Hanuman: the Thais are generally a very peaceful people, but anyone can be pushed too far and with the military in control, it's hard to predict.

Here's still sending good wishes your way as well as for the many travelers in Thailand AND the Thais themselves that this will be resolved soon and peacefully.

Hanuman, I was under the impression that this protest is being done by a lot of professional people, like you say. I had only "heard" about some being paid, so don't know if it is true or not. Maybe that information comes from the way things were done before, as you said.

Dogster... are you going back to the Centara? Maybe we still have time to meet for ice cream at Haagen-dazs at Central World!!! Or you might enjoy beer and food at the Pickled Liver on soi 11. I'm still here for 3 more days.

To those of you traveling here, I'm sure you will be fine. As hanuman has said, the tourists are not being targeted. I have yet to see any signs of unrest at all. Soi 8, Sukhumvit, seems to be life as usual.

I will indeed watch this thread for any up to date information.

Carol

Hanuman, thank you so much for the updates. We fly into BKK at the end of september and will be heading straight down to Hua Hin, from what I understand its a pretty direct route with little chance of problem. ( I hope )

Marko, from the airport onto the expressway heads towards Hua Hin so it cuts south of center. Where are you staying there ?

Just a quick note - Phuket airport is reopened.

Well, I'm tremendously upset.

Here was I hoping for a bit of biff and bash, a whiff of tear-gas, and perhaps a truncheon to the skull - and my arrival in BKK this afternoon was completely without incident.

So much for that potentially exciting trip report in Fodor's...

But Carol, I'm outta here in less than 24 hours. Sadly, our lover's tryst at HagenDaas in Central World will just have to wait for another occasion...

S-s-sob.

And I'd had my ears cleaned especially for you..

This just appeared on the NY Times website: http://tinyurl.com/5qn4kg
Some recent news and good background to the situation. Note the links to two related articles.

Hanuman, at the Evason.

WillJame, thanks for that link. I think it did a good job of explaining the situation here. I still have not seen anything disruptive from my location on Sukhumvit soi 8.

dogster... sob, sob... I had hoped we'd meet over ice cream. Oh well, next time! Have a safe trip back to Melb'n (been there twice).

Carol

Marko,

I think it was JamesA who was asking about where you're planning on staying in Hua Hin. I'm sure he'll read it the next time he's online and by they way the Evason is a nice resort.

Have a great trip!

LOL
domestic blindness !!

Thanks for that !!

<<Thai Airways personnel also said they would delay flights beginning on Tuesday and transport workers said they would halt service on 80 percent of Bangkok’s 3,800 buses.>>
From New York Times at http://tinyurl.com/6qwcrn
Let's hope travellers in BKK are not too much inconvenienced. Carol, you're flying out in the next day or so by United, I think. Bon voyage.
Will

Wow! I have a friend from many years ago who emailed brief mention of this. I hope everyone is safe. She was. She advised it was controlled, but that was a few days ago.

I'm flying out tomorrow (Wed) on UA. I need to read more about what is going on! Now I understand why I have not seen the traffic on the streets that I usually do. Fewer buses? I've really been perfectly safe on soi 8, but maybe it's good I'm heading home.
Carol

CNN just now reports that a state of emergency has just been declared! This is from violent clashes happening between pro and anti gov't forces over night. The army will try to restore peace. Not sounding good. The Thais are really a non-violent people, very non-confrontational. It's really too bad this is happening here, in this usually peaceful country! Very sad!
Carol

Carol,
CNN Int'l is now reporting that the military "has stepped in and taken control." Is that what they are saying on the local news?

tengo, CNN and BBC are about the only English channels I get. I don't understand Thai so watching local channels wouldn't do me any good. Maybe a look at the web page for the Nation or BKK Post will be informative.
Carol

Interesting that BKK Post site comes right up, but I cannot get the Nation to load. Maybe they are updating their news as I'm trying to get their page on line.

The Nation loads for me, but slowly. An excerpt:
<<Thai PBS reported that the announcement exempted the enforcement paragraph 1 of Article 9 which prohibit people from leaving their houses, meaning people can still go to work.
The state of emergency prohibits gathering of more than five people.
The state of emergency authorises the authorities to evict people from any place or prohibit them from entering a place.
The state of emergency also prohibits news publicity in a way that terrifies the public.
The state of emergency also allows the authorities to detain suspects for seven days and would prohibit people from making illegal entries into government offices.>>
The same article reports one person dead and 34 injured. Twenty-four schools are closed.
Not looking good.

Last night a group of pro-government supporter, mostly taxi and tuk tuk drivers, marched against the demonstrators causing a confrontation. At least 1 dead with several injured according to the local news.

Since the government got heavily criticized when they tried to used the police to break up the demonstrators they have now resorted to using mobs of thugs instead.

I fear things will get worst!