Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla.  There continue to be frequent attacks, including bombings and shootings, due to the insurgency in these areas.  See the Terrorism section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• We advise against all travel to the Preah Vihear (Khaoi Pra Viharn in Thai) temple area.  You should remain alert to the local situation when travelling in other border regions, and at land crossings between the two countries. See the Local Travel section for further details.
  
  
• A rally planned for 28/29 November by ‘red shirt’ protesters from the Members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship has been postponed until 14 December. The government has invoked the Internal Security Act, which is due to come into force throughout Bangkok, 28 November – 14 December. It is unclear whether the government will postpone the invocation of the Internal Security Act in response. Please see the political section of this advice for further information.
  
  
• The political situation in Thailand remains uncertain.  Throughout Thailand, British citizens should exercise great caution and avoid demonstrations or large gatherings of people that might turn violent.
  
  
• There is a high threat from terrorism in Thailand.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.  There were a number of bomb explosions in Bangkok in 2007.  See the Terrorism section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.
  
  
• Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Thailand have resulted in a small number of human fatalities.  The last fatality was in August 2006. See the Health (Avian Influenza) section of this advice and our Avian and Pandemic Influenza page for more details.
  
  
• Around 812,000 British nationals visited Thailand in 2008 (Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand).  843 British nationals required consular assistance in Thailand in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (288 cases): hospitalisations (198 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (202 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (774 cases). The majority of consular cases occur in Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and our Travel insurance page for more details.