16 countries now warn their citizens on travels to Thailand

[sydneyjed]

Noticed the US aren't on that list...interesting as if I remember correctly it was them who firstly closed their embassy warning of the impending violence with the red shirts and army and the terrorist dangers which also proved correct when the Iranian blew his own legs off!

[vadimbz]

/me will done 50 bucks for iRiot BKK app, that will put all the colored marches, angry mobs, military troops, armored units, snipers, "cosmonaut" posses, riots, out-of-control areas, and similair stuff to Google Maps. Nearline update will do.

[Prbkk]

The sad thing is, neither side in this conflict really cares if visitor numbers go down: they will each blame the other. The losers will be the operators and employees of facilities, as well as the economy as a whole. A pox on the lot of them!

[bigbamboo]

I've some friends coming to Thailand and they are worried about the safety warnings. I told them it's perfectly safe if you take precautions... no, they're not going to Pattaya.

I said just avoid Bangkok. And don't hire a car because the roads are mental and stay away from busses because the drivers are mental. Avoid taxi bandits like the plague, don't get on a train and on no account hire a jet ski. Otherwise it's perfectly safe!

[recycler]

If you stay out of a small part of Bangkok Thailand is not more dangerous than normal.

When we had the last military coup friends and family called, that's why we found out, even driving past all military facilities in the Sattahip area there was not a single sign of something happening!

I would worry more about the road safety, robbers and scammers in the tourist areas than our regular BKK gatherings of different shirt colors ;-)

[crumpled]

My flights are booked. UK - Swampy. Swampy - Issan. No need to enter Bangkok.

If they take over the airport.......

Sod it, I'm still coming!!

[CIHUAHUA]

All is well and good here in Chiang Mai. You can get a direct flight to here as well. The transportation is good and we have over three hundred temples to see if you like that sort of thing. My only problem is which kind of food I'm going to eat tomorrow and what to do. Maybe I'll ride to the water fall out of town in the Smeong area.

[skorchio]

I am working in Madagascar and Mozambique this month. Can't wait to be back in Th next week for some R+R and political stability!!

It's all relative really .....

[LennyW]

I've some friends coming to Thailand and they are worried about the safety warnings. I told them it's perfectly safe if you take precautions... no, they're not going to Pattaya.

I said just avoid Bangkok. And don't hire a car because the roads are mental and stay away from busses because the drivers are mental. Avoid taxi bandits like the plague, don't get on a train and on no account hire a jet ski. Otherwise it's perfectly safe!

So they are spending their holiday in the airport eh?

[oldthaihand99]

"However it said that these countries have not yet told their citizens not to travel to Thailand but just advise them to stay away from the areas where protests are held as there was possibility that large scale protest could break out."

Could break out? 150,000 people is just a minor bit of parading around the streets then? Just having a street party for a laugh are they?

They're there for the free food & drinks.

Just another form of vote buying, but after days of protests worth much more than the 100 baht a politician hands you.

LOL

[Larry001]

Warn about what,,everything is normal. Thailand is the most safe place on earth. It's ok...Mai pen rai rok

Sorry, but you have obviously got your head in the sand

[Gonki]

What do you reckon will happen to THB if anything?

[ika]

Warn about what,,everything is normal. Thailand is the most safe place on earth. It's ok...Mai pen rai rok

Oh wow, really??!! This is normal?? When I was visiting in Bkk last year I didn't see any of this. But maybe they were exceptionally staying at home for that week.

[Loptr]

Meh, it's like the Olympics. The Red / Blue teams get together every few years to bang heads. Easily avoided.

[Ulic]

A lot of overreaction. Stay away from the protests, use common sense. Enjoy your vacation.

[jpeg]

Who cares, all they need is China, India & Russia.

Right now, that's all they're getting anyway

[jpeg]

My flights are booked. UK - Swampy. Swampy - Issan. No need to enter Bangkok.

If they take over the airport.......

Sod it, I'm still coming!!

Again with the bloody airport. The ONLY reason the PAD were chased into the airport FIVE years ago was because Taksin was threatening a comeback. The paid thug redshirts just hastened their journey/extended their stay. They couldn't bloody leave. Jesus H enough already

[jpeg]

Isn't it a good time to rent a condo in BKK? Or one should rather wait for the 1st blood?

Well you sound like a nice sort

[hellodolly]

Who cares, all they need is China, India & Russia.

Yup, and Chinese tourists down by 51% and the Russians threatening a boycot through their 5000 travel agencies.

