Civil War - Time To Leave?

[jdwphuket]

I think the situation in Thailand has deteriorated to the point where civil war is a real possibility. Do you fear for your family's safety? Or, at least, its financial security? Are you thinking of leaving Phuket for this reason? Do you know anyone who already has?

[Kimera]

No

[fiddlehead]

1/ I thought about it, but decided no

2/ I guess if I have a worry, it is about money. But again, i say no, it doesn't cause me to lose sleep or anything.

3/ No

4/ No

[londonthai]

phuket is an island, after all, has an international airport and sea port - one of the safest in the whole thailand.

you should not worry that much, all the international hotel chains will protect their investments

[WOOHOO]

The only major event I've ever been aware of in Phuket was the tsunami. Riots, coups, mobs, politics etc etc, never seem to reach this far (there was a little scuffle at the airport a while back, but that's it) I don't think events in BKK will amount to much and certainly not to any level that the scare mongers would have you believe, but even if it did, down here, I think it would all pass us by

[jdwphuket]

phuket is an island, after all, has an international airport and sea port - one of the safest in the whole thailand.

you should not worry that much, all the international hotel chains will protect their investments

I'm not so sure a bomb couldn't go off in Phuket. In the event of some sort of insurgency, the red shirts might try and bomb a major tourist area like Bangla to kill the tourism industry and starve this staunchly Democrat region of income. Is that really so far fetched?

[mjnaus]

I'm not so sure a bomb couldn't go off in Phuket. In the event of some sort of insurgency, the red shirts might try and bomb a major tourist area like Bangla to kill the tourism industry and starve this staunchly Democrat region of income. Is that really so far fetched?

Yes, that is really, really far fetched....

[BWPattaya]

Sat in my house, listening to BBC Radio, no worries about civil war.

[Eazy-Going]

Back in my home country, (UK), if anything like this was going on we would be glued to our TV sets, computers, radios etc in search for the latest info. It would be the talk of everyone at work, in the pubs, on the streets...the main subject in any conversation, however, I now live in Udon Thani and everyone I speak to seems to have a scant opinion but not really THAT interested. They would rather watch the stupid Thai soaps than search the media for up-to-date info. Life goes on as normal up here, and apart from the many people who who have been paid to don a red shirt and head for the capital for the demo's, apathy rules up here. Civil War??? I don't think so and pray that it would never come to this.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Eazy-Going

[Chaimai]

No

[Lite Beer]

A post with references to the Monarchy has been deleted.

Also the reply to it.

[Thongkorn]

phuket is an island, after all, has an international airport and sea port - one of the safest in the whole thailand.

you should not worry that much, all the international hotel chains will protect their investments

Phuket is not much of an Island, I think it must be at least a couple of hundred meters from the mainland , as for the Airport , where can you go , I would not say International , you have to go to Bangkok first , unless thing have changed. Begs to wonder how the Bart is still strong with Civil war on the Horizon and a military government in waiting.

[WOOHOO]

Phuket is not much of an Island, I think it must be at least a couple of hundred meters from the mainland , as for the Airport , where can you go , I would not say International , you have to go to Bangkok first , unless thing have changed. Begs to wonder how the Bart is still strong with Civil war on the Horizon and a military government in waiting.

You can fly direct to a few asian countries and I'm fairly sure a couple of european ones.

Don't be such a drama queen. Civil war on the horizon. Says who?

[Thongkorn]

You can fly direct to a few asian countries and I'm fairly sure a couple of european ones.

Don't be such a drama queen. Civil war on the horizon. Says who?

My Thai family that Live In Bangkok

[Slaps]

Don't be such a drama queen. Civil war on the horizon. Says who?

[WOOHOO]

My Thai family that Live In Bangkok

So they know that a civil war is around the corner do they?? And when is said war due to kick off prey tell? I'll make sure I'm on a visa run that day.

[Ping]

Been back in Oz since January, but I've been following it loosely on the news. Nothing's likely to happen that would cause any great drama in Phuket (except for another possible event in the near future that I probably can't mention) - so I'm back in a few weeks again for my usual six months. There'll be far more drama when the 'unmentionable' event happens...

[Phuket Stan]

Phuket is not much of an Island, I think it must be at least a couple of hundred meters from the mainland , as for the Airport , where can you go , I would not say International , you have to go to Bangkok first , unless thing have changed. Begs to wonder how the Bart is still strong with Civil war on the Horizon and a military government in waiting.

