behuman

The Thai PM warns that there is a high risk of terrorism after 16 November and recommends to avoid crowd gatherings (this of course includes shopping centres).

But already this morning there was a bomb attack http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Bombin...a-t222556.html. This shows deep disrespect towards the monarchy - the funeral of the kings oldest sister is taking place until 16 November.

Even if this bomb attack is not related to the present political turmoil it is a bad sign. Many people now are much desperate and if usually quiet and kind, Thais can become extremely violent.

Just two more quotes from the forum above (not from me):
- "Nice way to scare of tourists and show how corrupt this country is in everything."
- "Warning! This country is owned and operated, and inhabited by Thai people, enter at your own risk."

Sorry to all Thailand lovers on this board who hate my comments - I think nobody can contradict me this time.

And to all prospective tourists: There are so many good spots in Asia where you even get more for your money. So why persist?

maskedavenger

I'm a Thailand lover....but have to agree with this. There is trouble in the air.

"Bangkok - A bomb hurled Thursday morning at protestors at Klong Toey Market in Bangkok injured 13 people, two of whom were in critical condition, police said.

'Eyewitnesses said the bomb was thrown by a man on a motorcycle from the bridge that overlooks the market,' said Police Colonel Suthip Palitkusontat, of the Klong Toey Port Police Station."

"Vendors at the famed open air market - the largest in the capital - have been protesting efforts to evict them by a private company that won a new lease on the area on October 29."

Also;

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Tuesday warned the public in the capital to avoid crowds and public areas such as parks after the weekend according to advice from the metropolitan police that violence and explosions could occur in a number of locations.

The police, he said, had warned that bombings could erupt in many places throughout Bangkok after November 16 and the government has been watching after several groups had come out on streets and created chaos recently.

Police arrested several people possessing explosives in the past four days, Mr. Somchai said, adding that the public should avoid travelling in areas where troubles could occur.

The government is concerned because the royal cremation ceremonies of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, elder sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, will still be underway on November 16, he said.

Responding to the reports of the parliamentary investigation into the October 7 violence at Parliament, Mr. Somchai said he still did not know the details.

Mr. Somchai said he did not even know who were the probers but the investigation could only be genuine if it can be proven scientifically.


Based on all of the above, this is really not a place to bring your family on vacation, at this time. If you are totally innocent of any connection to any group, you can still be killed by thrown articles and stray bullets. Not a good situation.

KosraeTV

I disagree that Thai should be avoided. You want to avoid an entire country and culture because of violence in one city?? Um... OK.

So avoid America and every country in the world if there is violence in one city. When there were riots in France did we want to ban travel to France? When someone goes on a shooting spree in LA we ban travel to Ohio?

Right now Thailand is growing and the violence is mostly thai vs thai. So why does that need to halt tourism? There is less crime in BKK that is exposed to ME and mine then in most countries including the country where is our residency.

The King IMHO... is deliberately quiet about things and hopefully the military will control violence escalations in the political arena but not interfere. Thailand needs to evolve and grow and go through their own growing pains to find it's future. Unless you think the Crown Prince will be able to handle the country like the King has. If you think that then the military can squash everything and let the Crown Prince take over in the future and let him run the country.

Thailand does have some competent leaders that CAN lead the country IMHO. But they need to come forward and the political situation needs to grow and evolve. Which IMHO is what the King is allowing to happen while keeping an eye on it.

The Klongtoey area was under protest for a while. Now as a visitor do you want to sit in the middle of a protest or potential threatening area? When I was in LA during some marches towards Staples Center and such we avoided that area.. same thing we do when I am in BKK, we avoid areas where they are having demonstrations. Luckily for the most part most demonstrations are publicly advertised and you know where to avoid (with any common sense).

I don't see how any other country in SEA is any less dangerous or safer then BKK or Thai is right now. There is a greater chance of danger to Foreigners in many other SEA countries due to them actually targeting foreigners, which they are not doing in Thailand. If anything they are going out of their way to AVOID any conflicts with tourists and foreigners. '

I respect your POV but in reality there is very little increased danger, if anything the higher security on BTS and MRT's and other areas are only making it more secure. That's my POV. And I'll be there in a few days without a worry in the world. I definitely will be worrying in MNL and when I am in Bali.

yosithezet

Yes, Bangkok is a dangerous place. Stay away from Thailand! This way the hotel prices will drop and I'll be able to spend more time there smiling and laughing at the rest of your.

