U.S. ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING FOR THAILAND

[brall3]

I was surprised when I  read this on the internet. Go to the U.S. State Department web site to check it out.

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, brall3 said:

I was surprised when I  read this on the internet. Go to the U.S. State Department web site to check it out.

When you take into account that they still consider Cuba state sponsor of terrorism  you now that, to put it mildly, US State Department has troubles with sound judgements quite regularly. 

[tm_nyc]

US State Department travel warning is to 'exercise caution' in 3 southern provinces, not in Thailand as a whole:

Exercise Increased Caution to:

• Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to civil unrest associated with ongoing insurgent activities

I agree that such travel advisories should generally be taken with a sizable grain of salt.

Edited Thursday at 09:56 PM by tm_nyc
clarification

[sydneyboy1]

3 minutes ago, tm_nyc said:

US State Department travel warning is to 'exercise caution' in 3 southern provinces, not in Thailand as a whole:

Exercise Increased Caution to:

• Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to civil unrest associated with ongoing insurgent activities

I agree that such travel advisories should generally be taken with a sizable grain of salt.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs have had similar warnings about Thailand for as long as I have been travelling there. It’s one of the most popular travel destinations for Australians. I agree the warnings are overkill.

[Travelingguy]

I think that these provinces have been on a warning list for the US state department since before the current ad administration.

[BjornAgain]

Same for UK, these announcements started in September last year, here's the latest from the UK Government website:-

[Londoner]

I believe that the above is word-for-word what was in the FCO advice fifteen years ago. We, and even more so, US travellers are very fortunate that repercussions from our respective governments' appalling behaviour are so rare. Anywhere.

I remember sitting in  Chiang Mai Airport in 2003 and seeing a news bulletin on the departure lounge TV. it showed British troops- the Royal Marines- attacking a group of Iraqi youngsters, blindfolding and handcuffing them. One child was so frightened that his whole body was shaking in terror.

I was profoundly upset, almost in tears, and ashamed. So much so that a Buddhist monk came to sit with me to comfort me.

I count myself lucky to have travelled all over the world  and found so many friends at the same time that the UK has made so many enemies.