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[george]

27 countries issue travel advisories and warnings for Thailand

BANGKOK: -- About 27 countries and territories have issued an advisory warning citizens travelling to Thailand to be aware of potential clashes this week due to political turmoil.

However, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Suraphon Svetsreni said yesterday that the agency had already taken measures to cope with the turmoil.

In the advisory issued by China, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea and Sweden, travellers have been cautioned against "first level" or a low-degree violence in Thailand at the end of this week.

In the scale of violence, one is the lowest and five the highest, which might lead to a ban to travelling to the country in question.

Meanwhile, France, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, United States, Israel, Japan, Poland, Spain, Russia, Romania and Finland cautioned their citizens of second-level violence in Thailand. The United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand brought the ranking up to the third level, advising their citizens to stay away from rally sites in Bangkok.

Suraphon, however, said that since the 27 nations had kept the scale of violence between one and three, travellers do not really expect too many clashes in the coming weekend.

"So far, there have been no cancellations," he added.

Yet, the authorities have taken measures to assist tourists when needed and has also established a Crisis Management Centre to monitor the situation and to communicate with outside organisations.

"TAT cannot say what damage the February 26 verdict will do, but if anything happens, we will talk about it," Suraphon said.

TAT believes the government should have things under control when the Supreme Court issues a verdict on ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's asset-seizure case on Friday.

Earlier, tourist agencies had urged the government to come up with measures to build confidence about the situation in Thailand.

Anake Srishevachart, president of the Thai-Japan Tourism Association, said the tourism sector has been adversely affected by the sensationalising of news reports and called on the media to make its reports more positive.

Apichart Sankary, adviser to the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), has also called on businesses and the public to believe in this government's abilities.

Travel associations and hotel operators believe that there will not be any violence over the next few days, though many tourists are waiting to see how the situation in Thailand unfolds before they make any alternative travel plans.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa is scheduled to discuss the issue with other government bodies before Friday. The Ministry will also to evaluate travel plans being implemented by various organisations.


-- The Nation 2010-02-24



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[somluck]

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

[neverdie]

[Murf]

Stay away from the trouble spots and everything should be fine...

[h90]

somluck, on 2010-02-24 13:49:12, said:

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

what should that be??

Sae Daeng told, he has his well trained army and they'll come to Bangkok and fight.
Others spoke from the peoples uprising in pretty dramatic words which sounds like a mix of russian and french revolution.
there were words that people should take bottle of gasoline to make fire at the government buildings

The reds told that the army want to stage a coup and they will fight the solders.

That was all in the news.....of course it is all complete BS but if a foreign country does not give warnings and really something happens their citizen will blame them.

[h90]

Murf, on 2010-02-24 14:14:49, said:

Stay away from the trouble spots and everything should be fine...

Or at least have a bag full of different colored tshirts with you

[alstaxi]

somluck, on 2010-02-23 22:49:12, said:

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

Huh??

Edited by alstaxi, 2010-02-24 14:21:11.

[Who, me ?]

Careful about what???
What kind of terrible thing can happen to us?

[mrdome]

And the trouble spots are?

[TheGhostWithin]

somluck, on 2010-02-24 14:49:12, said:

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

I know most travel insurances here in New Zealand have a clause, that travel insurance does not cover terrorities which the govt. has issued travel warnings for. You can still get insurance if there is only a travel advisory on the date of the purchase of the insurance I beleive.

[tomross46]

Murf, on 2010-02-24 14:14:49, said:

Stay away from the trouble spots and everything should be fine...

Avoid trouble spots, I will stay at home with JD and Ice, watch it on TV. should be better that ESBN

[NanLaew]

I will be traveling to/from Bangkok and Pattaya on Friday. I will let you know how I get on.

CNN i-reporter Nan Laew reporting.

PS. Do u think I need to bring the kevlar?

[gtm2k]

h90, on 2010-02-24 14:16:22, said:

Murf, on 2010-02-24 14:14:49, said:

Stay away from the trouble spots and everything should be fine...

Or at least have a bag full of different colored tshirts with you

seems like a good one-day business to run - sell a million shirts available in a million colors !

[thykeeper]

mrdome, on 2010-02-24 14:21:42, said:

And the trouble spots are?

Mobs of angry red shirt wearing Thai people. These things are easy to avoid and the warning over hyped but it's the governments responsibility to at least inform people.

[TheGhostWithin]

As long as you all do as many of you do, and huddle together as Farang with not a Thai in site, except for maybe the bar owner, and everything will be ok

Advanced appoligies for those who infact do not scrum together on a nightly basis on Suk... No insults intended by any means

[h90]

NanLaew, on 2010-02-24 14:36:06, said:

I will be traveling to/from Bangkok and Pattaya on Friday. I will let you know how I get on.

CNN i-reporter Nan Laew reporting.

PS. Do u think I need to bring the kevlar?

Maybe you can borrow it from the Pattaya SWAT Team?

[asiawatcher]

So why is the Baht gaining strength on the international money markets? If anything it should be dropping like a stone!

[swifty5x5]

Be alert. The world needs more lerts.

[toptuan]

Why is it not a single Thai among my hundreds of Thai friends and acquaintances (farmer to professional) have never mentioned Friday the 26th?

Is this perhaps a farang news feeding frenzy, with even the embassies believing the local English and Thai media (fed by the scare-mongering of meddlesome politicians and retired military has-beens)?

[TheGhostWithin]

asiawatcher, on 2010-02-24 15:37:33, said:

So why is the Baht gaining strength on the international money markets? If anything it should be dropping like a stone!

It is rising because the Reserve Bank of Thailand has all but pegged the baht to the US Dollar (has been at 33-34 baht for some time), and at the moment the US Dollar is going up, so the baht will go up with it. They do the same thing that China does in using it to gain unfair advantage over their trading partners to preserve their economy in the case of recession.

[YanTree]

somluck, on 2010-02-24 13:49:12, said:

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Wouldn't the foreign news reports be saying it?

I think people just don't understand Thailand and are overreacting. This stuff is never dangerous for tourists now matter how bad it gets.

[astor]

Each time the thai visa issues warnings, it seems that the armageddon day coming up.
Take it easy

[silentnine]

Just went to Tesco (pattaya) Thaparasit rd/Sukhamvit , and just over the road on the corner to soi khaow Noi it looks like the reds are starting to build there stage again on the big plot of land that used to be a market a few years ago.
amazing they got persmison to do it there after the trouble they caused at the summit last year .

[wokkawombat]

I have just returned from the Immigration office at Udon International Airport. There is a strong police presence there and at least 100 soldiers filed through the office area as I was leaving. I will be down there bright and early to do my extension tomorrow instead of Friday.

John

[givenall]

Common people are struggling daily, they really don’t care unless it is your job and you are paid to make troubles over here. Even that is not very profitable action, the government is fully in charge and they know it too