Political Demonstrations in Thailand

Members traveling to Thailand should be aware of large-scale political demonstrations taking place in Bangkok and elsewhere beginning March 12 and continuing at least through March 14. While the U.S. State Department has not yet issued a travel warning or advisory for Thailand, the U.K. Foreign Office is urging British travelers to exercise vigilance and avoid large gatherings, and the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs is advising Filipinos to defer all non-essential travel to Thailand until further notice.

Thailand expects to see major protests, featuring as many as 600,000 people, by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (known as "Red Shirts"). The Red Shirts will be protesting a recent Thai court ruling that confiscated $1.4 billion of the exiled Thaksin's wealth. Reports indicate that they will gather at several locations in Bangkok on March 12 and subsequently proceed to Ratchadmnoen Avenue, where they will remain through the weekend. The largest gathering is planned for Sunday, March 14.

Military rule will be in place from March 11 until March 23, and Thai officials will have the power to impose curfews and restrict demonstrations. Despite these precautions and Red Shirts' claims that their marches will be peaceful, violent clashes between Red Shirts, their rival "Yellow Shirts" and police are possible. The demonstrations could also potentially disrupt travel arrangements; a Yellow Shirt protest in 2008 saw a large group of protestors barricade Bangkok's international airport and disrupt the flight schedules of thousands of passengers.