Thai FM Surapong: 8 countries have already issued travel warnings

[GentlemanJim]

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.

Please Mr FM, chew on this!

Now where were we, oh yes, we should consider the effects caused whether to the economy or the image of the country.

[GentlemanJim]

My God!

What a terrible photo.

He looks like some kind of hideous green mutant

The Mekon !

Edited November 6, 2013 by GentlemanJim

[Benmart]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

I believe it's "Buyer Beware" at this point. It would take a travel ban issued by the respective countries governments to cause some real headaches for all players.

[Benmart]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

I believe it's "Buyer Beware" at this point. It would take a travel ban issued by the respective governments to cause some real headaches for all players.

[Benmart]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

I believe it's "Buyer Beware" at this point. It would take a travel ban issued by the respective governments to cause some real headaches for all players.

[GentlemanJim]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

I believe it's "Buyer Beware" at this point. It would take a travel ban issued by the respective governments to cause some real headaches for all players.

To be honest all the embassies have done is to state the bleeding obvious. Do not go into the protest areas...well yes! What does the FM expect. the embassies have not issued a warning to travel to Thailand just a warning to stay clear of the protests.........because whilst the protests in this case will be peaceful the police are likely to not be.

[bumpkin]

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).

Maybe few other countries need a tourist police force, because their regular Police have adequate training, and are capable of handling "tourist" situations.

[easybullet3]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

No!!! its to advise travellers to beware. thats all.

[allan michaud]

They should be giving travel warnings for the main tourist spots given there was yet another stabbing of a tourist in the news today. I have lost count of the amount of stabbings and attacks on tourists lately.

[RogueLeader]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

No!!! its to advise travellers to beware. thats all.

Failing to heed government travel advice can invalidate insurance cover, however.

[gbswales]

500 baht for stabbing tourist = dangerous country

Is that the punishment or the cost of the contract?

[iamariva1957]

Demonstrations? Yes I understand that warnings are a good thing just to keep people aware of what is going on. Shame though that the rest of the world's media does not cover Thailand as much as they do anywhere else. But such is the nature of things I guess. Frankly I worry more about Walking Street in Pattaya myself and the drunk farangs wobbling home in the wee hours in CM or BKK. But that is just me.

[easybullet3]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

No!!! its to advise travellers to beware. thats all.

Failing to heed government travel advice can invalidate insurance cover, however.

True, but that would be for an official warning. (not a few lines on the embassy website, which will later be deleted when the situation has died down)

but, of course,,, to be 100% sure, one would check with the insurance company.

it also seems funny that ALL the ASEAN countries havent issued warnings...

it seems they are treading on stones,, they dont wanna "put in print" that thaialnd is violatile,, coz after all,, thaialnd will be one of the MAIN places in the ASEAN community.

seems they are playing "lip service" sucking up to Thaialnd!

even the USA hasnt issued a warning!! is this because of the new tonne of secret dodgy dealings its been doing with Yingluck ?

if UK, switzerland, australia and israel adn japan have issued warnings,,, then i trust it.

the fact that ALL the asean countries and america has avoided giving a warning seems fishy!!

[easybullet3]

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??

also seems funny that ALL the ASEAN countries havent issued warnings...

it seems they are treading on stones,, they dont wanna "put in print" that thaialnd is violatile,, coz after all,, thaialnd will be one of the MAIN places in the ASEAN community.

seems they are playing "lip service" sucking up to Thaialnd!

even the USA hasnt issued a warning!! is this because of the new tonne of secret dodgy dealings its been doing with Yingluck ?

if UK, switzerland, australia and israel adn japan have issued warnings,,, then i trust it.

the fact that ALL the asean countries and america has avoided giving a warning seems fishy!!

[hoopmonk]

The Israeli's?????

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

cant you read

Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom are on top of the freedom travel index able to visit 173 nations without visa.

Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and the United States all have free access to 172 nations.

Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands third at 171 countries.

Israel is 20th on freedom travel index with 144 freely-accessible countries.

The poll by Henley & Partners consists of some 219 countries as destinations.

[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.

I see, you mean like the Dem govt did with the Army .

If the police had done there job. the army could have stayed home. But of course you know that.

[cedel]

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

I will also talk abt money: so, I hope they will very soon provide free visa instead of 30€/entry...it would boost the tourism...and I need a visa for begin December...!!

[tezzainoz]

We have our office at Ratchaprasong/Soi Mahalek and things was just fine until Suthep started to be in charge of security.

Let's not forget what the yellow shirts did with the airport.

Yes your right

Yellow shirts at the airport

Can you please remind me again, how many people got killed during this dispute

and how many building where burnt down

[Prbkk]

Travel insurance is one issue, occupational health and safety legislation is another. In the Australian system, once the advisory reaches a certain level ( " reconsider your need to travel ") , it is not possible for companies to require staff to travel to Thailand ( or any other country at that level).

quote name="RogueLeader" post="7008876" timestamp="1383760159"]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

No!!! its to advise travellers to beware. thats all.

Failing to heed government travel advice can invalidate insurance cover, however.

[DocN]

I highly doubt, these are travel warnings. There is a (judicial) difference between a travel advice and a a travel warning.

With "nothing" happening at the moment, those might be travel advice.

Well my first reaction was that it was a desperate attempt to white wash the doings of the PTP.

