NZ, UK beef up Thai travel warnings
WELLINGTON – New Zealanders have been advised to avoid all travel to Thailand while Britain is urging its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand, not just Bangkok.
Changing its travel advice, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said, “Violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand.
“In the last week, protests and violent incidents have taken place in other parts of Thailand including popular tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Ayuthaya and other locations.”
Around 812,000 British travellers visit Thailand each year.
New Zealanders have been advised to avoid all travel to Thailand and those already in the country are being advised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider leaving.
An updated travel advisory on the NZ ministry’s site now lists a “high risk” for all of Thailand “due to the uncertain political situation, civil unrest and threat from terrorism”.
Around 2000 New Zealanders are believed to be in Thailand.
“Although tourists have not previously been targeted by protesters, there is potential for them to be caught up in violence directed at others,” the ministry advice says.
The Australian government’s SmartTraveller website continues to advise travellers to reconsider their need to travel to Thailand.
The Bangkok Post is reporting that security authorities have ordered Bangkok police to close all roads around the red shirt rally site after a tense day of violence left a soldier dead and 19 people wounded.
Said Charoen Wangananont, spokesman for the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations, “Tourism promotion and image-making campaigns for Thailand will be useless for the time being, as no one knows when and how the political crisis will end.
Thai tourism is already at the rock bottom. No matter what is about to happen, more countries are banning their people from visiting Thailand.”
Ian Jarrett
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