CONNAN
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Thailand
SAFETY AND SECURITY: The State Department is concerned that there is a continuted risk of terrorism in Southeast Asia, including in Thailand. U.S. citizens traveling to Thailand should therefore exercise caution, especially in locations where Westerners congregate, such as clubs, discos, bars, restaurants, hotels, places of worship, schools, outdoor recreation venues, tourist areas, beach resorts, and other places frequented by foreigners. They should remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and avoid crowds and demonstrations. For more information on terrorist threats against U.S. citizens worldwide and steps to take as a result of these threats, please see the Worldwide Caution.
From May 2008 - April 2009, political protests on the streets of Bangkok involving anti-government and pro-government demonstrators led to the death of eight Thai citizens and injuries to over 700, including a U.S. citizen who was injured by an exploding tear gas canister, and an additional death in Chiang Mai. Most of the casualties occurred around the Government House compound and the two Bangkok airports, Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Muang Airport, which were temporarily occupied by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Thailand experienced similar demonstrations, primarily in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, during the political unrest that led to a military coup in September 2006.
The Department of State advises all U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Bangkok to monitor events closely, to avoid any large public gatherings, and to exercise discretion when moving about Bangkok. All demonstrations are unpredictable, and any demonstration can turn violent without warning. For this reason, the Embassy encourages all U.S. citizens to monitor local media for announcements of possible demonstrations and to avoid the areas where demonstrations might occur. If a demonstration is expected to pass near U.S. Embassy facilities, Embassy entrances and functions may be restricted, depending on circumstances.
The far south of Thailand has been experiencing almost daily incidents of criminally and politically motivated violence, including incidents attributed to armed local separatist groups. On March 15, 2008, two bombs exploded at the CS Pattani Hotel in Pattani Province in southern Thailand. Two people died and thirteen were injured. A car bomb exploded in Yala Province on the same day, killing the driver. Although the separatist groups have continued to focus primarily on Thai government interests in the southern provinces, some of the recent violence in the area has targeted public places, including areas where tourists may congregate. On September 17, 2006, a series of bombs detonated in a commercial district of Hat Yai, killing one U.S. citizen and injuring another. In 2005 two U.S. citizens were injured when a bomb detonated in the Hat Yai airport. Attacks in the area have increasingly been targeted against commercial areas where foreigners congregate. The U.S. Embassy prohibits U.S. Embassy personnel from traveling to the far south of Thailand - Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, and Songkhla provinces, including the town of Hat Yai - without prior mission approval, and Embassy personnel may travel there only on mission-essential travel. The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to defer non-emergency travel to these areas. If U.S. citizens must travel to these areas, they should exercise special caution and remain vigilant with regard to their personal security. Travelers should be aware that Thai authorities have on occasion instituted special security measures in affected areas, such as curfews, military patrols, or random searches of train passengers.
The U.S. Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens defer travel along the Thai-Cambodian border in the area of the Preah Vihear temple because of a border dispute between the two countries. Thai and Cambodian soldiers have been stationed along the border in this area since July 2008 and have exchanged gunfire on several occasions. Until the situation has been resolved, U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution if they must travel to areas along the Thai-Cambodian border where troop activities are reported.
From 2004 to 2006, seven Lao-American and Hmong-American citizens were murdered in northern and northeastern Thailand near the border with Laos. During the same period, a number of non-U.S. citizens with ties to Laos were also murdered in this region of Thailand. In addition, in March 2006 a Hmong-American disappeared from his residence in Chiang Mai along with seven other individuals. In most of these cases, no arrests have been made. If U.S. citizens, particularly Lao-Americans or Hmong-Americans, travel to these areas, they should exercise caution and remain vigilant with regard to their personal security. It is also recommended that persons wishing to travel to border areas check first with the Thai Police and the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai, the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, or the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane as appropriate.
The Thai/Burma border is the site of on-going conflicts between the Burmese Army and armed opposition groups as well as clashes between Thai security forces and armed drug traffickers. Pirates, bandits, and drug traffickers operate in these border areas. There remains a possibility of significant flare-ups of military activity on the Burmese side of the border that could spill over into immediately adjacent areas of northern Thailand. Visitors should travel off-road in undeveloped areas only with local guides who are familiar with the area. Border closings and re-openings occur frequently, and U.S. citizens considering traveling into Burma from Thailand should be aware that in the event of a border closure they may not be able to re-enter Thailand. In light of the continuing unsettled situation along the Thai border with Burma and the possibility of frequent closings to all traffic, the Department of State recommends that all U.S. citizens exercise caution when traveling in remote or rural areas immediately adjacent to the Burma border.
Tourists should obtain information from Thai authorities about whether official border crossing points are open, and should cross into neighboring countries only at designated crossing points. Licensed guides can help ensure that trekkers do not cross inadvertently into a neighboring country.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs' website, which contains current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the U.S. and Canada, or by calling a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's extensive tips and advice on traveling safely abroad.
