Is it safe to travel to Bangkok during the lockdown?

With news this week of the lockdown resulting in a state of emergency being declared in Bangkok, one of our members asks

am a little concerned about what Bangkok will be like on the 8th of March…. Some options would be to extend the time in Phuket, and then fly straight to Bangkok to hop on the Qantas flight (avoid going into the city) or stay with the itinerary

The first port of call for any Australian Traveller is usually the Smart Traveller Website as one of our readers mentions

Don’t ask us. Ask people who figure this stuff out for a living (DFAT).

which as of last weekend stated for travel to Thailand advised “We advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to the possibility of civil unrest and the threat of terrorist attack.”
Some of our members have been there and done that before, with protests from 2010 and prior. Frequent Thailand visitors have some idea of the politics behind the action, and how unlikely it is for action to affect tourists and their safety. While others caution that loose cannons exist regardless, and the possibility of harm while remote is nonetheless existent so its best to avoid any such areas.

Another important consideration is travel insurance, some say if you cannot afford insurance you cannot afford to travel. When there are times of unrest what are you covered for, should the airport be overrun, would you be covered if your Plan B came into play, do you have plan B?

What would you do, minimise time in Bangkok at extra cost as a safety measure? Or would you just continue as planned, avoiding the isolated pockets of protest.

Read how our members grabble with these questions HERE.

Staff Writers