The Thai government declared a state of emergency yesterday, which has started today and will remain in effect for the next 60 days.
This has caused countries around the world to raise travel advisories against visiting Bangkok. Hong Kong, for example, has put a black warning on the destination. Travel to Bangkok has decreased by 2 per cent since anti-government protests began in the capital a couple of months ago (see here), with a notable decline in visitors from Hong Kong, China and Japan. "This is likely due to the recommendations from the local tourism advisory boards," said Thawatchai Arunywik, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor.
These measures have been taken in response to the ongoing protests that have turned violent – involving grenades and drive-by shootings. Nine people so far have been killed, and hundreds injured since the protests began late November. The state of emergency increases the power of security forces to search, arrest and detain people without legal proceedings. It does not involve a city-wide curfew.
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific asked the TAT governor about the possibility that the airports might get closed due to the protest. He responded: "I am positive that this will not happen, and I maintain that it is safe for tourists to visit Thailand during this time."
"There have been no disruptions to train services, but due to the affected areas, some roads have been closed off, and traffic has been redirected to other routes," added Sudaporn Worapon, assistant director, TAT.
They added that the TAT has set up help centres, and all airports in Bangkok have informational advertisements which provide emergency hotlines for visitors (see more here).
For more information, visit www.thaigov.go.th
Alex Andersson and Clement Huang
