TAT posts blog to show the ‘reality’ of Bangkok protests

The public relations and marketing team for Tourism Authority of Thailand have blogged a firsthand report from Bangkok which claims minimal disruption from the protests in the capital.

The post, written by a local journalist, claims the "shutdown thing might not be as dire as many media outlets make it seem".

"Over the past 76 days of anti-government protests, Bangkok has endured some tense and sometimes violent moments, and the road closures caused by the so-called Bangkok Shutdown are certainly a nuisance," it said.

"But what is it really like for travellers who simply want to go sightseeing?"

The journalist then describes his experience yesterday of doing a city-wide excursion that an average traveller might take.

The tour took him straight through five of the main protest zones and at some points he found himself in the middle of the protestors.

"For a short time, we were funnelled into a human traffic jam, but there was never a moment — here or anywhere else — that we didn’t feel safe," he said.

A spokeswoman for TAT said the protests are due to continue until February 2 and said the tourism body would continue to post updated on its blog.

Click here to read the full report.