunited with her family after she was trapped in Thailand on a holiday from hell.

Marina Chadwick said she had to live off rations and sleep on suitcases for five nights in three different airports after anti-government protesters brought flights in and out of the country to a stand-still.

During that time Miss Chadwick missed her son Edwin’s ninth birthday and even before the protests prevented people from getting home the holiday had been marred by a monsoon.

The 48-year-old of Sycamore Road, off Tunnel Hill, who was on holiday with her brother Pete, said it was a break to forget. “I’m absolutely shattered and now I’ve got a chest infection,” she said.

“I’m just tired, absolutely worn out.”

Miss Chadwick said she was due to fly home from the island of Ko Samui on Friday, November 28, but their flight had been cancelled because of the protests.

Two nights at that airport were followed by another two at another military airport.“There were thousands of people there of all nationalities, it was really crowded,” she said. “We literally just had to find a space wherever we could and sit and sleep on our suitcases. It was a bit rough.

“The Red Cross were there handing out free bottles of water, sandwiches and fruit but it was very hot.”

Struggling for money, the pair were eventually offered free hotel accommodation until the protests – calling for a change of prime minister – ended.

They then stayed the night at Bangkok airport – the scene of some of the most vociferous protests – on Saturday for fear of missing their flight before getting on a plane home Sunday. But even that was not without its worries.

“When we got our flight that was a bit scary because we had to go to Mumbai airport in India,” she said. “We were really nervous but the security was tight and we managed to get our flight to Heathrow.”

Mother-of-six Miss Chadwick said the worst thing about the whole ordeal was missing Edwin’s ninth birthday.

“I missed my little boy’s birthday which really upset me,” she said. “He’s got autism so he doesn’t really understand.”

Miss Chadwick, who works for Worcestershire County Council’s social services home care team, said she did not think she would seek compensation for their ordeal.

“We are putting it down to a bad experience,” she said. “We are just so glad to be home.”