Renewed political tension in Thailand is causing many tourists to question whether it’s safe to travel there.
A state of emergency has been declared to try to quell mass protests which have been going on in the heart of the capital, Bangkok. Some luxury hotels in the commercial centre have been under virtual siege for days, with thousands of anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ demonstrators camped out in the streets.
The US Embassy in Bangkok has issued an alert to its citizens living in and travelling to Bangkok, cautioning them about the uncertainty of the situation and the possibility of violence between demonstrators and security forces.
The Foreign Office in London is giving similar advice on its website and reminding visitors that by Thai law they must carry their passports with them at all times.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand insisted on its website that much of the city was operating normally, including Bangkok’s two airports, and that foreigners had not been targeted in the demonstrations.
However, the Bangkok Post reported that international tourist arrivals at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport had dropped by 15 per cent since the protests began in the capital on March 12th.
by Andy Moreton
A waxworks museum in a popular tourist area of Thailand has been forced to cover up a roadside billboard featuring a saluting Adolf Hitler.
The poster, put up on the main road into the seaside resort town of Pattaya, was condemned by the country’s Israeli and German ambassadors as ‘utterly tasteless’ and ‘totally unacceptable’.
The billboard reading in the Thai language ‘Hitler Is Not Dead,’ was part of an advertising campaign to promote the opening next month of the Louis Tussaud waxworks museum.
The manager, Somporn Naksuetrong, apologised. He said the idea had come from an advertising agency and was neither meant to cause offence nor to celebrate Hitler, merely to point out the infamy of an historic figure.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique is delighted to offer the best rates at more than 25 luxury hotels in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand.
As the anti-government protests in Thailand escalate, would-be tourists have been advised to think again and those already in the country to lie low.
A state of emergency is in force in the capital, Bangkok, and troops have used tear gas, water cannon and warning shots against red-shirted demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government and the reinstatement of the former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Last Saturday, in the resort town of Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok, demonstrators stormed a summit of Asian leaders and forced its cancellation.
The security situation is changing practically by the hour, but the latest advice from the Foreign Office in London is that people intending to visit Bangkok should urgently review their plans. “British residents in, and visitors to, Bangkok are advised to avoid any areas where demonstrations are taking place and to stay indoors as far as possible.”
Similar advice has come from the State Department in Washington and the Australian ministry of foreign affairs. Would-be travellers to Thailand are urged to consult their country’s foreign ministry website for up-to-date advice.
Thailand attracts between 12 million and 14 million visitors a year, with the largest groups of western tourists coming from Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and the United States. Its tourism sector has had to become battle-hardened in the past few years, surviving the SARS epidemic in 2003, the tsunami in 2004 and a coup in 2006.
by Andy Moreton
