Dec 7, 2013, 1:13 pm
Last edit by: aBroadAbroad
This thread is for posting questions and specific news/updates of direct relevance to those traveling in or to the area.
Discussion of underlying and peripheral issues, comparisons to similar past events, and speculation about future conditions
belong in OMNI/PR or the Thai News & Open Discussion Thread. Off-topic posts will be moved or deleted.
Thanks for your assistance.
Discussion of underlying and peripheral issues, comparisons to similar past events, and speculation about future conditions
belong in OMNI/PR or the Thai News & Open Discussion Thread. Off-topic posts will be moved or deleted.
Thanks for your assistance.
Update
13 June 2014:
Curfew has been lifted nationwide.
Travel advisories issued by a number of foreign governments remain in place. Check your country's embassy or consular website for travel advice and updates.
Courts martial have been established for violators of criminal code sections dealing with lèse-majesté, and those covering the broad subject of "national security" (including civilian violators). The NCPO has warned that it will crackdown on anti-coup protests if they do not cease. Visitors are strongly advised to stay away from all political gatherings.
Media gag has been eased, but strict censorship orders are in place, with local press and broadcast outlets reporting only approved content. ISPs have been ordered to monitor social media, and to block disruptive or "negative" content. Accurate and comprehensive information remains difficult to obtain, both in and out of the country. Censorship violations are among those subject to courts martial.
Hotlines for Tourists in Thailand
- TAT Call Centre 1672
- Tourist Police Call Centre 1155
- Traffic Police Call Centre 1197
- BMTA (city bus and van service) Call Centre 1348
- BTS Hotline +66 (0) 2617 6000
- MRT Customer Relations Center +66 (0) 2624 5200
- SRT (train service) Call Centre 1690
- Transport Co., Ltd., (inter-provincial bus service) Call Centre 1490
- AOT (Suvarnabhumi Airport) Call Centre 1722
- Thai Airways International Call Centre +66 (0) 2356 1111
- Bangkok Airways Call Centre 1771
- Nok Air Call Centre 1318
- Thai AirAsia Call Centre +66 (0) 2515 9999
Links to External Information Sources
- Rolling breaking news updates: Bangkok Post Lite Version (might load better than the full site for some users)
- Updates from TAT News: Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Breaking News: Thai PBS
- Latest News from NNT: National News Bureau of Thailand (government public relations)
- Travel blogger Richard Barrow: Thai news twitter feed (ongoing updates)
- Richard Barrow's map: Protest Sites in Bangkok in May 2014 (updated regularly)
- Independent web-based Thai news publication: Prachatai - Coup 2014 (English)
Special thanks to FTer c_9 for initiating this Wikipost
Safety of Travel in Thailand 2014 — Martial Law, Peaceful Military Coup
May 25, 2014, 6:24 pm
#571
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
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The protesters left the Ratchprasong/Chidlom area just before 3pm today and marched to the Victory Monument. Chidlom and Ploenchip BTS stations re-opened later this afternoon, but the Victory Monument BTS was closed around 5pm. The last I've heard is that traffic is starting to open up at Victory Monument - not sure if BTS is still closed or if there are still protesters there.
Given the fluidity and quickly-changing protest locations, I would encourage those interested in keeping track of real-time protest activity to follow Richard Barrow (see wiki for link) or BBC's Jonah Fisher, as they have been providing regular updates via Twitter. Protest locations and marches/parades can also arise spontaneously arise, so it's always best to remain alert to sudden changes while out and about in Bangkok.
Given the fluidity and quickly-changing protest locations, I would encourage those interested in keeping track of real-time protest activity to follow Richard Barrow (see wiki for link) or BBC's Jonah Fisher, as they have been providing regular updates via Twitter. Protest locations and marches/parades can also arise spontaneously arise, so it's always best to remain alert to sudden changes while out and about in Bangkok.
Normally in places like Nana or Patpong or Khao San Road or Walking Street, some laws are kind of ignored because everyone is having a good time and no one is getting hurt, so why not? But this might be a good time to not only not cross a line, but to stay as far away from the line as you can get.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...ators-targeted
May 26, 2014, 4:35 pm
#573
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
Programs: DL DM, AA ExPlt, Diamond HH, HY, BW, & Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 4,864
Trip to Koh Samui and Angkor Wat in two weeks!
Please keep posting updates. Concerned about taking my family there for vacation.
