Thailand is still a very safe place to travel.
The problems in the extreme south east of Thailand have been going on for decades but is just now getting a lot of attention in the media. The troubled area is only a small section along the southeast corner of the Thai Malaysian border which extends inside Thailand for about 20 kilometers. I remember just 12 years ago we had to have a Thai Army escort to ride a boat on the Mae Kok river from Thaton to Chiangrai. That wasn't reported in the media. Maybe these countries giving travel warnings about Thailand should look in their own back yard (major city crime).
Reply to this Its great to hear posotive things about Thailand! Any advise on good cheap places to stay in February time would be great.
Reply to this if u are in bkk ust going to Koa Sand Raod.. backpacker always go there.. cheap guesthouse and a ltos of bar..
if u are going to Koh Samet.. plz check this bar.. www.baywatchbar.tk..u will like there.. Cheers!
Reply to this Samui is still very nice although Chaweng is very crowded, if you want more of a leisurely holiday and time to relax, Mae Nam is very nice and has nice beaches and there are plenty of cheap places to stay from 200 baht a night, about 3 pounds stering. I know one good place but will have to find details !!
Reply to this Chaweng is very crowded? It's not good, I'll be there soon and wish enjoy silence and ocean view, not crowd...
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Reply to this If you want to compare budget airlines in Asia and see where they fly to then I recommend you visit this resource site
www.asia-budget-airlines.com
Guy
Reply to this Travel warnings do exist for a reason, even though they often seem to serve a political goal. As cynical as it may seem, I believe travel warnings to some extent serve to help a sitting government avoid blame when tourists are killed at resorts abroad. Kind of like the public safety warnings on cigarette packs.
As for southern Thailand I agree that it has been heavily reported in media and on some government sites, but the facts remain that Hat Yai and Songkhla saw bombings take place, bombings that appeared to be targetting the general population. Every traveller ultimately needs to use his or her own judgment on wheter a place should be avoided or not.
Reply to this Southern Thailand is not as promising a place to visit as say, Phuket, Khao Lak, Chang Mai or other areas. Thailand has always been a safe place to travel. Its the only country in Asia that has not been colonized in its history, so there is little resistance to foreigners. Its a strong monarchy (though their government has some problems) but its a safe place to be. I've been here for a long time and am currently in Bangkok. I love Thailand (I'm American) and find this place to be paradise. Most of my time has been in the southwest area of Phang Nga Province, specifically Khao Lak. Check my blogs on Khao Lak. Its a wonderful and secret place on the Andaman Sea!
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