27 Countries Issues Travel Advisories And Warnings For Thailand

[xminator]

And the trouble spots are?

If you find yourself in an intersection and see a fashion show of red approching from one side, a blue mob from another road and then some yellow unarmed citizens from the third, well, you've found your spot of trouble.

I guess the 14th rally is one of those where people dont go home. Landing in Bangkok shortly after, so think any shopping in Bangkok i canceled.

[somluck]

What color shirt to wear that day would be the safest?

[bsssboy]

Stay away from the trouble spots and everything should be fine...

Or at least have a bag full of different colored tshirts with you

that is a nice one..

[YanTree]

What color shirt to wear that day would be the safest?

White skin. Both sides know Farang have nothing to do with this and there aren't going to be people on the streets looking for blood from anybody they can find.

I agree that TV should tone down the subject line of their email's. Fear mongering at it's finest to generate pageviews. Don't you care about your reputation, though? And what happens when there is a real crisis or problem and 90% of people ignore your email because it sounds just like all the others?

[somluck]

What color shirt to wear that day would be the safest?

White skin. Both sides know Farang have nothing to do with this and there aren't going to be people on the streets looking for blood from anybody they can find.

I agree that TV should tone down the subject line of their email's. Fear mongering at it's finest to generate pageviews. Don't you care about your reputation, though? And what happens when there is a real crisis or problem and 90% of people ignore your email because it sounds just like all the others?

Advisories from 27 countries foreign ministries can hardly be called fear mongering. No country would want their citizens to get hurt while overseas. Better to err on the side of caution

[mythBuster]

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

Don't think so.

I can't imagine anything will happen in the next few weeks. It takes time to work out a strategy. Besides a change of strategy is already taking place. The red shirts target the money too. Bangkok Bank doing business with Surayud and Prem, Kasikorn as a sponsor of the yellow shirts, CP and so on.

By targeting those sponsors of I assume what they consider injustice, they do not only damage their economic interests, they make people in the countryside very much aware of whom they dhould avoid. That hurt them very much. This government does not give a rats ass about the democratic majority. We have seen that when the military pushed people who were elected under the TRT/PPP banner of Thaksin, who betrayed their voters by switching sides, we see it also with mass demonstrations and courts who refuse to take action against the Dmeocrat party for accepting a 245 million baht bribe from a company that owes billions of dollars in NPL's to banks abroad, we see it with the lack of will to prosecute the yellow shirts for occupations. (Postponement because the yellow shirt leaders are busy in the country side). In any normal operating country those people should be handcuffed and brought in front of a court. So bringing in a million or two million people will simply be ignored. After all the tea money from the stimulus package is not yet in the bank.

Embarrassing the military and big companies that are at the wrong side of the equation will be a totally new ballgame, something you cannot suppress by asking uneducated soldiers to shoot at unarmed demonstrators. Therefore violence is unlikely, but embassies do have the task to warn anyhow, after all there are no guarantees.

[vitalia]

Police and soldiers man a security cordon outside the Supreme Court opposite Sanam Luang on February 23, 2010. Security around teh court has been tightened ahead of the verdict on the Thaksin Shinawatra assets seizure case on February 26. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

All tourists that stay in the Kao San Rd area are near the hot zone. Another possible hot zone is Victory Monument.

As long as you stay away from Government buildings in the area near the Palace and Sanam Luang, my guess is that you will be ok. The rest of this HUGE city is perfectly safe as always. I have been through 3-4 coups (lost count) already here. Have a cold one and relax.

Edited February 24, 2010 by vitalia

[The Philosopher]

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Wouldn't the foreign news reports be saying it?

I think people just don't understand Thailand and are overreacting. This stuff is never dangerous for tourists now matter how bad it gets.

Random gunfire is pretty dangerous just look at the vids from the last round and from the last coup

[krakatoa]

And the trouble spots are?

Mobs of angry red shirt wearing Thai people. These things are easy to avoid and the warning over hyped but it's the governments responsibility to at least inform people.

Don't bet on it (warning over hyped) they have had three major periods of rioting and the blood has flowed down the gutters on each occasion.

AND, there are people still anaccounted for from 1992.

