UPDATE JUNE 1: The Embassy of Canada has removed its warning against travel to Bangkok. It has also downgraded the severity of warning for the Kingdom overall to Exercise a High Degree of Caution. The warning against travel to the Burma-Thailand border in the northwest remains as Avoid Non-essential Travel. Canada retains its most serious warning against all travel for Preah Viheaer/Khao Phra Viharn temple on the border frontier of Cambodia and the Thai province of Sisaket, and the southern most provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkla.
UPDATE MAY 25: The Embassy of Canada in Thailand has now downgraded its travel warning to Bangkokl to "Avoid non-essential travel" from "Avoid all travel." For the country overall, it is maintaining its "Avoid non-essential travel."
UPDATE MAY 20: The Embassy of Canada in Thailand, which is still closed, has upgraded all its warnings about the seriousness of the situation if travelling to Bangkok, the Kingdom and all its regions. The Embassy website urges people NOT to travel to the Kingdom's capital, the temple area near the Cambodian border in the northeast near Sisaket, and the four provinces in the very south. The Foreign Affairs department uses the term, "Avoid all travel," the highest rating for danger.
For the country overall, it rates the second most serious danger warning, "Avoid non-essential travel". The northwest border area around Burma/Myanmar gets the same warning level.
UPDATE May 15: From the Embassy of Canada website: "Due to security concerns in the immediate area of the Embassy of Canada, the Embassy is temporarily closed to the public. In case of emergency, Canadians should dial 001-800-156-220-0142 or 02-636-0540 or contact sos@international.gc.ca for assistance."
Canada has downgraded its travel warning to "Exercise high degree of caution" if visiting the Kingdom of Thailand but maintains its "Avoid non-essential travel" level for the city of Bangkok.
The latter warning level also applies to the provinces of Tak and Mae Hong Son in the northern border area with Myanmar (Burma), Preah Viheaer/Khao Phra Viharn temple on the border frontier of Cambodia and the Thai province of Sisaket, and the southern most provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkla.
It's worth noting the Canadian embassy is in a commercial tower near Rama 4 Road, right near the intersection of Silom Road, the business district, where protesters have set up one camp and where several deaths have occurred due to shootings and grenade attacks.
The Foreign Affairs department warnings were updated May 13 here.
I don't write on political topics but if you wish to know more, just search for the terms "Thailand" and "red shirts".
This is an unusual area of interest for you, but balanced, informative and well presented. Good post
Posted by: Boonsong | 2010.05.16 at 15:57