[webfact]

Thaksin asset ruling:

Embassies issue travel advisories


British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle. File photo.

PHUKET: -- The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is warning its citizens throughout Thailand to exercise ‘great caution’ in advance of a Supreme Court ruling on the fate of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s 76 billion baht in seized assets.

A statement posted on the FCO’s website and signed by British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle reads as follows:

“The political situation in Thailand is tense and uncertain. British citizens should exercise great caution throughout Thailand and avoid demonstrations or large gatherings of people that might turn violent. It is likely that there will be mass protests by anti-government demonstrators in and around Bangkok. A court decision due on 26 February 2010 is a potential flashpoint. If, as is quite possible, anti-government protests turn violent, British citizens should stay indoors and monitor the media and this website.”

The foreign services of a number of other nations have posted similar advice on their websites.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises its citizens “to exercise a high degree of caution because of the high threat of terrorist attack and because of political instability in Thailand.”

The US State Department advises its citizens to avoid any large public gatherings.

“All demonstrations are unpredictable, and any demonstration can turn violent without warning,” it says.

Few in Phuket expect violence to break out in the island province or other parts of the South, where red-shirted supporters of Mr Thaksin are greatly outnumbered by their yellow-shirted rivals from the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD


-- Phuket Gazette 2010-02-18

[SeanMoran]

The Australian government is insane, and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so ignore them if you want to save your own sanity. As for the others, I can't comment.

[animatic]

Large public gatherings here in the best of times, still have the inherent risk of violence.
Laow Kao and hand guns raise this risk appreciably compared to most places.

[TheRavens]

SeanMoran, on 2010-02-18 22:23:31, said:

The Australian government is insane, and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so ignore them if you want to save your own sanity. As for the others, I can't comment.

Why is the Australian government insane?? It sounds like really sensible advice. Not that it would stop me from travelling to Thailand, but it's a pretty responsible and accurate judgement of the situation.

[LuckyLew]

TheRavens, on 2010-02-18 19:22:20, said:

SeanMoran, on 2010-02-18 22:23:31, said:

The Australian government is insane, and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so ignore them if you want to save your own sanity. As for the others, I can't comment.

Why is the Australian government insane?? It sounds like really sensible advice. Not that it would stop me from travelling to Thailand, but it's a pretty responsible and accurate judgement of the situation.

I agree with you TheRavens
They are exercising due diligence in putting out this warning.
You know if they did not put out the warning and something
went wrong they would be chastised for not warning people.
Guess people are not happy either way.

[chantorn]

Farang should either:
a) Go home now or
Arm yourselves with GT200.

[potters]

chantorn, on 2010-02-18 20:13:52, said:

Farang should either:
a) Go home now or
Arm yourselves with GT200.

Hope it detects Red Shirts better then it does Bombs.
Classic made me smile that one

[Sparkles]

SeanMoran, on 2010-02-18 18:23:31, said:

The Australian government is insane, and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so ignore them if you want to save your own sanity. As for the others, I can't comment.

The Government is not insane . Issuing warnings anywhere there could be disruptions/protests which may or not be violent is standard practice and has been for years. If they didnt and there were deaths /injuries or disruptions the whingers would be out in force saying "Why didnt you warn us" Whether you take notice of them or not is your perogative.

[elcent]

The warnings were issued by FM Kasit a week ago, so what?

[gr8fldanielle]

OK, so we avoid getting in the middle of the mobs. Maybe stay away from large gathering that might me a mob but we're not sure. Does the mall or Chatuchaak market count as a crowded place? I think it's life as usual for the most part. I"m going to do what i always do.

[bramds]

This morning I saw 5 buses of soldiers armed with machine guns in Din Daeng.
They will protect the farang for sure :-)

[ikwiljou]

To all registered Dutch in Thailand:

For, on the day and shortly after the ruling on February 26 the trial against former PM Thaksin about widespread corruption, must in urban agglomerations throughout the country, but especially in Bangkok, taking account of unrest. It began peaceful demonstrations could degenerate into violent riots suddenly. You are therefore advised to be extra alert during this period and are regularly informed of developments in your immediate surroundings. These trends can change quickly.

In this context, include recording and thus connection to the "SMS alert system from the Dutch Embassy useful. Say this is on! To find below further information on the direct link and the travel advice for Thailand by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This opinion is proposed by the embassy in Bangkok regularly updated.

http://www.minbuza.n...advies_Thailand
The website of the embassy itself contains current political developments that may be of interest to you.

www.mfa.nl / ban

I would appreciate it if you want to forward this message to other Dutch people who you know that they are not registered with us and therefore not themselves have received. So we help each other.

