State of Emergency in Bangkok

[Lobster]

I am due to fly to BKK on 1st May. Unless things really deteriorate then I still plan to go.

[SQtraveller]

post deleted

[nickbot]

Planning to go to Bangkok on June 3, and from there, hoping to go to Buriram and Chiang Mai. Hopefully it's all good by then.

Nice to hear someone is visiting Buriram - quite off the normal track! We have friends from the province (Nong Ki, Prakhon Chai). Hope you have a safe trip (and post some pics?! )

[taipeiflyer]

Planning to go to Bangkok on June 3, and from there, hoping to go to Buriram and Chiang Mai. Hopefully it's all good by then.

if staying in chiang mai, i would strongly recommend the chedi hotel. among my favorite in the world- i love it so much i don't even mind that i do not accrue spg or hyatt points. it is a serene oasis with exceptional service.

[MAN Flyer]

im due there at the end of the month, still going.

I am deeply upset about yesterday's events, I love this country so much and it is such a shame to see this happen like this. I hope it can be resolved as soon as possible. Somehow no matter what disaster strikes Thailand they do always manage to come back so I hope this will be the case again, and quickly.

Yes, a shame but sadly inevitable, although I didn't expect it to be as bad as 20 dead. As you say though, Thailand does have remarkable powers of recovery.

Although there still are a couple of protest zones still occupied by red-shirts the majority of the city functions normally.

That was true up until a few weeks ago, but they seem to be in more locations now. They have been all around the IC and Hyatt for the last couple of weeks, the Skytrain was stopped completely at the weekend (not sure if its running again yet) and I read a piece today that described trouble on Sukhumvit Road and the Sheraton, which can only be the SGS. I have sent an email to a few people I know there to ask them the latest as I am staying there next week.

Should i cancel my trip now or just wait to see what happens

I wouldn't cancel anything yet, sit tight and see what happens.

[kapitan]

Just saw this news flash....


BPbreakingnews: P.Thai: Gen 'P' planning a coup

[MAN Flyer]

Just saw that myself on the Bankok Post website. If in doubt, have a coup. TIT. In fairness these days there are rumours of a coup every month:

A senior army general whose his name starts with the letter “P” is planning a military coup to spare the Democrat Party from dissolution, Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said on Wednesday.

The coup would also enable the general’s subordinates who used force against the red-shirt protesters on Saturday to avoid punishment, Mr Prompong claimed.

“If the general succeeds in staging the coup, the 2007 constitution will be revoked and the Democrat Party will escape punishment,” the Puea Thai spokesman said.

Mr Prompong claimed the army general in question was now busy verifying the number of commanders who would support him. Several commanders were opposed to another coup, saying it is not a solution to political problems, he said.

He warned that if the general tries to stage a coup, there would be more clashes, more violent than Saturday's incident.

The people would come out and fight the coup-makers. A civil war was likely, he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...o-stage-a-coup

[feb01mel]

Bangkok hotels in Red-Shirt occupied territory shut down

Protracted civilian unrest in Bangkok that has paralysed its main commercial areas and held the country’s tourism industry hostage for weeks has claimed new victims.

Several internationally branded hotels – Grand Hyatt Erawan, InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Renaissance – located in the Ratchaprasong hub where upscale malls, banks and offices are found, have decided to shut down for their guests’ comfort and security.
“It was alright if the visitors were just staying in the hotel,” Sammy Carolus, executive assistant manager, Grand Hyatt Erawan, told Business Traveller. “But it kept getting harder for them to move around, as well as enter or leave the hotel.

“We are thankful that nothing violent has happened around here, and we hope nothing will.”

The Grand Hyatt management made the decision at 12pm (Thailand time) today to stop all guest services and bookings, relocating remaining visitors to hotels such as the JW Marriott. Operations are targeted to resume on April 24, 2010.

A spokesperson for nearby InterContinental and Holiday Inn said they would be shut until April 26, and “if the situation worsened, we will be closed indefinitely”.

Renaissance Hotel, the newest of the lot, had closed down earlier. At press time, sister hotel Courtyard by Marriott was waiting for its top executives to come to a decision about the situation. Neighbouring Four Seasons continues to operate.

A potentially violent encounter between the anti-government Red Shirts and Thai military fell through a short time ago, with the protesters deciding not to go ahead with their march to Silom Road. The leaders said they would camp out "indefinitely" in Ratchaprasong until the government met with their demands.

http://asia.businesstraveller.com/as...pied-territory

[sqdazz]

Feel very sorry for all those employee's who now have no job to go to. Every day the red's stay there the more Thai people suffer. What a shame.

I am due in Bangkok again next wednesday for a 10 day period. For the first time ever I am vaguely concerned about what may happen.

[MAN Flyer]

I agree it's a shame for the employee's there that are suffering. I personally feel for those at the Hyatt as I stay there regularly and know a few of them.

I see the Yellows are now threatening to start protesting again. You would have hoped they would know better after the damage they caused last time.

[sqdazz]

I agree it's a shame for the employee's there that are suffering. I personally feel for those at the Hyatt as I stay there regularly and know a few of them.

I see the Yellows are now threatening to start protesting again. You would have hoped they would know better after the damage they caused last time.

Indeed I also hope the yellow shirts do not come out either. They are saying they are going to come out to 'protect the country' or similar. Could get nasty if you have a yellow vs red showdown there.

[MAN Flyer]

I can't help thinking things may be coming to a head in Bangkok shortly, and I don't think it will be pretty. A friend of mine who has lived there for 20 years says there is a nasty atmosphere in the city at the moment, the likes of which he has never encountered before during coups, riots, airport closure's or anything else.

The Hyatt, IC, Holiday Inn and (I think) Four Seasons are all still closed at the moment. I also read with a mixture of amusement and bemusement a headline in that bastion of impartiality the Bangkok Post that the reds are planning to try to overthrow the monarchy. I am surprised they have waited so long to use that old chestnut again....

I sincerely hope all sides think long and hard before starting something they may not be able to stop....

[kapitan]

The worrying thing is that when the crackdown in Bangkok begins, the North East parts must rise and fight, that's where most of the Reds are from. There are already news reports of incidents up North, think they are only waiting.... with the NE rising, the real terrorist in the South may take the opportunity to start a fight too, knowing the the army have their hands tied in Bangkok and the Northeast...

[LukeGT]

I've an upcoming flight to BAngkok (only transit luckily) but I'm starting to be troubled.

[N_Architect]

My upcoming week in Bangkok is already cancelled, looking for an alternative city in Asia (I reckon it'll be Seoul, Tokyo or Singapore unless they decide to surprise us with a week in Vietnam).

If it will be Singapore you may imagine what will happen with N_Architect there for a week...