AND furthermore, since that time the average IQ of denizens of LOS has dropped severall percentage points "and it wasn't that flash before"

[RKASA]

Sign up for the advisories at your embassy web site and you would have already received the same warnings during the airport closing and the sacking of government house. It nothing special, but good advice. Don't join a crowd while carrying an anti or pro Thaksin sign about. like daaaaa.

but I am sure with emails and PM's being sent to all TV members the thing is getting lots of attention. My advice on shirt color is - don't wear a shirt and work on your tan, because if this is news to you you don't get out much anyway.

[pcrooms]

Be alert. The world needs more lerts.

I'm a lert

[nyles]

Here in Hua Hin we have military helicopters circling low over the city now - especially over the Royal Palace - scary - like a war zone. Something is definitely going on.

[backsoon]

What color shirt to wear that day would be the safest?

White skin. Both sides know Farang have nothing to do with this and there aren't going to be people on the streets looking for blood from anybody they can find.

I agree that TV should tone down the subject line of their email's. Fear mongering at it's finest to generate pageviews. Don't you care about your reputation, though? And what happens when there is a real crisis or problem and 90% of people ignore your email because it sounds just like all the others?

I said it before and stand by it now: Thailand is safe

Just watch out for those mad dogs. They smell Farang!

[brianb1944]

So why is the Baht gaining strength on the international money markets? If anything it should be dropping like a stone!

Maybe because of the anticipated injection of 76billion baht into the economy??

[somluck]

So why is the Baht gaining strength on the international money markets? If anything it should be dropping like a stone!

Maybe because of the anticipated injection of 76billion baht into the economy??

into the pockets of the elites.....

[TonyH]

"However, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Suraphon Svetsreni said yesterday that the agency had already taken measures to cope with the turmoil."

What they plan is to hand out automatic weapons at the airport the spokes person has been quoted as saying "we have found ourselves in the lucky position of being in posetion of lots of korean automatic weapons so we would like to make good use of them, rather than exposing our beloved Khon Thai to danger we can conviniently get rid of the Farangs and the red shirts all at once" We will be charging the Farangs extra for the bullets"

[Jirapa]

Drink your tea and read your paper. 2 sugers and a pinch of salt fit's the bill! What a load of rubbish to be polite. I love a bit of civil unrest as proves the Thais have opinions they're willing to stand up and fight for. Have to remember in western countries women a blacks didn't have the right to vote and if it wasn't for a few brave people making noise it would have stayed that way. Hope no one gets shot but up with people power whatever side your on! Peace and Love!

[Mario2008]

The travel advisories are in general not to avoid Thailand, but to avoid Bangkok and or large demonstrations. Some also advice not to wear red or yellow shirts.

[Jirapa]

"However, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Suraphon Svetsreni said yesterday that the agency had already taken measures to cope with the turmoil."

What they plan is to hand out automatic weapons at the airport the spokes person has been quoted as saying "we have found ourselves in the lucky position of being in posetion of lots of korean automatic weapons so we would like to make good use of them, rather than exposing our beloved Khon Thai to danger we can conviniently get rid of the Farangs and the red shirts all at once" We will be charging the Farangs extra for the bullets"

Where do you get your facts? Bubblegun wrappers or toilet doors? So long as you don't live in the tourist traps most Thais actually like us!

Edited February 24, 2010 by Jirapa

[Jirapa]

The travel advisories are in general not to avoid Thailand, but to avoid Bangkok and or large demonstrations. Some also advice not to wear red or yellow shirts.

Watch out Liverpool and Man U! Maybe you should sport your Chelsea and Everton strips this month

[HakimKlunker]

This looks like terrorism. Can't we just call the USA for some more bomb testing?

At least we get some entertainment for free now.

Stay in your bunkers and take some photos for the friends back home.

