Thai FM Surapong: 8 countries have already issued travel warnings

[webfact]

MFA: 8 countries already issued travel warnings



BANGKOK, 6 November 2013 (NNT) – According to Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichackchaikul, eight countries have already issued travel warnings to their people, urging them to avoid demonstration sites in Thailand.

The Foreign Minister said so far French, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Israel, and Japan have already issued warnings to their people traveling in Thailand. However, the ASEAN nations have not yet issued any warnings. The warning issued states that travelers, for their own safety, should try to avoid or not to pass through demonstration sites in the kingdom.

Furthermore, the Foreign Minister said in his capacity as the Foreign Minister of Thailand that he does not want to see the country's tourism industry to be affected as now is the country's high season, with festivities such as Loy Kratong and Christmas closing in.

He added that every group has the right to protest, however, they should consider the effects caused whether to the economy or the image of the country. He urged all sides to remain calm and let the senate do its job in deliberating the controversial amnesty bill.


-- NNT 2013-11-06

[ratcatcher]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

[DocN]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

Wait! Just wait!

[soi41]

Maybe if the PT government, which Surapong is part of, had not forced the amnestybill (whitewashing all cheats, of all colors) through the house, there would be no need for any government to issue travelwarnings??

As for the travelwarnings?? Is it too much to ask grown up travellers to use common sense??

[laurentbkk]

what did they expect ? Those warnings are normal ... if you want your tourism to be safe you need to change a lot of things ...

[bhakta]

A coupls of years back the current government's followers nearly burned central Bangkok to the ground, they disrupted life in the center of the city of months on end. Now they are in power by purchasing the vote bank with their give-aways, and they can't tolerate a little protesting by those who cannot support fogiving convicted criminals? Why not just let every criminal go free and forgive all of them?

[tonneke breda]

The Israeli's?????

Do they not have a travel warning for any country beside Israel??

[Thait Spot]

My God!

What a terrible photo.

He looks like some kind of hideous green mutant

[Mosha]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

Unless the Gov are going to turn the police loose.

[Jane Doe]

What happens when a country/embassy issues a travel warning?

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

[ratcatcher]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

Wait! Just wait!

Another TVF headline.

"Army chief concerned demonstrations would escalate"

So, what if they do? Is there a message in there somewhere?

Are there plans for some protesters of another persuasion (Red) to join the so-far peaceful assembly at Democracy Monument?

[clockman]

Notice! he only talks about loosing money, Greed and corruption. The only creed these people think about.

[Lupatria]

Looks like ghosts and invisible hands are busy to drive the entire country into the ground.

[Torrens54]

We all know, and I think most potential tourists know as well, that these Travel Warnings are simply "a matter of course." otherwise known as "covering your backside" on the part of the foreign governments.

If they don't issue them and something goes wrong, there is "hell to pay" in Australia, Austria, the UK, the USA and so on.

I was here during past "Military Interventions" in 1992 and 2006 and even then, as a Foreigner, I was perfectly safe.

In the first instance, I was responsible for some 200 Travel Industry guests who we were hosting in Bangkok. When the trouble broke out, we offered to get them home on the first available flight out of town. Only two people took that option, the rest were bused to Pattaya where we relaxed for a couple of nights at the Montien Hotel (which was kind enough to offer unstinting assistance during the situation) before returning to BKK and resuming our Familiarization tour. Sure, we explained the "rules of engagement" to our guests, including, "not sticking their noses into Thai affairs" and they abided by those rules, which simply amounted to using common sense.

In 2006 I was working in CNX and again, at no time did I or anyone I know feel "endangered," so let us hope that this current "scare" blows over and has no disastrous impact on Foreign Tourism to our beautiful country.

[PaullyW]

My god. For a country that does very little to acknowledge or at least protect tourists (aka foreigners), you can't see ANY discussion of Thailand's macro economy without significant mention of tourism.

Surely tourism accounts for a larger percentage than they would have us believe?

[jaapfries]

My God!

What a terrible photo.

He looks like some kind of hideous green mutant

NEVER judge a book by its cover ! ! ! !

[be that as it may; this is not a "book" I would rush-out to buy either ! L.O.L.]

[Card]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

I was at Ratchaprasong and other locations in 2010 and their was friendliness there.

[gemini81]

The Israeli's?????

