UK extends warning against travelling to Thailand

[Mekong]

United Kingdom on Tuesday extended a warning against visiting Thailand, urging its nationals to avoid all but essential travel to the whole country following "violent incidents of an unpredictable nature.'

 

The warning last week warned its nationals against visiting Bangkok following a series of deadly grenade attacks.

 

In its latest advice on Tuesday, the Foreign Office said it had 'changed its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand'. 'This advice reflects the increasing tension in Thailand and our concern that violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand,' said a statement.

 

'The situation is volatile and we recommend that British nationals in Thailand or planning to travel to the country check the travel advice on the embassy website regularly for details of further developments.'

 

Link

[SpiceMan]

This warning has the effect of invalidating British issued travel insurance. It won't stop me but it will stop almost all Brit tourists from visiting.

 

[Mekong]

Spiceman,

 

As I mentioned in another thread 2-3 days ago whilst winding up Laztphil, as one does, now that the British FCO have issued this statement Airlines / ABTA agencies have to refund 100$ of fees paid by UK Citizens booked to come here.

 

 

[gobbledonk]

Same line from our bureaucrats here in Oz:

 

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

 

Visions of near-empty flights to BKK are tempting, but I've been down that road before : you get out to the airport and everyone is staring at one another thinking 'Jesus, who the hell would fly to a country that they are telling you to stay away from ?'. Its like trying to stop Australians going to Bali, particularly when our dollar is so strong.

[Guest lazyphil]

this is the same crowd who banned conkers in the school yard for being unsafe!!!

[simie]

I assume most western governments will follow suit now? And basicly what mr and mrs normal or families will consider Thailand now. Sure some mongers and business people will still go but going to crucify their tourist industry just as they are going into low season anyway.

Simie.

[Ckrisg]

Spiceman,

 

As I mentioned in another thread 2-3 days ago whilst winding up Laztphil, as one does, now that the British FCO have issued this statement Airlines / ABTA agencies have to refund 100$ of fees paid by UK Citizens booked to come here.

 

 

Not total True Mekong

 

A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said that all customers with package holiday bookings would have to rearrange their trips, or cancel them free of charge. Those passengers with flight-only bookings would be able to travel, she said, although they will be advised not to.

 

 

[gobbledonk]

Simie, I have been to BKK a couple of times in low season, and the plane is inevitably packed full of Australians - young couples, even families with school-age children - at best, there will be an empty seat here and there and thats it. The current emergency will undoubtedly have deterred some of them, but I noticed that Flight Centre seem to have knocked a couple of hundred off the cheapest Bangkok fare - BNE to Phuket is also very cheap atm. It all comes down to the strength of our dollar and the desperation of airlines to generate revenue following the volcano, IMO.

[Flashermac]

I jokingly suggested to a friend in the States that he come here now. He replied, "It's got to be safer than Mexico."

 

p.s. I commented to my taxi driver yesterday that there weren't many tourists. He said there were still quite a few, but they didn't stay in Bangkok. They went to Phuket, Samui, Chiangmai etc.

 

 

[gobbledonk]

Flasher, I'm not in Thailand right now, but I imagine that its still safer overall for tourists than Manila or Rio. We take it for granted on trip after trip, but it still blows me away given the gap between those who have serious money and those who have very little.