Political updates

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

Date: July 21st, 2010 |

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]

India: Tourist Police Forces at Work in Goa, Madurai

Date: May 19th, 2010 |

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Goa continues to work to increase security for tourists on its beaches after several high-profile incidents in recent years. Security patrols were extended to midnight on ten popular beaches in both north and south Goa, and the World Travel and Tourism Council donated a fleet of 22 vehicles equipped with communications devices to a new [read more]

India: 100 High-Altitude Peaks in Ladakh, Kashmir Now Open to Foreign Climbers

Date: April 14th, 2010 |

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India will open nearly 100 peaks in Kashmir to foreign climbers for the first time, following a significant drop in violence in the region since India and Pakistan began peace talks in 2004. The high altitude peaks in the remote region of Ladakh range in height from 3,000 meters to almost 8,000 meters (9,840-26,246 feet) [read more]

Dubai: Where a Kiss Isn’t Just a Kiss

Date: March 17th, 2010 |

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The laws against showing physical affection in public here are so strict that even simple kissing can be cause for arrest, or so learned a British tourist and her boyfriend. They testified in court that they greeted each other with kisses on the cheek and nothing more, but a family at a nearby table saw [read more]

St. Lucia: Norwegian Cruise Lines Still Undecided About Cruises to St. Lucia

Date: February 10th, 2010 |

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World Travel Watch reported last week that Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) had removed St. Lucia from its cruise itineraries in the 2011-12 season, but that is not the case. St. Lucia officials and NCL had discussions about including St. Lucia on those itineraries, but no decision was made. NCL expects to announce its 2011-12 itineraries [read more]

Suriname: Blue Wing Airlines’ Antonovs Grounded After Crash, US Embassy Prohibits Employees from Using Airline Domestically

Date: June 9th, 2010 |

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After three crashes of Blue Wing Airlines’ flights since 2008, with the most recent occurring May 15, the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo has prohibited its employees from flying with the airline on domestic flights. All three crashes involved Antonov 28 planes, which Blue Wing uses only domestically. The government has grounded all Antonov planes and [read more]

Honduras: Army to Patrol Streets, Clamp Down on Drug Violence

Date: April 14th, 2010 |

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The army will begin patrolling streets in Tegucigalpa and other areas to clamp down on drug cartel violence. The country of fewer than 8 million people has had an average of more than 4,000 homicides the past five years, with more than 5,300 in 2009. Soldiers have been told to search vehicles and pedestrians and [read more]

Dubai: Kissing Couple’s Sentence Upheld, World’s Tallest Building Reopens

Date: April 7th, 2010 |

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A British couple convicted of kissing in public and sentenced to one month in jail saw their sentence upheld by a Dubai court April 4. They have the option to appeal to a higher court within 30 days, but if their appeal is rejected they will be fined about $270 for illegal consumption of alcohol [read more]

Thailand: $10,000 Free Travel Insurance Offered to Keep Tourists Coming

Date: March 10th, 2010 |

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Facing new demonstrations over long-simmering political tensions, Thailand continues to offer tourists free insurance coverage up to $10,000 for anyone harmed in protests or delayed because of political unrest. Compensation for delays is $100 per day and for injuries, $1,000 per day of hospitalization and free medical care. The insurance coverage will remain in place [read more]

Thailand: Ruling on Thaksin Fortune May Prompt Protests, Instability

Date: February 10th, 2010 |

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The Thai Supreme Court will rule Feb. 26 on whether the $2.2 billion fortune of disgraced former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be seized by authorities. The money, frozen after he was deposed in 2006, is believed to have been obtained largely through corruption. But he still has hundreds of thousands of “Red Shirt” supporters [read more]