The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the past 3 days has been issuing warnings for its citizens via their Smart Traveller website .

Thailand overall: Level 3 - High degree of caution.

Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla: Just been upgraded to Level 4 - Reconsider your need to travel.

Quote: " We strongly advise you to reconsider your need to travel at this time to the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla or overland to and from the Malaysian border through these provinces, due to high levels of ongoing violence in these regions, including terrorist attacks. On 18 and 19 February 2007 a series of 38 bomb attacks and around 26 arson attacks took place in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces resulting in approximately 72 casualties including seven deaths. Targets included entertainment venues, power grids, petrol stations, telephone lines and other commercial sites, including a department store. The targets of the arson attacks included two government schools and Narathiwat central mosque."

The next level - level 5 is Do not travel.

I wonder if the Australian government is privy to information that we mortals do not have and wants to protect its citizens.

I have only been as far south as Phuket - I would really like to visit the true southern regions as I am sure the photos I have seen of the region do not do it justice.

Just wondering how safe expats feel in those provinces?

Peter

basically it's not a joke .........................

if you don't need to go then don't ........................

I would still travel to those areas if I had a good enough reason, but as there are no main tourist attractions there and it is becoming un-safer day by day, unless you are desperate to go down there, it would be better to stay further north.

The Oz Govnt and Embassy's travel warnings (and updated ones) havent really changed for the fast few months, I think they just re-sent it to everyone because of the latest bombings and to remind everyone. They are just trying to inform their citizens how to stay safe, so im sure the warnings are made to sound a little worse than the actual situation. Anywhere, after the bombings in BKK new years eve, you cant really single out the South anymore, it seems like any popular area is subject to terrorist attacks. The violence in the south does not seem to be aimed at westerners anyway, its more a regional issue...................