Thailand

Thailand: Heavy Flooding to Last Four to Six Weeks

Date: October 27th, 2011 |

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that flooding will last another four to six weeks, warning people in Bangkok to be prepared and describing the situation as “extremely serious.” She said it is highly likely that all of Bangkok will flood. Bangkok’s Don Muang domestic airport has already been shut down until at least Nov. 1, [read more]

Thailand: New Prime Minister Brings Hope, Possible Political Demonstrations

Date: July 12th, 2011 |

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Yingluck Shinawatra was officially elected as the first female prime minister of Thailand, with the Pheu Thai party set to assume power. The election was partially a referendum on how the voters feel their country has changed since the 2006 military coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the new prime minister’s older brother. Since [read more]

Thailand: Phuket Beaches Unseasonably Dangerous

Date: January 19th, 2011 |

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High tourist season when the Andaman Sea is calmest usually runs from December through April in Phuket, but unusual weather patterns from Sri Lanka to Australia have created strong rip currents at popular Karon Beach, where two foreigners have drowned this month. Karon is considered one of Thailand’s best beaches, and warnings are posted when [read more]

Thailand: State of Emergency Lifted in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Ubon Ratchathani

Date: August 25th, 2010 |

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Thai authorities lifted the state of emergency in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Ubon Ratchathani that had been in place since “Red Shirt” demonstrations paralyzed the center of Bangkok for several weeks beginning in March. The Red Shirts remain active throughout the region and have called for demonstrations to protest what they [read more]

Thailand: Government Extends State of Emergency

Date: July 7th, 2010 |

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The government extended a state of emergency for three months in 19 provinces, including Bangkok, stating that political groups were still trying to eliminate the government and terrorist threats exist in many areas. Critics called the move politically motivated and a crackdown on dissent. Tourism industry leaders had hoped to see the emergency law rescinded [read more]

Thailand: Tourists’ Deaths Still Remain Mystery

Date: August 23rd, 2011 |

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According to the Thai government, a five-month investigation aided by the World Health Organization into the deaths of a U.S. woman and four other tourists who all stayed in hotels in northern Thailand suggested a link to toxic chemical exposure, but failed to determine exactly what killed them. They were staying in three different hotels [read more]

Thailand: Deadly Virus Contracted From Contaminated Food in Chiang Mai

Date: March 16th, 2011 |

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The mysterious deaths of five people in Chiang Mai this year prompted health authorities to ask the World Health Organization to help examine the cases to determine the cause of death. Four of the five victims—two Britons, an American, a New Zealander and a Thai—stayed in Chiang Mai’s Downtown Inn, and at least one of [read more]

Thailand: Burmese Border Conflict Spills into Thailand

Date: November 10th, 2010 |

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Fighting between the Burmese army and ethnic rebels in Myawaddy, Burma near the Thai border spilled over into Mae Sot, Thailand Nov. 8 when mortar rounds injured some ten people and destroyed a store. Several thousand Burmese nationals crossed the border seeking refuge only to be sent back the next day. Further conflict in the [read more]

Thailand: Don’t Feed the Elephants, or Else; Emergency Lifted in the North

Date: July 21st, 2010 |

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Authorities warned tourists in Bangkok not to buy food for street elephants or they’d face a 10,000 baht ($310) fine. The move is the latest attempt to control begging by elephant owners who bring their animals in from the countryside to eke out a living in the city. The mahouts (handlers) face the same $310 [read more]

Thailand: Armed Forces Breach Bangkok Red-Shirt Barricades

Date: May 19th, 2010 |

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Thai armed forces mounted an all-day operation May 19 to clear protesters from their encampment in downtown Bangkok, breaching the barricades with armored vehicles. The situation is fluid and may unfold over several days, with violence [read more]

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