Be warn that the protest have spread to the railway services of Thailand and the Thai Airways union have call for all their members(10,500 +) to call in sick for a few days. Phuket airport have been surrounded by protesters and passengers cannot enter or leave the terminal by normal route. Chiangmai and Hat Yai airport is also under seige.

Further news - this morning(Thailand time) the police used "controlled" force to disband some protesters causing injuries. When people heard about this they decided to leave work and join in the protest and they are now estimates of hundred of thousands of protesters in Bangkok alone confronting police road blocks and reopening the area that the police have closed off or blocked.

The Thai Airways union leader want accountability for the injuries caused by the police to the general public and threaten further action if no one in the government takes responsibility.

The Thai railways union have called their members to call in sick since yesterday and trains to the North, Northeast and South have halted. Their reason is said to have stemmed from the free train ride offered by the government.

Hanuman
I keep thinking I'll physically SEE some of the protesters but have not yet. I'm too far away from the government building, I guess. The taxi I took yesterday, from the market back to soi 8, had to go a long way around because of streets being blocked off.

Hopefully things do not get serious here. I think the protesters have quite a bit of support from the general population here.

My only source of information has been the two English newspapers, Bangkok Post and Nation. The news is already stale by the time I read it a day late. Anyplace I can get up to the minute news in English so I know what to avoid, if necessary?

Have a safe trip back from the UK.

Carol

Carol,

I got wind of the situation yesterday and I flew back last night arriving in the morning today.

The tourist area will not be affected, finger's crossed, but the situation is escalating. Phuket and Hat Yai airport is confirmed closed by the protesters and Thai Airways union have call for all their members, pilots included, to call in sick for a few days.

The closure of the airports in Thailand and a possible strike or huge delay by TG will affect a lot of tourists and I hope that it will not cause you any problem for your flight back on the 2nd.

Try the Bangkok Post website http://www.bangkokpost.com/ or the Nation's http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ and look at their breaking news. I get my information from the local TV news station as well as from friends.

Carol - you can reach me at [email protected] if you need any assistance with anything.

Forgot to mention that IMO "The Nation" has the most unbiased reporting.

Update.

The protesters have now surrounded all the major police stations near the government area demanding an apology. I advise anybody in those area to stay in your hotel as there are no police around.

Government run NBT tv station is also under siege and has stop broadcasting news program.

Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai airports are closed indefinitely and Thai Airways union confirm their strike call.

Hanuman... Thanks for the updates. I'll have to look on line for more information. I leave the 3rd, on UA. Hope they will continue to fly. I know they have flight crews that are at least partly Thai on the BKK/NRT legs.

I was at Maeng's for dinner. One of the TVs was tuned into live action from the government building. It looked like there was use of tear gas. Doesn't look good.

Thanks for offering any help. I'm sure I will be fine. I don't venture very far past the Sukhumvit area unless going with Maeng to the markets. Tomorrow we go to Chatuchak. Hopefully things will be just like normal there.

Carol

Carol,

I've heard that they will try and reopen Phuket airport tomorrow and that if our current PM can last until then he might impose some kind of a curfew.

You'll be fine around Sukhumvit and have fun at JJ market tomorrow.

I'm glad I went to S.F. on vacation. Had I gone to BK, I would have been returning home day after tomorrow on Thai Air. Happy Travels!

Our son returned home to-day having flown from Phuket-Bangkok-Heathrow, and witnessed no problems or delays.

However, my daily link from Phuket shows the following http://tiny.cc/82mP4

Oh, I meant to add.....48 hrs at most...and the Phuket thing will be over......IMO!

We have a bit of a storm this morning (Saturday) as I gaze out the window. I hope JJ isn't too wet! Right now there is thunder rumbling. Hope it doesn't last too long. I recall being caught in a monsoonal type rain a little over a year ago.... YIKES!!! Exciting!

Hanuman, I think I am fine here on soi 8. Life seems to go on without notice of anything else happening in the city. But I intend to stay abreast of the news so I know what to avoid, if necessary.

Carol

Carol and Hanuman: please stay safe!

Our thoughts are with you!

Carol...This same week, last summer, the rain came down in BK like that. There was thunder and lightening.

I got stuck,alone, in the elevator at my apartment building between the 29th and 30th floors. I was not a happy camper, but calm until I got out.

After I had gotten off the skytrain, at Prom Phong station, on my way to my buiding, all of the lights in Emporium Mall went out and I was caught there in the dark. I usually take a short cut through the mall to get to my building so that I don' have to walk outside.

Security came, with a flashlight, and walked me to the escalator that leads down to my apartment building. The lights were on in the lobby. But, the elevator suddenly stopped and there I was stuck. Happy Travels!

guenmai
I remember reading about your ordeal. Looks like the storms will end before too long. I don't expect power outages today.

Hanuman... what do you think about the idea that some of the protesters are being paid 100bt per day to sit? Maybe they have no idea what they are protesting? They are getting baht and food. I don't know whether to believe this or not.

Hopefully things will come to an end soon, without more violence.

Carol

Carol,

These protesters are genuine and include a lot of people I know personally. If you look closely they are mostly middle to high income earners. I don't think they are a paid mob like the one Thaksin used to use against past protest and they were paying at around 500 Baht a day then.

The sun is out so I hope you have a nice "hot" day at JJ!

I'm heading to BKK in exactly 24 hours Hanuman - so if you hear of any disruptions in between the airport and Central World let me know, eh?
I'm not in the least concerned about my safety - but getting stuck in a seven hour traffic jam en route is to be avoided, wouldn't you agree?

Do you think it's wise to still plan a trip to Phuket? I was originally planning on going to Phuket in middle of November but seeing the situation on the news kind of worries me.

easytraveler, Thank you for your concern! The only people in harm's way are the protesters who are marching so the general public should be safe.

dogster, I don't think you'll have any problem but if do hear of something I'll post it here. News report on this situation are very slow especially with foreign media such as CNN and the BBC. Only a couple of semi-independent Thai TV stations are reporting live.

travlr67, I would go ahead and make plans for Phuket in November. Tourists or tourist infrastructures are not being targeted for demonstration and what happened yesterday was to show the government that if they escalate then the protesters will escalate too.

hi there,
i am traveling to thailand next week, and have train tickets to travel to chiang mai. is it best to figure out alternative travel plans to chiang mai? do you have any recommendations for overnight buses? thank you.