THAILAND UNDER MARTIAL LAW BUT THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY AS LIFE, DINING AND SHOPPING CONTINUES AS USUAL! THE ROYAL THAI ARMY DECLARED MARTIAL LAW IN THAILAND FROM 3 AM TODAY BUT MALAYSIAN TOURISTS CAN CONTINUE THEIR PLANS AS NORMAL!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

Situation Update: Thailand Political Developments

Issued at Bangkok at 09.30 hrs. (GMT+7) on 20 May 2014

Further to our latest update released yesterday afternoon, there has been a new development on the current political situation in Bangkok. The Royal Thai Army declared martial law that covers the entire Thailand, effective from 03.00 hrs. today.

This is not a coup, according to the army statement. The martial law has been invoked to restore peace and order for people from all sides. In the announcement, the army told the public not to panic and to live their lives as normal.

There is currently no curfew in place in Bangkok or any other tourist destinations in Thailand. Local residents and international visitors can continue to travel within Bangkok and other destinations in the country as usual. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is closely monitoring the situation, and would like to inform tourists and the tourism industry that all concerned public and private agencies will exercise utmost efforts to ensure tourist’s convenience. All public transport and tourist attractions, including airports, tourist sites and shopping malls, are currently open and operating as normal.

Meanwhile, the situation at the rally sites of both anti- and pro-government groups in Bangkok remains normal.

The anti-government groups’ rally sites are situated in areas surrounding Government House – at Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue and Chamai Maruchet Bridge on Phitsanulok Road – and at Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road as well as at the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue (a camping site).

The pro-government group’s rally site is on Aksa Road in Bangkok’s western outskirts.

Tourists visiting the kingdom are advised to be vigilant and avoid rally sites and demonstration marches, as well as areas where crowds may gather.

Roads in Bangkok’s areas where the protests are taking place may experience heavy traffic or a temporary closure due to large crowds gathering and blockage of traffic lane by the protesters’ rally activities.

Despite traffic disruptions on certain roads in some small parts of Bangkok due to the current political demonstrations and the army’s movements, life in the most parts of the Thai capital and throughout Thailand continues as usual. All public transport and tourist attractions, including airports, tourist sites and shopping malls, are currently open and operating normally.

Bangkok is a large city and so it is possible for local residents and international visitors to avoid the demonstration sites and rally routes. Traffic in the most parts of Bangkok is moving normally as almost all roads and expressways are not affected by the demonstrations.

All major tourist attractions in the Thai capital, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace and the Temple of Dawn, are open normally. Tourists can visit all attractions using the usual means of transport, including buses, vans and car transfers by tour companies, taxis, the Skytrain, the subway or the boat and ferry service.

Businesses, including banks, petrol and gas stations, hotels, spas, restaurants, entertainment venues, cinemas, convention centres, shopping malls, superstores, convenient stores, pharmacies, hospitals and the like are open and operating normally. Telephone both landline and mobile and Internet services are available 24/7 as usual.

All airports in Bangkok and throughout Thailand are open and operating normally.

Tourists with flights arriving in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang International Airports) and wish to see Thailand’s wealth of cultural and natural attractions outside of the Thai capital are recommended to make use of the many daily domestic flights, as well as bus and car transfers, to get to other popular destinations, such as, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Ko Samui, Khon Kaen and Sukhothai.

·         For instant updates, follow Amazing Thailand through the Application Line and Facebook or Twitter @ThailandFanClub.

·         For information on tourist attractions and activities, visit: www.tourismthailand.org

·         For live videos of attractions in Thailand, download the Thai Live Cam mobile application at: http://livecam.tourismthailand.org/

·         For daily news on TAT and the Thai tourism industry, visit: www.tatnews.org

·         Thailand is a festive country, celebrating numerous local and national holidays and hosting many regional and global events each year, to see the calendar of events and festivals, visit:

o   www.tourismthailand.org/See-and-Do/Events-and-Festivals

o   www.tatnews.org/events-festivals/

Useful contact numbers:

Tourist’s Friend Centre +66 (0) 2314 1212

TAT Call Centre 1672

Tourist Police Call Centre 1155

Traffic Police Call Centre 1197

BMTA (city bus and van service) Call Centre 1348

BTS Hotline +66 (0) 2617 6000

MRT Customer Relations Center +66 (0) 2624 5200

SRT (train service) Call Centre 1690

Transport Co., Ltd., (inter-provincial bus service) Call Centre 1490

AOT (Suvarnabhumi Airport) Call Centre 1722

Suvarnabhumi Airport Operation Centre (temporary) +66 (0) 2132 9950 or 2

Don Mueang Airport Call Centre +66 (0) 2535 3861, (0) 2535 3863

Thai Airways International Call Centre +66 (0) 2356 1111

Bangkok Airways Call Centre 1771

Nok Air Call Centre 1318

Thai AirAsia Call Centre +66 (0) 2515 9999