Hey all. Planning to travel to thailand March 16th (departing from Minneapolis) to April 4th. I was curious about the current issue with the Thanksin and what not, especially the big rally that is supposed to happen on March 14th. I have family that live there and it's funny that half of them say its not an issue, and the other half strongly urge that I don't travel at this time. My plan is to stay March 18-20 in Bangkok with my family there, and then travel up north to Chiang mai. Also, is Phu ket safe right now?

Any advice would be great!

I think anyone replying to you will likely say there are lots of threads to read on the situation. The 'breaking news' recent threads say it all, and then some. Not sure about any rally on 14th but no doubt it'll become clear.

What I have gathered - and I am due into BKK on March 10 - is the same as I always gather (and I've been through a couple of unrestful times there) and that's to simply follow the advice of avoiding the demo areas if any, and personally I stay away from commenting on Thai politics if it comes to it. Can't see CM or Phuket being any different. Generally, take as much care as you sensibly would, which if you have family, they can help you with.

Worst I ever had was being stuck in BKK while the airport was closed; can't see that happening again *touching lots of wood* and it just meant I got a justifiable extra week off

If you're ultra-worried, check your embassy advice and sign up for any updates if it has that service. And as there are never any guarantees in life, you can always put off your visit.