Wow what rock have u been living under Phuket Airport has been International for years.....I first flew from Singapore to there 20 years ago....even then there were direct flights from Europe arriving and departing

Easy to work out why the baht is so strong like most asian currencies....the banks did not fall into the subprime and CDO mess that UK Europe and USA did....Thailand and Asia learnt the hard lesson in 1997

[jackdawson]

yes , it's incredibly dangerous and volatile .

farang should def. consider packing up

and those planning to come should postpone / cancel

[palm]

I live in Bangkok.

If anyone can let me know if I have the situation correct or not:

- 6 major roads blocked by about 15,000 mostly old and bewildered protesters, with a smaller hardcore group of thugs

- the remaining tens of thousands of roads and all other parts of Bangkok unaffected.

Today (Tuesday 27th) I went to HomePro in Ploenchit, where there is a Blue truck on the corner of the junction where the British Embassy is - apparently one of the blockade areas. There were about 15 people behind the barricades - and handfuls of people going back down towards Central Chitlom. All the roads by them were as busy as ever.

What ever happened to the red's million-person march? They can't even get 100,000 now.

Civil War? Not even the remotest chance from what I've seen over the past few weeks driving around Bangkok, Nonthaburi and up to Phitsanulok.

I'm not a particular fan of either 'side', but the red leaders have dug themselves into such a legal hole, they are going to need a miracle to get out of.

[Slaps]

yes , it's incredibly dangerous and volatile .

farang should def. consider packing up

and those planning to come should postpone / cancel

That's a bit over the top Jack

People can still come here and have a good time

Saw a couple today by the beach

[stevenl]

To all questions: no

[neverdie]

yes , it's incredibly dangerous and volatile .

farang should def. consider packing up

and those planning to come should postpone / cancel

That's a bit over the top Jack

People can still come here and have a good time

Saw a couple today by the beach

[Naam]

Phuket is not much of an Island, I think it must be at least a couple of hundred meters from the mainland , as for the Airport , where can you go , I would not say International , you have to go to Bangkok first , unless thing have changed. Begs to wonder how the Bart is still strong with Civil war on the Horizon and a military government in waiting.

"Bart" and "civil war" indicates "yada, yada, yada... yakety-yak"

[petercallen]

yes , it's incredibly dangerous and volatile .

farang should def. consider packing up

and those planning to come should postpone / cancel

If you lived in Phuket you would know that local Thai people don't want problems and

don't like whats going on in Bangkok.

Most want to improve there standard of living and work hard to do it, the problems in

Bangkok are just driving away tourists and making it hard for local people.

I have never felt threatened here and would not leave and the majority of expats

feel the same way.

[schlog]

NO!

[chiang mai]

I really can't see there being any problems in Phuket, too much vested interest and far too high profile. If there are problems, the border with Malaysia is quite close and there's a number of airports in this neck of the woods that'll get a person South pretty easily, Bangkok, that's another story.

Edited April 28, 2010 by chiang mai

[madmitch]

If I ever felt threatened then I would be out of here, hopefully taking my family with me, but I really don't believe that's going to happen in Phuket.

[andrisdg]

Politicians and commentators have an in built bias to be positive.

During the 90's president Bill Clinton avoided like the plague the use of the word genocide re Bosnia and Rwanda until the bleeding obvious could not be avoided

Civil war ,how does one define it ?. the political class in Iraq call it a insurgency ,yet the definition of civil war is armed conflict between citizens of the same country

The level or intensity of conflict is irrelevant to the definition of civil war

April 10 th can be seen as a defining moment ,a skirmish that is now spreading to civil disobedience in the provinces and a shattering in the cohesion of past and present power brokers ,particularly in the states security apparatus.

Civil wars like all wars start from small events and mushroom in a downward spiral

Currently the only difference between the situation in the south and the red shirt shirts is its ,location ,intent ,intensity and methodology

Civil insurrection be it ,called a liberation movement or whatever in the south and something else in the north at least have one common feature according to the defending power brokers ,they are terrorist organisations or harbour terrorists within them

[Ping]

yes , it's incredibly dangerous and volatile .

farang should def. consider packing up

and those planning to come should postpone / cancel

If you lived in Phuket you would know that local Thai people don't want problems and

don't like whats going on in Bangkok.

Most want to improve there standard of living and work hard to do it, the problems in

Bangkok are just driving away tourists and making it hard for local people.

I have never felt threatened here and would not leave and the majority of expats

feel the same way.

He doesn't live in Phuket. (He reckons he lives in Bangkok.)