Foreigners told to avoid rallies
- Published: 9/04/2010 The Bangkok Post: News
Foreign residents and tourists are being warned to avoid areas where the red shirt demonstrations are taking place.
Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday foreigners were still free to travel, but they should stay away from the protest sites for their own protection.
He said the state of emergency declared by the government on Wednesday appeared to be having little immediate effect on foreign residents and tourists.
The decision to declare the emergency was to ensure peace, stability and a return to normalcy as soon as possible, he said.
WARDEN MESSAGE:
SONGKRAN SAFETY, EXPLOSIVE DEVICES, POSSIBLE PROTESTS
Ahead of the April 12-16 week of the Songkran festival, the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai advises U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Northern Thailand to exercise caution while on the roads. Historically, Thailand has experienced higher-than-normal levels of traffic accidents and fatalities during the Songkran period due to drunk driving. Motorists should drive defensively and pedestrians should use good sense in crossing roads. In case of an accident, call Tourist Police immediately on 1155.
This message also alerts U.S. citizens to continuing explosives attacks in and around Chiang Mai city. Since our March 18 Warden Message on this subject, additional explosive devices have detonated or have been discovered before detonation. Some of these incidents have involved military-grade munitions and have taken place at or near areas frequented by U.S. citizens. These incidents appear to be politically motivated, not acts of international terrorism, and travel to Thailand remains generally safe. However, more such attacks cannot be ruled out. U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise caution and vigilance, especially after dark. Immediately report to law enforcement or security personnel any unattended packages or bags or suspicious objects in public areas.
This message also alerts U.S. citizens to public statements by supporters of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (aka UDD or "red-shirts") threatening demonstrations in the provinces if its current demonstration in Bangkok is forcibly dispersed. Possible demonstration sites include Provincial Halls and military and police installations. Also, demonstrations at the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai cannot be ruled out. We wish to remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid areas that may be targeted for demonstrations and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations or large gatherings. U.S. citizens should monitor local media to keep updated with the latest information of any demonstrations and areas to avoid.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site athttp://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
U.S. citizens traveling or residing in northern Thailand are encouraged to register with the Department of State (https://travelregistration
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