Also, have to find out what options I have with Hilton and AA for my points if I cancel or change.
Also, have to find out what options I have with Hilton and AA for my points if I cancel or change.
May 26, 2014, 5:32 pm
#575
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
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Headed to Bangkok now. Got a print out of my return trip so i can travel during the curfew to the airport. My hotel had a prepared statement and assured me its safe to go. I didn't think it would be an issue but i did pay the 1200 baht for the hotels contracted car service.
May 26, 2014, 7:09 pm
#576
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,156
Well, in a weak vote of confidence, I was able to book something with DL at 80K RT for July. I could spend most of my time outside Bangkok, but the two important things to do are there, including one in old Bangkok that's not too terribly far from government buildings. 
As a PM (this year at least) I can change or cancel for free. Still a solid wall of yellows (awards at nearly 2x the lowest cost) for BKK, so there's no evidence there yet of a rush to the exits and DL is still notoriously bad for award availability...in my case I saw a fleeting green (involving a last-flight-in-first-flight-out, among other things) and paired it with flying 7/4 on KE.
As a PM (this year at least) I can change or cancel for free. Still a solid wall of yellows (awards at nearly 2x the lowest cost) for BKK, so there's no evidence there yet of a rush to the exits and DL is still notoriously bad for award availability...in my case I saw a fleeting green (involving a last-flight-in-first-flight-out, among other things) and paired it with flying 7/4 on KE.
May 26, 2014, 8:34 pm
#577
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
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Posts: 20,394
That being said, almost all of the concern would be if you're in Bangkok- the tourist destinations like Ko Samui or Phuket are very normal save for perhaps a curfew.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/travel/tr...-1226931688066
I'd be watchful, but not panicky. People traveled to the Soviet Union in the 1950's through the 1980's and came back OK.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; May 26, 2014 at 8:43 pm
May 26, 2014, 10:19 pm
#578
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: BKK, TPE, MIA, MUC
Programs: SPG Plat Lifetime, CX Diamond, LH SEN, TK Elite / *A Gold
Posts: 262
Situation is mostly calm and especially for foreigners not as serious as for locals. If in a taxi after curfew or otherwise on the streets tourist can expect much higher tolerance... to a degree, that worrying is smart but often not necessary.
That said, from the circumstances and legal framework of the current situation, it got dangerous."Civil laws are suspended", "violators [of martial law] will be denied lawyers, tried by courts martial and given lengthy prison sentences." That is no joke and should be considered seriously.
On a smaller scale:
- In daily life, I personally can report that the increasingly annoying pressure leads to horribly overcrowded BTS at rush hour. I had to wait for 4 trains at Siam before able to board one on Silom line.
- Even bigger impact is the closing down of entire crucial BTS stations (near anti-junta protests) like Phayathai and Ari. If coming from the Airport, from yesterday on, someone should leave the Airport Link at Makkasan, Phayathai seems to stay closed... at least today.
- I couldn't care less about the lack of (foreign) TV channels... someone might though.
- Internet access is not more censored than before, means limited porn and critical forums/sites (simple blacklist mechanism). No changes there... yet.
- Otherwise prices on local markets increase steadily. People complain that no fresh produce reaches the markets, which comes usually over night. That might impact the quality of your favorite Thai food place. Mine already serves food with inferior ingredients.
Development will be interesting over the coming week(s).
That said, from the circumstances and legal framework of the current situation, it got dangerous."Civil laws are suspended", "violators [of martial law] will be denied lawyers, tried by courts martial and given lengthy prison sentences." That is no joke and should be considered seriously.
On a smaller scale:
- In daily life, I personally can report that the increasingly annoying pressure leads to horribly overcrowded BTS at rush hour. I had to wait for 4 trains at Siam before able to board one on Silom line.
- Even bigger impact is the closing down of entire crucial BTS stations (near anti-junta protests) like Phayathai and Ari. If coming from the Airport, from yesterday on, someone should leave the Airport Link at Makkasan, Phayathai seems to stay closed... at least today.
- I couldn't care less about the lack of (foreign) TV channels... someone might though.
- Internet access is not more censored than before, means limited porn and critical forums/sites (simple blacklist mechanism). No changes there... yet.
- Otherwise prices on local markets increase steadily. People complain that no fresh produce reaches the markets, which comes usually over night. That might impact the quality of your favorite Thai food place. Mine already serves food with inferior ingredients.