Then I remembered who said it and you might be right

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.

I really don't care, if you think, I want to whitewash anyone, as I told you several times: you are wrong!

And I even care less, who said "warnings" and was probably wrong about it.

I am working in the travel industry and even people who should KNOW the difference, get it mixed up all the time, so...go figure!

[BangkokGastronaut]

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

Do travel agencies cancel selling holidays due to insurance issues?

Normally, when a government issues a travel warning the travel insurance industry will not cover you to that country. So, when people find out they can't get travel insurance, they tend not to book. But it doesn't prevent a travel agency from selling a holiday.

[mok199]

..thailand is a TRAIN WRECK,and im sorry to say that,, this is my home...the locals have pimped this country out for far to long,sqeezed and bled every penny they can get out of it...thais need to realize what they have...it was once paradise...but over develpment,lack of education on pollution and garbage,and where the real beauty lies and general greed and taken its tole...eg the tour bus....now have destroyed the inner city as they fly down small soi's and use beach road like it is summkinvit,and park ideling waiting for the tour group(of 4).....the thais have never heard of ''niose pollution''they dont see the destruction this is causeing,,,they only see the money...well planned resorts try and preserve the ''natural beauty'' and respect the tourist, and the fact they want a peacefull experience..not a tuor bus ideling in their face while they try and have a ''romantic''dinner''....................amazing''romantic''thailand''........

[MrSlatersParrot]

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 believe the warnings are a direct reflection on not only the arrogance shown by the current administration to push through self serving change regardless of any opposition (see Yinglucks response recently stating that if rejected by the senate the Reconsiliation Bill would be passed back to the house for 180 days and then submitted for Royal observation and approval) and also their confidence in the current Polical and Civil system to quell unrest without violence which may endanger nationals of the said countries more than them expecting protesters to be aggressive towards Tourists.

This in contrast with the Red Shirt protests of 2011 who were reported to be on multiple occaisions (and I personally observed, as well as a friend who owns a building within the old protest site at Silom and was refused right of passage through the cordon to enter her own apartment building) who did use violence against tourists, and any Thai person not directly serving their cause.

A slap in the face for the Thai government - one being from the same list of countries which they have just granted 30 day land border crossing stamps to. Amazing how that works.

I don't believe what you're saying about violence towards tourists from the red shirts. In fact all you say is your friend told you she couldn't get through to her building.

Last time I looked it was the yellow shirts who are out on the streets trying to engineer a constitutional coup AGAIN and abolish elections and close the country for 3 -5 years.

Should they succeed you and most of the rest on here will be telling a very different story.

They, the yellow, fear Thaksin + 1

[jpeg]

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

Agreed. BUT. You must agree,( if we believe that which is prominent in the press here), tourism appears to trump 'problems with the economy' over 'business investment' by a significant factor. 200/1?

Edited November 7, 2013 by jpeg

[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

 

 

Agreed. BUT. You must agree,( if we believe that which is prominent in the press here), tourism appears to trump 'problems with the economy' over 'business investment' by a significant factor. 200/1? 

Agreed for sure! But why, if as said, it only accounts for 6% of the economy? Makes better headlines I suppose. Politicians, and the media, believe that a 3% drop in the SET over the past 30 days won't mean much to most of the population? - probably true!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mikemac]

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!

Wait for what ?

For the evil Dr Thaksin to throw 500baht at each of the peaceful protesters and demand they burn the city ? Or invade hospitals ? Is that what we are waiting for ??????

[mikemac]

I don't believe what you're saying about violence towards tourists from the red shirts. In fact all you say is your friend told you she couldn't get through to her building.

Last time I looked it was the yellow shirts who are out on the streets trying to engineer a constitutional coup AGAIN and abolish elections and close the country for 3 -5 years.

Should they succeed you and most of the rest on here will be telling a very different story.

They, the yellow, fear Thaksin + 1

They fear him + 1, and hate him + 10 !

Last time I looked it was the yellow shirts who are out on the streets trying to engineer a constitutional coup AGAIN and abolish elections and close the country for 3 -5 years.

Yet more recycled garbage, what have you guys got a rice silo full of this stuff ?

[MrSlatersParrot]

I don't believe what you're saying about violence towards tourists from the red shirts. In fact all you say is your friend told you she couldn't get through to her building.

Last time I looked it was the yellow shirts who are out on the streets trying to engineer a constitutional coup AGAIN and abolish elections and close the country for 3 -5 years.

Should they succeed you and most of the rest on here will be telling a very different story.

They, the yellow, fear Thaksin + 1

They fear him + 1, and hate him + 10 !

Last time I looked it was the yellow shirts who are out on the streets trying to engineer a constitutional coup AGAIN and abolish elections and close the country for 3 -5 years.

Yet more recycled garbage, what have you guys got a rice silo full of this stuff ?

OK run this past me then.

For one reason or another the government becomes unelected.

Observe what is currently occurring and cast your mind back to 2008

So what should follow?

Last time ( wikileaks after the 2006 coup) the US of A demanded elections within 1 year.

As followed and who would you expect to win the next election?

Futile attempts by the right royalists and their sycophant farang supporters to turn back the clock won't happen.

Should they succeed well we'll all be moving.

[johnlandy]

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??

What do you think the travel warnings advocate