Seriously, I'm much more concerned for my safety when I'm in a major US city than I am in Thailand at any time of the day or night. Like KosraeTV says, stay away from the places you know are trouble, like the Gov't House, and you'll have an enjoyable time. IANAS, but there is more chance of something happening on your flight or taxi ride to the airport in your home country than in BKK.

KosraeTV

Good point.

If other people want to avoid BKK then some properties might double or triple award points and TG or others might lower fares into the country.

Sorry, I retract my comments above...

AVOID please... everyone AVOID Thailand... very dangerous... far too dangerous for people... Oh my...

Yosithezet.. how about drinks next weekend? You wear your bullet proof vest and I'll bring my body guards since it's so dangerous... We might have to take a seat inside the restaurant and avoid sitting outside... Then maybe we can toast discounted cost beers to the folks who are avoiding the dangerous country

MegatopLover

I support the comments above of yoshithezet and KosraeTV. The only proviso is that, apart from my own self interest in good hotel rates, I don't wish economic bad times on my friends in the hospitality industry. I'm sure yoshi and Kosrae would agree.

Quoting a bigoted statement from another forum gives you no cover. Adding your own prejudicial comments makes it worse.

Your virulent anti-Thai bias is well-known and well-documented, except those posts that have been deleted. What I don't understand is your apparent refusal to heed your own advice: if you would kindly stay away from Thailand, and the Thailand forum on FT, and we'd all be happier.

jpatokal

No comment on the overall situation, but I don't think this particular case has anything at all to do with politics. Violent eviction tactics in Thailand are regrettably common, see eg. Chuwit's bulldozing of the bars on Suk Soi 10 with the help of 600 hired thugs and a vast slew of fires in slums conveniently timed for developers to take them over.

Dr. HFH

Second.

Behuman, I don't understand. Your distaste for Thailand and all that is related to it is so great, which you have admitted, why not just stay away from it and the Thailand related threads here. You, and we, will be much better off if you put your energies into creating positive feelings for yourself, rather than continuing to radiate negativity.

KosraeTV

I'm hoping folks know sarcasm when they read it.

yosithezet

Not sure who this yoshi character is, but they are welcome to the Bangkok Dwenty-Dwo DO.

Anyway, I fully concur. I did not mean to wish a single day of lost sleep or lost wages to anyone in the hospitality industry but it is always nice for my money to go further.

MegatopLover

Ooops! Apologies. Whenever I look at your handle, I see it at "Yoshi The Zet," which probably bears little resemblence to what it really means. Sorry, yosi.

Yes, I figured we were all on the same page re taking advantage of good rates and deals but still wishing everyone well. Just clarifying.

yosithezet

No worries, it has been happening all the time for the past 21 years.

maskedavenger

Maybe some of you own a business here.....or maybe have some self interest at heart (i.e. an income stream depending on tourism, etc.)?

The fact is that if you are walking with your family on the street and one of these incidents occurs, a loved one might be injured....or killed.

Can this happen in other places?.......maybe.......but we are talking of Thailand....not an American or European city....if you want to post danger signs for cities in the US or Europe please go to the appropriate area. I would not expose my family to this type of political situation and street scene anywhere....US and Europe included.

Bangkok is the center of Thailand activity and tourism. Most people coming to Thailand spend time in Bangkok.....especially first time tourists. The comments that this is a Bangkok problem and not a general Thailand one is fictitious.

If you read Thai newspapers on a daily basis, you will see that the crime situation in Thailand, separate from the political situation is still a bad course of events. Also, because the governmental authorities take little responsibility for anything......many times, crimes against persons go unanswered.

When you put the blah, blah, blah in about this peaceful little country.....make sure you footnote the amount of farangs killed here, by Thai's in robbery activity and other criminal acts against tourists, which the Thai's are very quick to throw under the carpet. Tell your "peace" story to the family of a 21 year old kid who was knocked to the ground and his femoral artery severed after he was down....by a Thai with the jagged edge of a beer bottle....or the kid who was shot and killed by a Thai on a motorcycle to get his gold chain. There is a level of violence here equal to that of any American inner city......and yes...I wouldn't visit an American inner city either ....especially to go clubbing and hanging out....a recipe for disaster.

A lot of people see Thailand as this oasis in SEA.......very different from their own country....a country with a peaceful religion and a quiet reserved people. This is simply not true. Thais are the same as anyone else......don't take chances when in Thailand.........you wouldn't take these chances in your own country. Don't be fooled by the rhetoric here and elsewhere.

Thailand is going through some serious political times......and there is always that criminal element......throwing a bomb into a crowd......sounds just like the Santa Monica Pier......doesn't it?

