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Title – Thai Protesters overrun airport blockadesSource – The Independent on Sunday
Date – 30th November 2008
This situation was if not inevitable, at least wholly predictable. The political situation in Thailand has been deteriorating for some time now and the patience of the protestors was being pushed to the limit; some form of further action seemed inevitable. Sadly stuck in the middle now, are over 100,000 tourists trying to leave Thailand and countless others, who have had to cancel their plans to travel.
The effect this will have on the tourist industry in Thailand is to yet to be established. Thailand had just started to get back to normal after the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. Will it stop people travelling to Thailand? Probably not, certainly in the short term it will have an effect as people choose other destinations rather than taking the risk of having to cancel holidays; but in the longer term it will bounce back again. However that will certainly start to change if this ‘siege’ repeats itself, Thailand will start to lose its appeal in favour of other destinations if people start to see the country as unstable and believe the chances of their holidays being disrupted as high.
Thailand is in deadlock. A government seemingly fairly elected, even if the current prime minister was appointed by the elected party rather than through any electoral mandate (not so unusual when you consider our own prime minister…); suggestions of government corruption at the highest level; an army that wields great power but is reluctant to act against the people, especially those who ‘support’ the King, to whom the army is ultimately loyal; a police force who are loyal to the government, but not highly effective and who are keen not become political pawns or go against the army, the king or the people; and the King who is revered in Thailand by all, but who is keenly aware not to get involved in civilian politics or meddle with the government structure and who has himself not designated a clear order of succession to his rule which is a worry to everyone in Thailand.
Thailand is perceived by many despite all of these factors to be a ‘safe’ destination for British travellers and Thailand paints this picture well in promotion of its tourism industry. The reality can be very different and complacency is the traveller’s worst enemy. There are many considerations which travellers to Thailand must consider:
Travel Health: There are many travel health concerns to consider; Malaria is widespread in many parts and Malaria Prophylactic drugs should be discussed with a doctor at least 6 weeks prior to departure; Dengue Fever is increasingly common and in some specific locations, almost at epidemic levels, yet despite being aware of localised outbreaks information is not always widely communicated for fear of putting off tourist; Rabies is endemic and travellers should avoid any animal that can be a carrier and consider vaccination before departure; food hygiene is not always of the highest standards and travellers should only drink bottled water;Date – 30th November 2008
This situation was if not inevitable, at least wholly predictable. The political situation in Thailand has been deteriorating for some time now and the patience of the protestors was being pushed to the limit; some form of further action seemed inevitable. Sadly stuck in the middle now, are over 100,000 tourists trying to leave Thailand and countless others, who have had to cancel their plans to travel.
The effect this will have on the tourist industry in Thailand is to yet to be established. Thailand had just started to get back to normal after the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. Will it stop people travelling to Thailand? Probably not, certainly in the short term it will have an effect as people choose other destinations rather than taking the risk of having to cancel holidays; but in the longer term it will bounce back again. However that will certainly start to change if this ‘siege’ repeats itself, Thailand will start to lose its appeal in favour of other destinations if people start to see the country as unstable and believe the chances of their holidays being disrupted as high.
Thailand is in deadlock. A government seemingly fairly elected, even if the current prime minister was appointed by the elected party rather than through any electoral mandate (not so unusual when you consider our own prime minister…); suggestions of government corruption at the highest level; an army that wields great power but is reluctant to act against the people, especially those who ‘support’ the King, to whom the army is ultimately loyal; a police force who are loyal to the government, but not highly effective and who are keen not become political pawns or go against the army, the king or the people; and the King who is revered in Thailand by all, but who is keenly aware not to get involved in civilian politics or meddle with the government structure and who has himself not designated a clear order of succession to his rule which is a worry to everyone in Thailand.
Thailand is perceived by many despite all of these factors to be a ‘safe’ destination for British travellers and Thailand paints this picture well in promotion of its tourism industry. The reality can be very different and complacency is the traveller’s worst enemy. There are many considerations which travellers to Thailand must consider:
Travel Safety: Illegal drugs although readily available in Thailand carry heavy sentences, the death penalty is still enforced for drug trafficking, British citizens are not protected from heavy sentences for drug offences; scams of all sorts are common in Thailand, the more serious of these scams can include the drugging of victims for the purposes of robbery; road traffic accidents are a common cause of hospitalisation in Thailand; and statistically Thailand remains one of the highest risk destinations for British citizens;
Destination Advice: Apart from the political situation mentioned earlier, there is an ongoing violent struggle in the south of Thailand between Muslim separatists and the largely Buddhist government. This has resulted in thousands of deaths over the past few years and countless ‘terrorist’ attacks. Tourists have become unwittingly involved in this conflict with kidnappings and deaths occurring as a result.
Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) run a Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop (GYITSA) designed to provide travellers to any part of the world with the knowledge and skills to travel safely and allow them to make the most of all the new experiences they encounter whilst avoiding the wholly predictable pitfalls that occur along the way.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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