Development will be interesting over the coming week(s).
May 26, 2014, 10:34 pm
#579
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
Situation is mostly calm and especially for foreigners not as serious as for locals. If in a taxi after curfew or otherwise on the streets tourist can expect much higher tolerance... to a degree, that worrying is smart but often not necessary.
That said, from the circumstances and legal framework of the current situation, it got dangerous."Civil laws are suspended", "violators [of martial law] will be denied lawyers, tried by courts martial and given lengthy prison sentences." That is no joke and should be considered seriously.
On a smaller scale:
- In daily life, I personally can report that the increasingly annoying pressure leads to horribly overcrowded BTS at rush hour. I had to wait for 4 trains at Siam before able to board one on Silom line.
- Even bigger impact is the closing down of entire crucial BTS stations (near anti-junta protests) like Phayathai and Ari. If coming from the Airport, from yesterday on, someone should leave the Airport Link at Makkasan, Phayathai seems to stay closed... at least today.
- I couldn't care less about the lack of (foreign) TV channels... someone might though.
- Internet access is not more censored than before, means limited porn and critical forums/sites (simple blacklist mechanism). No changes there... yet.
- Otherwise prices on local markets increase steadily. People complain that no fresh produce reaches the markets, which comes usually over night. That might impact the quality of your favorite Thai food place. Mine already serves food with inferior ingredients.
Development will be interesting over the coming week(s).
That said, from the circumstances and legal framework of the current situation, it got dangerous."Civil laws are suspended", "violators [of martial law] will be denied lawyers, tried by courts martial and given lengthy prison sentences." That is no joke and should be considered seriously.
On a smaller scale:
- In daily life, I personally can report that the increasingly annoying pressure leads to horribly overcrowded BTS at rush hour. I had to wait for 4 trains at Siam before able to board one on Silom line.
- Even bigger impact is the closing down of entire crucial BTS stations (near anti-junta protests) like Phayathai and Ari. If coming from the Airport, from yesterday on, someone should leave the Airport Link at Makkasan, Phayathai seems to stay closed... at least today.
- I couldn't care less about the lack of (foreign) TV channels... someone might though.
- Internet access is not more censored than before, means limited porn and critical forums/sites (simple blacklist mechanism). No changes there... yet.
- Otherwise prices on local markets increase steadily. People complain that no fresh produce reaches the markets, which comes usually over night. That might impact the quality of your favorite Thai food place. Mine already serves food with inferior ingredients.
Development will be interesting over the coming week(s).
May 27, 2014, 12:47 am
#580
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BKK
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1P, SPG Plat75, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 7
Also - a quick story from a friend of mine who just got back from Chiang Mai. He and his girlfriend took a taxi from a guest house near the eastern gate to the Chiang Mai airport early in the morning (4am), during curfew. As they approached the only military checkpoint on their way to the airport, the driver quickly turned on the dome light in the taxi, to show that the occupants were farang/western european. The checkpoint officials casually waived along the taxi; the driver did not even need to slow down that much.
I am sharing above, just to give others an idea of how tourists/foreigners are being treated during the current situation. It seems to me that the military does not want to scare away foreigners/tourists, and as long as one stays away from protest areas/rallies - one should be fine. If things start heating up and getting to May 2010 levels, that will be a different story...but things right now are "relatively" normal.
May 27, 2014, 3:44 am
#581
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: ASIA
Programs: TK Elite, ALL Plus Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,530
My way out while in BKK, JUST IN CASE: I'll rent a car and drive 180km to Hua Hin.
But seriously, as it is at the mmt, you will have a good time.
Last edited by gilbertaue; May 27, 2014 at 3:49 am
May 27, 2014, 8:58 am
#582
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Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
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Curfew hours have changed to midnight-4 am, according to the Bangkok Post.
May 27, 2014, 9:10 am
#583
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
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Curfew hours have changed to midnight-4 am, according to the Bangkok Post.
May 27, 2014, 1:49 pm
#584
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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Curfew hours have changed to midnight-4 am, according to the Bangkok Post.
May 27, 2014, 9:58 pm
#585
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Bangkok
Posts: 284
People breaking the curfew explained that as the adjusted time is from tonight. I've seen many people breaking curfew the last few nights......a sort of mai pen rai attitude. In reality many late night places have also stayed opened the last few nights. I assume that the tea money to ensure a late opening instead of going to the police was just being paid to the military....