[Donnyboy]

Drink your tea and read your paper. 2 sugers and a pinch of salt fit's the bill! What a load of rubbish to be polite. I love a bit of civil unrest as proves the Thais have opinions they're willing to stand up and fight for. Have to remember in western countries women a blacks didn't have the right to vote and if it wasn't for a few brave people making noise it would have stayed that way. Hope no one gets shot but up with people power whatever side your on! Peace and Love!

making noise is ok, violence is not!!

fine if they want to protest and make a stand, but when the thugs come out they get no sympathy as far as im concerned

[Jirapa]

Drink your tea and read your paper. 2 sugers and a pinch of salt fit's the bill! What a load of rubbish to be polite. I love a bit of civil unrest as proves the Thais have opinions they're willing to stand up and fight for. Have to remember in western countries women a blacks didn't have the right to vote and if it wasn't for a few brave people making noise it would have stayed that way. Hope no one gets shot but up with people power whatever side your on! Peace and Love!

making noise is ok, violence is not!!

fine if they want to protest and make a stand, but when the thugs come out they get no sympathy as far as im concerned

I don't condone violence but sometimes it's unavoidable especially when someones beating you with a stick. Fact of life, right or wrong, change comes at a price.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Jirapa

[brianb1944]

Why is it not a single Thai among my hundreds of Thai friends and acquaintances (farmer to professional) have never mentioned Friday the 26th?

Is this perhaps a farang news feeding frenzy, with even the embassies believing the local English and Thai media (fed by the scare-mongering of meddlesome politicians and retired military has-beens)?

Having your head in the sand is only ok if you can breath through your nether orifice. Perhaps your Thai friends like to keep their politics to their own kind.

[somluck]

Drink your tea and read your paper. 2 sugers and a pinch of salt fit's the bill! What a load of rubbish to be polite. I love a bit of civil unrest as proves the Thais have opinions they're willing to stand up and fight for. Have to remember in western countries women a blacks didn't have the right to vote and if it wasn't for a few brave people making noise it would have stayed that way. Hope no one gets shot but up with people power whatever side your on! Peace and Love!

making noise is ok, violence is not!!

fine if they want to protest and make a stand, but when the thugs come out they get no sympathy as far as im concerned

Glad that you recognise who are the thugs.

[Jirapa]

Why is it not a single Thai among my hundreds of Thai friends and acquaintances (farmer to professional) have never mentioned Friday the 26th?

Is this perhaps a farang news feeding frenzy, with even the embassies believing the local English and Thai media (fed by the scare-mongering of meddlesome politicians and retired military has-beens)?

Having your head in the sand is only ok if you can breath through your nether orifice. Perhaps your Thai friends like to keep their politics to their own kind.

He's right, your wrong! Most Thais really don't give a shhhheeet. 61 million Thais and only a couple of hundred thousand actually care enough to demonstrate. If people start dieing that might change but most just want to make a living whoever's in power. Thais are subservient and cool as lets face it life's good here for most.

[SomchaiFuhlang]

I was here for the military coup in 2006, which was, surprisingly enough, a non event for "fuhlangs" here. I remember the Thai governement closed the banks the day of the coup, but the next day everything seemed normal. Can't imagine there will be much to this either, excepting maybe a few Red or Yellow Shirt protest rallies, depending on the court decision. If the situation does heat up a bit maybe it will help the crappy U.S. dollar/baht exchange rate for a little while. We can always hope. Anyway, like others have mentioned, if you stay away from the colored shirt rallies, you'll be fine.

[daveb1]

Each time the thai visa issues warnings, it seems that the armageddon day coming up.

Take it easy

I agree, i have been here through many of the troubles and never seen a tourist have problems news media love to hype things up!

Edited February 24, 2010 by daveb1

[somluck]

I was here for the military coup in 2006, which was, surprisingly enough, a non event for "fuhlangs" here. I remember the Thai governement closed the banks the day of the coup, but the next day everything seemed normal. Can't imagine there will be much to this either, excepting maybe a few Red or Yellow Shirt protest rallies, depending on the court decision. If the situation does heat up a bit maybe it will help the crappy U.S. dollar/baht exchange rate for a little while. We can always hope. Anyway, like others have mentioned, if you stay away from the colored shirt rallies, you'll be fine.

thanks for sharing, anyone who was here during the bloody songkran last year got anything to share?

[cavelight]

1992:

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrTY1WE2P7U&feature=related

Scary enough for you?