Thailand Safe To Travel Despite Coup

23rd May 2014

Though the country plunges into its worst political crisis since 2010, Thailand, according to its Tourism officials, are relatively safe to travel. The visitors just need to take seriously the advisory issued by its interim government and military officials to avoid any problem that may arise.

Since the Thai army took control of the country after the ouster of its Prime Minster, the group who support the ousted Prime Minister went to the streets demanding her reinstatement. Some of them become too violent that resulted to clashes against the opposing group.

However, according to tourism officials, tourists can still do their usual activities like going around town. They only need to avoid areas where groups hold protest rallies or any mass gatherings. They are also advised to be at home before 10pm until 5am the next day, especially in Bangkok where curfew is strictly implemented to ensure the safety of both its citizens and visitors.

Travelers who have flights to catch may allow at least four hours in advance in order to not miss their flights due to multiple military checkpoints along the way. They also need to prepare the necessary travel documents as a proof so as not to delay the process at the checkpoint.

Thai Airways, the state-owned flag carrier, clarified that their operations remain normal, and reassured their customers that all flights are still on schedule.

British travelers to the country were advised by the Foreign Office to stay alert at all times and be vigilant whenever they need to go outside their accommodation. So far, no untoward incident has happened to any of their citizens or any tourists for that matter.

Outside Bangkok, it's a different scenario altogether. Most of the country's popular tourist towns and cities such as Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, are generally unaffected. Life in these areas goes on as usual with plenty of tourists go about their business normally. Though operations at Suvarnabhumi remain normal, arrivals at major airports outside Bangkok surge beyond the normal level.

Most tour operators in the country won't advise their clients to cancel their trips to Thailand as most flights and airports across the country operate normally. They leave it to their clients to decide on their own if they want to cancel or go ahead with their travel plans. They warn though that if they decide to cancel their flights, no refunds are given and regular booking conditions including cancellation fee applies.

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