(this Behuman guy ruined his post by his final comments......but the thrust of his original comments stand true....Thailand can be a very dangerous place.......just like the rest of the world.......if you visit keep your guard up!!....UM.....OK!)

PS....your reverence and respect for the King is very interesting.......the King is probably the richest man in the world (not so in Forbes because his funds are looked at as "royal family funds")......yet his people live in poverty and ignorance. He is probably a nice guy....but he needs to spread the wealth.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1224...googlenews_wsj

MegatopLover

Well, there was that guy who evidently passed out and drove his car through the fresh market in Santa Monica a few years ago, killing about five people. Freak accident, but just as deadly as political or terrorist violence. And there were the Tube bombings and the bus bombing on a quiet street I know in London in 2005. And Atocha Station in Madrid. And Bali. And Bali again. And Morocco. And Sharm. Plus the British-affiliated buildings in Istanbul. The theatre seige in Moscow. The xenophobic violence in South Africa this year. The Marriott in Jakarta. The Marriott in Islamabad. The trains in Mumbai. The rocket attack on the plane leaving Mombasa. The political violence in Kenya. The pirates off Somalia. The bus attacks in Egypt. The nightclub fire in Rhode Island. The stampede at a nightclub a few weeks earlier in Chicago. Not to mention all of the problems in Israel since the second intifada. All of that is just since the 9/11 attacks.

Bad things can happen any time, anywhere. If we all stayed home for fear of bad things, we'd never see anyplace.

The London bombings in 2005 actually prompted me to make my first trip to London in nearly 10 years, the previous one having been a few weeks after the IRA attack on Canary Wharf in 1996. The Bali bombings did not make me stay away. I definitely won't stay away from Thailand because of this.

KosraeTV

Of course I have an interest in Thailand, I'm there every other month. My interest is fortunately human and not money.

What is misleading about some posts is that people make it seem like every time you walk down a street something bad will happen. BKK is a major city and like any major city there is crime and danger. Who said it was nirvana? But it sure is not the battle ground that people are making it out to be. I can personally think of many other cities that are much more nirvana like then BKK.

You've got your touts and your scams and dangers like any other large capital but, there is two major differences from what I SEE. 1) the crime to foreigners are significantly lower then crime towards foreigners in other countries, other countries target out foreigners and 2) the political demonstrations and conflicts are well documented locations and the only moderate risk area I would classify is the south.

And yes I do read thai news daily and talk to thailand four / five times a day. Anyone can pick up a paper and pull out some dangers. Gee a city of millions people of all races that has some crime, go figure. But it's not TARGETED specifically to tourists, there is far more crime thai vs thai, there is some serious crap that is thai vs thai. And I will admit I am surprised that there is not more danger to tourists and I expect that crime against foreigners will increase over the next five to ten years. But even if that happens it will still be safer then many SEA cities.

Do you get the news from other SEA cities? Do you know how dangerous other places are? In Thailand do you go through vehicle check, personal check, drug sniffing dogs through your luggage, bomb sniffing dogs through your luggage, and metal detector to get into your hotel like I have to do in other SEA cities? Sure in the south I've had my vehicle checked when entering properties but that's about it.

A few murders, armed robberies, kidnappings, extortion and such every night do not make the news or are considered strange in many other cities, but for some reason because of the perceived "peaceful people" of thailand, when something they do gets violent it becomes international news when in reality what you describe about stabbings and others are daily happenings in most large cities and are not even back page news events. Now that might be a sad commentary on how the world media treats items but it is fact.

Me and my family can walk in the streets in Thailand a lot safer then in Philippines and in a lot of other places in Asia and South East Asia. And I'm in 5 different Asian countries on a regular basis so I do have the mileage to make my own judgment on this issue. But to say BKK is dangerous and people should avoid it is far too extreme a statement to be taken seriously given the crime rates and dangers towards foreigners in other cities, even cities in countries you might consider civilized... Thailand goes out of its way to avoid conflicts with tourists. It is for the most part an internal struggle.

Ah.. the king... yes I wish I had his families fortune. But it is their culture and their society which foreigners should respect and let them evolve and progress. And I think he is trying to change slowly as even he see's the crown prince unable to rule the country in today's climate. Be it modern times, a shift in thinking or values or whatever, but it is clear to me that the king is allowing the country to evolve. His silence in the political arena tells volumes to me about how he feels.

It always amazes me how people from so called developed worlds think that countries can completely change their political and historical structure over night. It takes many long years for political and cultural systems to change in countries and many countries in SEA are changing... slowly... but they are evolving.

And if we want to wander into the field about spreading the wealth around... don't get me started on how the masses are treated...