Is Bangkok dangerous because of anti-government demonstrations in December?
With massive anti-government demonstrations currently occurring in Bangkok, and protests that are becoming increasingly violent, is Bangkok dangerous in December, 2013? Is Bangkok a place you should avoid? If you have a vacation booked to Thailand, should you cancel it? No, is the answer to all three questions.
At the current time, that is.
At the moment, I would advise you to travel to Thailand just as you planned to in December and on into January as protests haven’t spread outside Bangkok. That means, if you are in places like Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui — just about anywhere outside Bangkok — you are unlikely to see demonstrations or have any problems at all.
As for if Bangkok is dangerous in December, 2013, as long as you stay away from the areas where the anti-government protests are going on, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Do, however, keep an eye on the news reports once in Bangkok so you can be sure to avoid protests moving to other areas of the city than they are currently in, and can also react quickly if the situation changes for the worse.
Also be aware, Suthep Thaugsuban, the protest leader and ex-deputy prime minister of Thailand, has said he is demanding the current prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, resign by December 4th.
That is because December 5th is the King of Thailand’s birthday, so it is unlikely current protests will still be ongoing then as they would be seen as highly disrespectful to the King.
They could, however, start back up again afterwards.
If you are still unsure, keep up to date by reading the American Embassy in Bangkok’s travel advisories. They are currently advising their citizens to stay away from protest areas and use a high degree of caution while traveling in Bangkok and around Thailand.
Twenty three other countries have also released travel advisories for Thailand for December, 2013, with all advisories making similar statements.
