jag1234

We were supposed to leave on our honeymoon to Thailand this Sunday. The Thai military has just staged a coup, so we are canceling the trip and looking for alternatives. Anywhere is possible so long as we can book in the next 24 to 48 hours. We definitly want to leave the US, would rather not go to Central or South America, and would prefer a "beach with other activities" destination. Our plan for Thailand was a few days in the south on the beach, a few days in the north and a few days in Bangkok. Any and all advise would be appreciated.

rhkkmk

i would not cancel...i would go ahead with it....there should be no interruption with normal everyday activities

rhkkmk

if you must cancel then i would look at malaysia....langkawi is a lovely island....the datai and four seasons there are very nice and there are two sheratons...

you could spend time in K/L as well at any number of lovely hotels and go to singapore as well...

bali is also a wonderful destination which is easily reached from either k/l or singapore...

Kathie

I would also not cancel Thailand yet. In the past, the coups have been brief and peaceful. As Bob says, even if things have not calmed down enough for your comfort, you could still choose another nearby destination in SE Asia. Your airline might well be willing to change your flight to, say, Singapore or Kuala Lampur. You could then have beeach time in malaysia or Bali.

Craig

DON'T CANCEL!!! This will most likely play out positively.

dperry

I know it may seem scary, but don't cancel! I lived in a S American country where martial law was declared, and aside from the tanks around gov't buildings and occasional power outages (not in tourist areas!) it was pretty much life as usual.

eurotraveller

I wouldn't cancel either but things like this might be beyond comfort level for some people.

When do you have to make your decision or did you already cancel it?

jag1234

We haven't canceled yet. Trying to get a feel for the need to cancel, and if so, we would like to have another option in the wings.

marmot

jag, I wouldn't cancel either. With the army and the king behind this event the chance of violence or any disruption to tourism is very low.

If you still feel uncomfortable then Bali would be an alternative. It's low season there now and you should be able to get a room at just about any price level."Beach with other activities" fits the bill.

bluesman78

I would stick with Thailand over Bali, even with the instability

SueHuml

I would also be one to not cancel. There has been no bloodshed and it is a peacful coup. I agree seeing tanks in the street would not be my idea of a honeymoon, however, I strongly doubt that this regime, who is supportive of the King will do anything to wreck the tourist industry, which is after all a big part of their economy. Please tell, where were you planning on staying during your time in Thailand? I heard the tanks were only in the Government building areas.
Sue

borgo

Don't Cancel! Thais value the tourists that come to their country. I believe no harm will come to you and it is a beautiful country.

BigT

Dont cancel, the King has announced that General Soonthi has been appointed caretaker and then there will be a new Interim PM appointed in the next 2 weeks.

glorialf

I agree not to cancel

Tess_Durberville

I don’t know whether I’d cancel, however I DEFINITELY would investigate a possible “plan B”. Should things escalate, then you’d want to be able to make alternative arrangements.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the UK) and the Foreign Affairs Office (Canada) have both issued travel warnings regarding parts of Thailand and advise travelers to exercise caution and avoid the Luang area of Bangkok, where many government offices are located. Read further on this website >>> http://www.allsafetravels.com

Also check on the U.S. State Department website for any Travel Warnings or Public Announcements --- earlier this morning I didn’t see anything addressing the recent events in Thailand; so either they hadn’t posted anything or felt the situation hasn’t merited a warning.
http://travel.state.gov/

jag1234

Tess - Thanks for the info links

cram

DO NOT cancel, it's probably more quiet now than before.

Bonita

Congrats to YOU!
I would not cancel, I would stay optimistic and hope for a peaceful and swift resolution of this for the people of Thailand, for those who love the region and for all of us Thai~bound travelers.

That said, i wld defiantely continue to carefully monitor the situation and follow the the days events as they unfold..it is really too soon to know..Although their appears to be a relative calm, one never knows how these things will end up, especially when Tashkin returns and wht his supporters will do and it is never fun to be caught in another regions political turmoil. Beleive me, i have experinced it on more than one occasion in both Nepal and India! It can be very scary...

Again, keep packing and planning to go, but yes, u might want to come up with a plan B too just in case, and this can be a flight from Bangkok to Bali, to Vietnam, to Malaysia, so many options once u are in the region!

All that said, i am very optimistic and myself BKK bound in three weeks, but at the same time, i will stay closely tuned and follow how the situation plays out and pray for a peaceful transiton. Sawadeeka..

123Go

Ditto with the Don't Cancel people. If it were me, I'd probably be a little concerned but am confident that I wouldn't consider cancelling. Everyone has a different comfort level, but if you were planning on going to Thailand at all, you probably aren't a timid traveler. The word "coup" creates all kinds of scary images in your head and you probably don't want to have your picture on CNN news, put it sounds like this particular instance is non-violent . I'm certainly not a regular OR an expert, but I'm guessing the cituation probably won't have much effect on your personal travel plans.
Good luck whatever you do.

Gpanda

DO NOT CANCEL. The above advice covers the most likely occurences. If things do get a wierd on Friday, you can always rebook to go from BKK to VietNam, Malaysia, etc. You could do this on the fly. However, I do not think it will be necessary.