In Reply to: Thailand posted by MrBWhizz on Friday, 22. December 2006 at 08:13 Bali Time:
Please be careful MrBWhizz.
Thailand is a large country and the Muslim/Thai clash on the border is local and hasn't affected other parts of Thailand, more specifically Phuket or Krabi, which would be the two closest main tourist areas and are separated from the region by about 300-400 kilometres. DFAT has separated the southern provinces from the rest of the country in regard to its travel warnings.
I think it is unfair to unnecessarily and incorrectly cause concern in an other tourist region in an attempt to distract attention from attacks on your own haven. If you can point to safety issues within tourist regions then do so, don't use a problem in a specific area to generalise about an entire country that is well over a thousand kilometres long. Bali has clearly had a hell of a time and concern for the island is understandable, and bloody unfortunate, security problems in Bali are real. It also needs to be understood that tourism has been a target. Tourist areas in Thailand haven't had violent security issues recently (but that might change, who is to say) and the situation in the south has nothing to do with tourism or a hate for western culture. I do understand DFAT's warnings for the area but, until now, we have nothing to go on to justifiably generate fear in the tourist regions.
Please be Careful MrBWhizz. The lack of faith generated for Bali is terrible, we just don't need that to spread to other countries, especially when the issues used are misleading.