Is it safe to go Phuket this weekend?
We booked a holiday package to Phuket this weekend but we heard that the ASEAN meeting is also held there and the “red shirt” protestors wil also be there. How bad will it affect our trip?
Although the chances of something happening are low, There is most definitly a chance of something happening. Remember some of these people on both sides are capable of extreme actions with very little repercussion. IE- yellow storming, barackading the airport for a signifcant period of time. Any other country would have sent in the army.
red shirts- storming an international conference (same one) in Pataya, while the Army stood by the doors and watched doing absoloutly nothing. In australia anti terrorist squads would have tear gassed them or shot them.
Bear in mind that phuket is in the uppermost southern region not far from Surat Tanni.
there are other political terrorist organisations in Southern Thailand with their own agenda and the Summit may also be on their list. These islamic extremist groups are a step up from protestors in what they are capable of in acheiving their means. Every day in southern Thailand someone is killed by these radical islamic groups.
all that asside the chances of anything happening are very slim and even slimmer are the chances of it actually happening to you.
So If you can perhaps change teh date of your trip I would certainly do it. Other than that like what most travel warnings say— exercise extreme caution.
Phuket Holiday (11-15 JULY 2008)