In recent months Thailand has been embroiled in political turmoil opposing the red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra and government forces backed by the military. The six-party coalition is under pressure from its supporters in the upper classes and from royalists to crack down on the mainly poor red shirts.

Thailand has a constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej who has been on the throne since June 1946, making him the world’s longest reigning king. The government is freely-elected with a Prime Minister at its head. However, the military has had a tendency to intervene from time to time when it doesn’t like the government or it does something it doesn’t to upset it. The last time was in 2006 to remove the previously mentioned Taksin Shinawatra. Perhaps they didn’t like him buying Manchester City?

So why is the situation getting bad?

The political unrest started at the beginning of March with protesters demanding fresh and free elections. Portrayed by the media as simple country folk who were deluded in their allegiance, they were compared to water buffalo. Apparently that’s quite an insult in Thailand.

In mid-March things took a turn for the worse. The protesters moved into the more swanky areas of Bangkok and their daily rallies took on a more confrontational tone. Things came to a head on April 10th when the army and riot police tried to remove the protesters by force. Gunmen clad in black appeared on the protesters’ side and the army had to retreat. Not before 25 people were killed, including a Reuters’ cameraman.

There is now something of a face off with both sides making claims and counter-claims and rumours that a new crackdown is imminent. It’s quite a dangerous place to go, especially if you don’t need to be there.

What does the Foreign Office say?

To quote the their statement directly:

• We advise against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok, in light of ongoing political demonstrations and outbreaks of violence within the city. This advice does not apply to passengers transiting Bangkok airport on their way to other destinations in Thailand or internationally.
• British Nationals should exercise extreme caution throughout the country and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, some of which have recently turned violent.
• The line of the international border in the vicinity of the Preah Vihear temple (Khao Pra Viharn in Thai) is the subject of dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. Fighting broke out on 15th October 2008, between Thai and Cambodian troops along the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple (Khao Pra Viharn in Thai). We advise against all travel to this region. The appointment of ex-Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as Economic Adviser by the Cambodian government in November has raised tensions between the two countries further.  You should remain alert to the local situation when travelling in other border regions and at land crossings between the two countries.
• If violence breaks out again British nationals are advised to remain indoors and to monitor the media and this website. Suvarnabhumi airport is operating as normal. The route to the airport from Bangkok city remains open.

What does that mean for my travel insurance?

As a general rule, when the Foreign Office says “We advise against all travel to this region”, it means that you will not be covered by your travel insurance. In a nutshell, “you were warned”. When however it advises against “all but essential travel”, that’s when things get complicated. What actually is “essential travel”?

If you are in transit, on the way to Australia for example, you have nothing to worry about as you won’t ever see any trouble remaining at all times air side. If during your transit you take a trip into Bangkok for whatever reason, you need to be careful. If you are travelling for business, the official line currently is that your travel is essential and you will be covered. However, given the powder keg situation at the moment, you might be advised to put it off if you possibly can. If you are going on holiday however, you won’t be covered and you go their on your own back. Other personal matters such is visiting a sick relative or attending a funeral are considered essential.

In addition to all that of course, at the time of writing, almost 3,000 British travellers are stranded at the airport. That’s the subject of another post.

Related posts:

1. All but essential travel to Bangkok – update
2. All but essential travel to Bangkok – update 2
3. How to make your journey easier with Essential Holiday Extras
4. Secret Southern California: a ride into the little known.
5. The Quirky Traveller’s Favourite Travel Destinations

Tags: essential travel, Foreign Office, holiday, Travel insurance, Travel Tips

This entry was posted on Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 10:38 am and is filed under Travel, Travel insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.