Political issues

[tonykiwi]

Sorry for bringing up political issues on the site but the question is aimed at getting some general information from the locals.

In relation to the present stand off at the main airports etc, demonstrations and occasional bombs, is it fair to assume that elsewhere in Thailand it is business as usual? Experience elsewhere tells me that it would be but I wanted to seek advice from the locals.

Without looking for Nostradamus type predictions, do you see the future remaining ok for visitors and tourists to the GT?

Thanks

T

 

[JohhnyE]

As long as you can get into and out of Thailand via CNX or HKT you would not know the difference as a tourist.
However as far as business is concerned it's a disaster for many industries.
If the sea ports are closed which has been threatened we will come to a stop as well.
The tourist industry is suffering more than most right now. Hotels are laying off staff and more will go. Even if the airports open this week those tourists that were planning to come to Thailand over Xmas New Year have probably cancelled.
And all because a few of the minority priveleged and elite Bankkokians only want "democracy" as long as it's their type of democracy.
How dare those uneducated under priveleged majority elect a government we don't like!

 

[Ian Bungy]

Well Said JohhnyE.
The Protesters are being Paid to do it and they are So Stupid most probably Don't even know why :roll: . If You can get into the Country Now would be the Best Time to Come!!! Phuket is another Entry Option. If I was a Tourist i would be on the First Flight in once they open the Airports again. Imagine having a Top Resort Destination all to Yourself in High Season!!! No Doubt Prices will be down and there will be some Fantastic Deals available :wink: Good Luck.
Still seems Odd why the Baht is Still so Strong when the Entire Country is in Chaos ( Some Dealing going on behind the Scenes? )so when it does eventually Collapse ( Hopefully ) it will make it an even Better Proposition!!!
For those of Us who have Businesses here we are up Shit Creek without a Paddle and no end in Sight with these Morons Holding the Country to Ransom like the Bunch of Low Life Wannabe Terrorists they are :shock: Nuke the F***ers i say 8) On a more Serious Note most of Us know who is Behind the entire affair and who is Financing this Sordid Bunch of Rent-A-Crowd Idiots but we are Unable to Speak for Fear of ending up in the Slammer. 75% of Thais say they are Embarrassed and Ashamed of what is Going On. I Would be a Bit More Vocal but that is Just Me :wink: It makes it Worse for us Knowing the Truth, A Real Shit Sandwich and we get to Eat it!!!

 

[KZ]

I've been living here for the past seven years now. A few weeks after I came I watched the twin towers turn to rubble on TV. Then the Iraq war started, then there was the chicken flu epidemic, then the natives in the south were getting restless, which included the massacre of over a hundred in their mosque by the army, hen the tsunami in the south, then the military coup - did I forget anything? Dengue fever outbreak?
And the tourists kept coming and coming.
Turning the airport into a fugitive camp was an effective move in really hurting the economy and the image of Thailand, but maybe it'll be over in a few days (my money's on another, bloody coup) and a week after that the tourists will be sitting on the beaches again.

 

[DavidFL]

Yeah it's a total mess & the outlook is not good.

After one of the worst low seasons in the North for many years, people were looking forward to a high season to recover. Now this - no recovery possible for many. People are hurting & businesses will go under.

The only positive I can see is that you'd expect the baht to crash in a few months, making the place dirt cheap & bringing tourists flocking back - once they (which side?) can get the political situation totally under control & squared away properly. If not, then combined with the world economic outlook, it's going to be a long difficult climb up out of the deep hole the country has been flung into.

Whatever your position, both sides have gone too far & there's no turning back now. However this is Thailand & anything is possible I guess.

And I'm left thinking: all of this because one man was caught with his hands in the till, would not put the money back in & won't pay tax on it?

But let's tread lightly. The causes of the current political mess are not a good topic to be discussed here.

In answer to Tony's question. Well if you were not watching TV / reading newspapers & only touring on your motorbike in the GT you probably would not know anything & just think the situation was normal. People would welcome you & be friendly, just so long as you were not wearing a red or yellow shirt.

 

[tonykiwi]

Davidfl wrote:
In answer to Tony's question. Well if you were not watching TV / reading newspapers & only touring on your motorbike in the GT you probably would not know anything & just think the situation was normal. People would welcome you & be friendly, just so long as you were not wearing a red or yellow shirt.

Thanks David and others. The intention was not to discuss political issues, simply to hopefully confirm that 99% of Thailand is business as usual to tourists. The collateral damage of these situations to business and the general population is always a sad truth but hopefully, with a good wind and some luck it will work itself out in the shortest possible time.

Feel free to change the thread title to something more appropriate

T

 

[Azoulay]

Hi Friends,

Sorry to say but we have to cancell our venue to Thailand for this X'Mas due to the situation you know from inside.

My wife and my son should have flight from Paris to Bangkok on the 4th but even if they could come (which is quite unlikely) I don't want to risk for them. My flight was scheduled for the 17th of December but I think it would be so difficult to recover to normal operations that I again do not want to risk not to be able to flight back in time in Europe.

I am very sad for what I called the Land Of Smiles however maybe Protesters could have good reason to protest, who knows ....

 

[ivan the terrable]

We only get little news coverage on the situation down here
just a quick question.
is there another airport to fly into, somewhere between pataya and chon buri
Cheers KEV

 

[KenYam]

Ivan to answer your question NO. Chiang Mai and Phuket are your best options. I now know why some Asian countries never develop to their full potential. Politics spoil most things good in life - The lastest has convinced any free thinking person that things have gone to far and out of control, after 8 days of BBK's two airports closures when in the Govt going to act ??? On a more positive note CNX has cooler weather this year - today is beautiful weather and I am sure tommorrow will be perfect again.

 

[Franz]

Ivan the Terrable, only option would be U-Tapao but as many airlines flying out of there with masses of stranded tourists, it's not recommendable to go there on a big commercial airliner (it's near to Sattahip and approximately 40 kms south of Pattaya).
If you really need to come right now, I would recommend you fly to Singapore and then continue with Bangkok Airways via Koh Samui to either U-Tapao (not recommended) or to Hua Hin (just 2 hours south of Bangkok) and then go to Pattaya via taxi. Bangkok Airways (PG) have added Hua Hin and fly to Singapore and Hongkong now twice daily from Samui; further on are the airports in Hua Hin and Samui not the major Exit/Entry points so there would be less chaos then in U-Tapao or Phuket.
Our company has succeeded in flying one of our executives back to Europe via Samui/Singapore on Wed 26th. Good luck, Franz