I was in a hotel the other day talking to the manager. I was telling him he might want to get some English speaking stations on as China has more English speaking people than any other country in the world. The girl at the desk said latley it was more Hindi that she was hearing.

[Krataiboy]

Warn about what,,everything is normal. Thailand is the most safe place on earth. It's ok...Mai pen rai rok

". . everything is normal. Thailand is the most safe place on earth. . . "

Now that's what I call an oxymoron. What planet are you living on - Planet Chang?

[techboy]

Warn about what,,everything is normal. Thailand is the most safe place on earth. It's ok...Mai pen rai rok

Mm. Heavy dude...such positively deep and scything innuendo

[MK1]

The Nation November 25, 2013 9:45 pm

Govt to restore control

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced in the live broadcast today that the government would enforce the national security law in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Bang Phli in Samut Prakan and Lad Lumkaew in Pathum Thani.

She said the enforcement is necessary following the invasion into government buildings, which disrupts government operations and threatens the national security.

She also insisted that in restoring control in the areas, the government assures no violence. International standards will be strictly followed, she said.

Yingluck also urges former Democrat MPs, who led protesters to government buildings, to solve conflicts through

[bigbamboo]

Isn't it a good time to rent a condo in BKK? Or one should rather wait for the 1st blood?

Well you sound like a nice sort

That's what I was thinking. Maybe he should hang about for a couple of days more and then take advantage of the looting too!

[Benmart]

Few people from Western countries take notice of those advisories. They read/watch the news and make up their own minds.

Exactly, if you have a tour booked as a normal tourist or a P4P you just get out of bkk asap and go enjoy the rest that AMAZING Thailand has to offer.

Over charging, scams , assault, safe transport system etc etc

Most would not have insurance to cancel flights hotels etc and if you have saved up for a year??? would you cancel.

I would be hesitant to speak on any topic and claim that "Most do not have insurance"..or "Few people from the Western countries take notice..."

But then, I haven't met everyone in those categories or take a formal poll with data to back it up. With that in mind, it all seems rather speculative or opinion based. I love using "IMO" since it lets the reader know that my comments are opinion based and that I'm not posting as the center of knowledge.

[vadimbz]

Isn't it a good time to rent a condo in BKK? Or one should rather wait for the 1st blood?

Well you sound like a nice sort

Yep. In this thread we have a couple of "It gonna blow!" guys who probably come from sanitized trouble-free enviroments, big group of "It just might blow... this time" guys, who certainly have been around, and the dominant "Mai bpeng rai" faction.

Nice guys have no representation at all, so I just had to step in. Some more nice things:

When you should start to worry:

1. When you see armored convoys, moving towards government facilities from all directions. And I am talking tanks here, ICVs don't matter.

2. When total headcount of intoxicated mobs on the streets passes 10^6 mark, and maintains momentum.

3. When you start hearing the word "sniper" every day.

4. When tons of assault weaponry suddenly appear out of nowhere, and everyone suddenly knows how to use it.

5. When armed forces/departments start all out war on the streets.

6. Chemical weapons could be another cause of concern.

7. So are special emergency courts of three (names change, but "special" and/or "emergency" are kinda common).

This list can go on for a while, but you get the idea. What I see is not unrest, it's life. If any of you lived in a place, overrun by a single shade of grey, you would be much more tolerant to colors.

Besides... LoS is run by the military, street politics, as well as public politics exist only for public entertainment. Fun ends when junta says "Enough". In the meantime don't get between hostile crowds, keep low profile, and don't get caught looting. Mai bpeng rai!

[thrilled]

I think it's good.Maybe won't have as many backpackers.

[kcErik]

Make it 17 countries...I just got a security warning message regarding the protests from the US Embassy in BKK. Nothing in the message I didn't already know. Surprised they waited as long as they did.

[Prbkk]

Agree that someone will say "enough" but these warnings are in place as SOP. More chance of being trampled by a group of Singaporean shoppers at a Central midnight sale, than injured in these protests.

[MK1]

For obvious reasons, this campaign is likely to run up until 4^th December. If no outcome by then, they will all go home, re-group and come back again harder.

[vadimbz]

Russians are not going anywhere, there are simply not so many countries that let them in, and most of them are Egypt, so this boycott is a mere coquetry for domestic audience. Now they can claim that they are doing "something", or even "everything they can", and dump all responsibility for their traveling freakshow on Thais. They probably think it's was a clever PR move.