Backpackers pack their bags and leave Bangkok in droves

Common sense seems to have prevailed amongst travellers and they have abandoned Bangkok in favour of other parts of Thailand and South East Asia.


This is very bad news for Thailand and the tourist industry which makes up such a large part of the economy in that country, but individual safety concerns have to supersede these concerns for now.


An uneasy calm seems to have descended on Thailand for now, but no one is denying that the problems which led to the recent unrest have not been solved, but rather brushed under the carpet and oppressed by the force of the Thai army.


While these political challenges remain unresolved we can expect to see sporadic protest and it would not surprise many if these occasionally turned violent.


We should also point out that the violence was not restricted to Bangkok but did spread to other parts of the country, most notably the popular northern city of Chiang Mai.


For now the FCO has changed its travel advice (25th May 2010) for Thailand and Bangkok (and Chiang Mai) in particular; it advises ‘against all but essential travel to Bangkok’, rather than the previous advice which was ‘against ALL travel to Bangkok’.


This may not be reassuring, but in effect it reflects that fact that the situation in Bangkok in particular has calmed down, but could easily flare up again at any time and without warning. This advice excludes transit through the airport which is deemed to be ‘safe’.


Travellers should also inform themselves of curfews which are still in place and vary in different areas of the country. If you find yourself in a curfew area, make sure you observe it; local police / army will not discriminate between locals and tourists and police / army in areas under curfew tend to be more on edge than normal; not a great combination in a country where all police carry guns.


For the latest advice from the FCO on Thailand, please Click Here.


At Safe Gap Year our Independent Travel Safety and Cultural Awareness Workshop considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Cultural Awareness, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.


Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


To view the original article Click Here
Source – Independent on Sunday
Date – 23rd May 2010

Surviving a plane crash

The recent fatal air crash in Tripoli, Libya was only survived by one 9 year old boy and analysing why he survived will be of some use to professionals in air safety, but to most people it is just a small miracle or extreme good fortune.


Over-analysing how to survive a plane crash doesn’t help greatly in generating confidence in those who may be concerned about flying. What has to be remembered is that flying is still one of the safest forms of transport in the world.


It is still worth taking a few basic precautions:


• Fly with reputable airlines – Any airline flying into, out of or within the EU, USA / Canada, Australia / New Zealand has to undergo the most rigorous safety checks; outside of these areas it may be worth undertaking a little research into the airline you are flying with. As a general rule the ‘poorer’ the country the more in-depth checks you might want to make; especially on internal flights where regulation may not be as rigorous.

• Always listen to the safety briefing – If nothing else it is polite to do so, but more importantly the more you listen the more you will take in and the more likely your instinctive reaction will be the right one. In the case of a real accident you will have to rely mainly on your instincts, it is unlikely you we be able to draw on your rational thought process, which is unlikely to be working properly.

• Practice the ‘brace position’ and your seatbelt release – Studies have proven that in the case of a crash one of the problems people have is getting out of their seats. It sounds silly to think you will not be able to unbuckle yourself, but when under the most extreme pressure the brain does not work very rationally and instinct will take over; your instinct will be to get up and get out. The rational part of your brain may not work sufficiently under such extreme stress to understand that you must undo your seatbelt to achieve this.

• Sit near an emergency exit – It should not take a rocket scientist to work out that the closer you are to an exit the quicker you will be able to get out in an emergency. Wherever you are seated count the number of seats between yourself and the nearest exit in front and behind you; that way in the case of an emergency and the lights failing or smoke filling the cabin you can feel your way to the nearest exit.

• Don’t panic – Easier said than done. However it is worth trying to control your mind, adrenaline will be pumping through your body and you can do little to stop this (in reality you don’t want to stop this as it will help in your attempt to ‘escape’), what you want to do is control and channel the consequences of adrenaline and use them to your advantage. Respond rather than react to the challenges you face.


This is all very well to write, it is completely different to put into practice in case of a real emergency.


Don’t panic about flying, it is likely to be one of the safest parts of any travel experience; you are likely to be at much greater risk on arrival when driving from the airport to your final destination.


At Safe Gap Year our Independent Travel Safety and Cultural Awareness Workshop considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Cultural Awareness, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.


Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


Date – 16th May 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew