Large Scale Bangkok Demonstrations Planned
Today the two main opposing political groups will be holding demonstrations in Bangkok. Though the demonstrations may be peaceful as they will be held in separate areas of Bangkok, some expect there will be a lot of bloodshed today.
People's Alliance for Democracy leaders stated they would begin an all-out effort to topple the government of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and prevent a charter amendment by laying siege to Parliament today in its largest (and final) demonstration yet.
Meanwhile the head of Thailand's army, First Army Region Commander Lt Gen Kanit Sapitak insists there is no military coup in the works and that they will only act when ordered to.
Today would not be an ideal day to spend a lot of time in Bangkok. Instead why not take a train or plane to some other part of this beautiful country?
Comments
We are planning a trip to Thailand and Angkor Wat in mid-December to early January, including Bangkok, Ko Tao and Chiang Mai. Should we be worried about protests in Bangkok, interruptions in domestic air travel, etc.?
Well - I wouldn’t say “worry” but, don’t feel all that safe if you’re in Bangkok and keep your eye on the local news when you do arrive. The BBC is usually available in the hotels.
Today the state of the country - even Bangkok is OK. Tomorrow or later today, who knows? Things change fast but Thailand has a vested interest in keeping Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport running and in minimizing effects on tourists that do choose to come during this time of turmoil.
Stay clear of Bangkok if you can and visit the outlying areas to be on the safer side. In reality, thousands of people will stay in Bangkok for their vacation and some may not see anything different than they would any other time. Or, they might. Better to play it safe!
I was in Bangkok the last time this happened a few months ago. Truthfully, the only demonstrating I saw was on the news and they made it sound much worse than it was. I walked the city freely during the day and night and felt fine. I have been there 8 times, so it does not seem so foreign to me anymore. The Thai people are sweet and kind and do not have a problem with tourists. Don’t worry too much about it.
Just retruned from Bangkok today. Had no problems, only one palace tour closed. Allow more time for airport check-in as security is high. Toured northern areas and cities for 2 weeks with no problems.
Just returned from 2 weeks in Thailand, today. No problems, airport is on high alert so there are more security checkpoints. Toured the country with no problems at all.