Sincerely,

D.P. Trimp, Second Secretary

Capital Management and Consular Affairs

Embassy Bangkok

[AndersJensenThailand]

To be save you need too avoid Thailand in Total. The other day i drunk thai man put a gun to my head, but he was to chikken to use it, after i went to police station and they would not do anything, then i started complaining about the police, then they wanted to arest me. But i just gave them the finger and left and nothing more happent.

Thailand is the wild west, get use to and live with it or get out of Thailand that is the only thing to do.

[sawadeeken]

HEY------- The warnings were made....... If you don't want to listen or think you know "better" -- that's up to you........... But then, if your ass winds up in a sling or you get "bloodied-up", you can't blame anybody but yourself................. You were warned............

[ikwiljou]

On their website (Dutch Embassy) they even suggest not to wear red or yellow clothings!

[onnut]

I have a feeling it's going to get rough over the next week or so.

[onnut]

AndersJensenThailand, on 2010-02-18 23:20:02, said:

To be save you need too avoid Thailand in Total. The other day i drunk thai man put a gun to my head, but he was to chikken to use it, after i went to police station and they would not do anything, then i started complaining about the police, then they wanted to arest me. But i just gave them the finger and left and nothing more happent.

Thailand is the wild west, get use to and live with it or get out of Thailand that is the only thing to do.

you sound a nice bloke!

[elcent]

remember, this is also a time for local gangs to get even with their counterparts, in fact it's the biggest threat of all. It can happen anywhere.

[Asianrider]

The English Embassy's advice sounds sensible to me - it's not saying don't go to Thailand, just avoid demonstrations !!

[Chris Lawrence]

Hey they are about to sign off on the money of a very powerful and influential man......of course the sh.t will hit the fan. How much will be hitting? The embassy's need to have a bit of foresight and issue warnings.

[bKkRk]

This response is so predictable. How can you not fall asleep as you read it? Blah blah blah. What a joke. Year after year.

How many people, farang or otherwise, has been hurt in any of this Thai political BS? Raise your hand. Thought so. Never has been, never will be.

10.5 months ago stood there 10 meters away from the burning bus... watched it explode. Hooray. Don't give a f&$%. What a joke. I just hope the airports get closed so I can't get back to BKK from USM next weekend.

L8

[mythBuster]

what was this government's slogan when it came to power? had it something to do with reconciliation?
This government has done nothing other than bringing shame to Thailand. Being it with the boat refugees that were sent to a certain death, being it the people returned to Laos, even when they were granted citizenship in Europe or the USA and lately with the Karen people. Next they want to forcibly sent 1.4 million Burmese back (They need the jobs, even though Abhisit claims almost full employment) and next they will send the army in again instead of riot police.

This government does not only spit on tourism but also on foreign investment, all in the name of the huge stimulus package that is suffering from immense corruption.

[mythBuster]

elcent, on 2010-02-18 23:30:43, said:

remember, this is also a time for local gangs to get even with their counterparts, in fact it's the biggest threat of all. It can happen anywhere.

You mean just like under the "war on drugs" program when the police killed their competitors? I do not think so. This is just about a group of super rich and elitist trying to teach the poor a lesson. They have nothing but insulted the rural poor and every protest that they organize is wiped under the carpet because it is about Thaksin.
Thaksin might be a factor but in the North and North East is absolutely not the main factor anymore. It is about the fact that a large group of citizens are robbed of their votes and about the fact that they are called stupid.
If violence breaks out, it is simply because Anupong and friends feel threatened by the masses. I have not seen one violent demonstration by the opposition, something the yellow shirted people cannot claim. The protest gone wrong during songkran last year in Pattaya had everything to do with a large group of black and blue shirts send in by suthep and Newin who beat the hel_l out of the red shirt protestors.
Nobody seem to understand that you better leave things alone. The courts do not have any validity, this particular high court (administrative) was put in place by the junta.

[elektrified]

ikwiljou, on 2010-02-18 23:22:48, said:

On their website (Dutch Embassy) they even suggest not to wear red or yellow clothings!

That is very good advice.

[elcent]

the more various scenarios are discussed the more precaution will take place. Thais are not that ignorant. I'm glad when nothing happens. Some seem to think in the opposite.

When I warned a friend in 1992 he ignored my advice of not to go near the mob and army. He liked to jog in the morning was in a good shape, but got shot in the back and was 3 weeks in coma. The Nation still has the incidence in archive I think. It was headline for many days.