Do they not have a travel warning for any country beside Israel??

That's what I thought. Or a warning to the rest of us....

[thaicbr]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

 

 

I was at Ratchaprasong and other locations in 2010 and their was friendliness there.

Even if you were wearing a yellow shirt???

Sent from my phone with the app thingy.

[Commander Tamson]

My god. For a country that does very little to acknowledge or at least protect tourists (aka foreigners), you can't see ANY discussion of Thailand's macro economy without significant mention of tourism.

Surely tourism accounts for a larger percentage than they would have us believe?

It's not all about tourism of course; such things deeply affect foreign investment and that's big big bucks into the Thai economy. Look what the SET [stock Exchange of Thailand] has been doing over the past few weeks and tell me that the current controversy over the Amnesty Bill has nothing to do with those falls.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Joe Mamma]

They promised amnesty for illegals only in 1992 and now another amnesty. When do they stop?

[virtualtraveller]

Gotta love it, Peua Thai in total denial once again, they're just innocently legislating and the whole country going bezerk in reaction is all the pesky spoil sport Dem-PADs who actually want to ruin the tourist season just to spite this wonderful popular govt.

[saltandpepper]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

I was at Ratchaprasong and other locations in 2010 and their was friendliness there.

I was there too, and at other locations around, and I saw a lot of unfriendliness !

[ratcatcher]

I believe that the protesters at Democracy Monument, a stone's throw from that trendy Khao San Road area, will welcome tourists with open arms.

This is not 2010 at Ratchaprasong, there's nobody in another country inciting violence.

I was at Ratchaprasong and other locations in 2010 and their was friendliness there.

No question, I am sure you were welcome. It is the fact that there were others among the friendly down home folks that had an ulterior motive orchestrated by Big Brother up there on screen in his red shirt.

[humqdpf]

My god. For a country that does very little to acknowledge or at least protect tourists (aka foreigners), you can't see ANY discussion of Thailand's macro economy without significant mention of tourism.

Surely tourism accounts for a larger percentage than they would have us believe?

Tourism only represents 6% of GDP in Thailand. It is highly visible and probably has a larger effect on the poor than industries such as manufacturing (44% approx of the economy) because of its labor intensity and fluidity.

There are reasons why tourism seems to appear in economic discussions a lot more than other sectors, such as manufacturing. It is because some of the features of tourism (sensitivity to security, unrest, exchange rates, transport) are precisely those that also affect foreign direct investment.

Given that tourism only represents 6% of the economy, we should be thankful that the country has a police force devoted to tourists (few other countries have bothered to do that).

[richard10365]

Protest???? What protest?

[PaullyW]

My god. For a country that does very little to acknowledge or at least protect tourists (aka foreigners), you can't see ANY discussion of Thailand's macro economy without significant mention of tourism.

Surely tourism accounts for a larger percentage than they would have us believe?

 

Tourism only represents 6% of GDP in Thailand. It is highly visible and probably has a larger effect on the poor than industries such as manufacturing (44% approx of the economy) because of its labor intensity and fluidity.

 

There are reasons why tourism seems to appear in economic discussions a lot more than other sectors, such as manufacturing. It is because some of the features of tourism (sensitivity to security, unrest, exchange rates, transport) are precisely those that also affect foreign direct investment.

 

Given that tourism only represents 6% of the economy, we should be thankful that the country has a police force devoted to tourists (few other countries have bothered to do that).

Admittedly without data to the contrary, I find the 6% figure difficult to believe given 1) how much attention the topic gets from very senior political and business leadership and 2) the fact that those figures cannot possibly account for the huge underground (grey/black) economy in Thailand which includes the sums contributed to the economy through various forms of the sextrade.

How many countries anywhere in the world go on so frequently RE tourism? I've lived all over the world, and I've not seen it to such a degree anywhere else.

As for the police force "devoted" to tourists, I'm guessing you are trying to get a laugh or perhaps you are being serious and meant "How many countries have 'needed' to do that"?

[ratcatcher]

Protest???? What protest?

Is it hot in that basement?

[madmitch]

I wonder if the TAT have been informed, or will we still get the regular "This will not have any effect upon tourism" press release?

[casindonet]

With all the daily scams & crimes against tourist here, travel warning to thailand should be permanent.

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app