If you've been thinking of going to Thailand on vacation any time soon, you should probably plan on the Philippines or Malaysia instead.

I could take a few minutes and try to unravel the politics. But, well, mai pen rai. The truth is simple. Thailand had protests and political unrest a while back. Tens of thousands of tourists got stranded when the protesters took over the airport. The unrest is back. There's no quick end in sight.

Thailand, for most practical purposes, is closed. You can still get a visa. You can still book your flight. But do you want to risk being stuck in Bangkok? Protests seemed to stop temporarily on April 15th, but police are looking for fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and they want to arrest him for inciting street battles. That will surely bring new protests.

If you can fly directly into Phuket or Chiang Mai, you're probably off the hook. And some of the best locations in South Thailand can be reached by train from Penang, Malaysia.

Otherwise, consider shopping in Manila or Hong Kong and swimming in Kuantan or Boracay...


© gerrypopplestone