Is Everything Normal In Phuket?

[Logarhythm]

I flew out of Phuket last Friday and will be returning on Friday 24th April. I'm very concerned about the polititicl situation in Thailand. Is Phuket, and the south in general, likely to remain relatively stable?

[thaigerd]

I flew out of Phuket last Friday and will be returning on Friday 24th April. I'm very concerned about the polititicl situation in Thailand. Is Phuket, and the south in general, likely to remain relatively stable?

All pretty normal down here but nobody can make a prediction how it looks like at the 24th.

Gerd

[MisterMan]

Here from Phuket Wan..

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-perfec...-leaders-10988/

<h1 class="title">Phuket Perfectly Safe, Say Travel Leaders</h1> By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison

Monday, April 13, 2009 Phuketwan on Travel Warnings

PHUKET remains a perfectly safe holiday destination despite the confrontation on the streets of Bangkok.

Andaman region tourism industry leaders were anxious today to reassure visitors that they would be safe and secure on the island.

''There is nothing to worry about on Phuket,'' the director of the regional branch of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Setthapan Putthani, told Phuketwan.

''The protests are part of the democratic process. They are happening in a small part of the capital.

''Tourists on Phuket are enjoying their holidays as usual. Songkran is a great time to be here.

''Tourists should look at the travel warnings and distinguish between Bangkok and Phuket.''

Travel warnings for Thailand, upgraded by countries including China, Korea, Australia, Singapore, Germany and Malaysia, fail to take account of the political and geographical differences between Phuket and the capital.

Resorts on and around the Phuket region report 80 percent occupancy rates for the Songkran-Easter break. However, the numbers are likely to drop needlessly because of the travel alerts.

''Direct flights and charter flights to Phuket mean that tourists coming to the island are perfectly safe,'' Khun Setthapan said.

''There is also no suggestion of any group taking over Bangkok airport, so transfers are continuing unhindered.''

The problem for many travel agents is insuring their travellers, a new concept introduced recently in Europe, which means responsibility lies with with the agents.

This leads to a more cautious approach when nations issue travel warnings. As a result, the whole of Thailand's tourism industry suffers, even though Phuket is perfectly safe.

The director of Phuket International Airport, Wing Commander Wicha Nurnlop, said that there had been no cancellations of flights to Phuket.

''I don't understand why the news from Bangkok is made to seem so bad when there has really been very little violence,'' he said.

An additional 36 flights to Phuket have been added for the Songkran holiday period.

''Passengers coming through the airport are happy, as you'd expect holidaymakers with no concerns to be,'' Wing Commander Wicha said.

No Phuket events have been cancelled. The annual Phuket International Cricket Sixes tournament is set to go ahead on the island from April 15-April 19.

The People's Alliance for Democracy, the yellow-shirt group that blockaded the Bangkok airports in November and triggered the rise to power of the Democrat Party, plans a large outdoor concert on the island on April 18.

More than 5000 people are expected to attend.

PAD Phuket leader Natjarong Eakpemsub said today that there were only a few red-shirts on the island, traditionally a Democrat stronghold, and they had all gone to Bangkok.

[Somtamnication]

Let's see. Foreigners failed to take into account that Bangkok and Phuket had the same airport closures. TAT needs to make a serious assessment on their damage control technique. Nothing democratic about the way protests are carried out in Thailand. I can go on and on.

Nothing is ever normal in Phuket. However, comparing Phuket to BKK, yes, Phuket is as normal as it can be.

Things can change at a moment's notice. Come and enjoy. I flew in and met people coming from Bali, so like, why not come?

[fiddlehead]

I felt that the Songkran partying was much more subdued this year compared to the past 4 or 5.

I didn't have full buckets of ice water thrown at me at all this year and many times, people would only pour a few drops or cupful on me.

Maybe it was the rain this morning and around noon that kept things quieter than usual but i had the feeling that some Thai people felt ashamed at what was going on in Bangkok and tried to make amends for it. Traffic wasn't nearly as bad, lines weren't as long, maybe it was just less people celebrating.

[keemapoot]

Patong has been crazy all day with the water fights. Everything normal.