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Safety and Travel advice for Thailand
December 8, 2010 in Safety and Travel Advice Thailand
Safety Thailand & Travel advice for Thailand
Safety Thailand: The vast majority of visits to Thailand are trouble-free, but travelers should be aware that there is a continuing threat to westerners from terrorism throughout South East Asia and should be particularly vigilant in public places, including tourist resorts. Visitors are advised to avoid the border areas and not camp in rural areas in national parks.
Visitors to major cities are advised to keep an eye on their passports and credit cards and ensure they don’t carry around too much money or jewellery. In Bangkok visitors should be aware of scams, often involving gems recommended by kind strangers. In tourist areas, and in particular at the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, visitors should be careful about accepting drinks from strangers, as there have been
Several reported incidents of drinks being heavily drugged. Incidents of sexual assault, on women in particular, continue to occur, and female travellers should be cautious. The security situation in the southern provinces closest to the Malaysian border is unstable and travel to Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and Songkhla is to be avoided; recent bomb explosions and fighting have killed and injured many people in public places and the government has announced a state of emergency in the area. Further attacks could take place in areas frequented by foreigners, although the Thai authorities have put additional security measures in place throughout the country, including in Bangkok.
Several explosions have occurred in Bangkok. The political situation remains unstable and numerous demonstrations have taken place in Bangkok with a risk of violence; visitors are advised to avoid all political demonstrations.
Cities/Islands like Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan are free and safe of demonstrations or other attacks regarding the unstable political unrest.
Since 2005 there have been several sinkings of passenger boats and speed boats causing loss of life, thought to have been caused by overloading.
The height of the monsoon season in September and October (November to March on Koh Samui) brings about routine flooding in the north, north east and central regions, often causing mudslides and flash floods; visitors planning to trek in the jungle during this time should check conditions with licensed tour guides before leaving.
Travel Advice Thailand: It is safe to enter Thailand and there are no current incidents towards tourists in Thailand. Bangkok still remains unsafe in some areas. Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai are safe places to travel to. There have been no reports about Krabi, Koh Phangan and Koh tao regarding unrest towards tourists.
Please check your local foreign affairs regarding travel advise to Thailand. This is a major issue for some travel insurance companies.
Similan Islands
December 1, 2010 in Similan Islands Thailand
Similan Islands
Map of Thailand, Burma and Layang layang
The Similan Islands have much to offer the visiting diver and snorkeler. There is a vast range of exhilarating sites of many different kinds, providing something for everyone, regardless of their qualification levels or experience.
Extending from Burma down past the west coast of Thailand to beyond the Malaysian border, the Andaman Sea forms part of the Indian Ocean. Many of the 155 islands in the Andaman Sea are uninhabited.
The weather on either side of the Kra Isthmus and diving conditions in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are dominated by two opposing monsoons.
Similan Islands extends from Myanmar down past the west coast of Thailand to beyond the Malaysian border, the Andaman Sea forms part of the Indian Ocean. Many of the 155 islands in the Andaman Sea are uninhabited (apart from communities of Chao Ley – ‘sea gypsies’), and are crowned by lush primary vegetation tumbling down to a shoreline punctuated by idyllic sandy beaches.
Most of the diving Similan islands is mostly organized from the popular holiday island destination of Phuket, with a wide variety of operators offering recreational and technical training, day trips, and liveaboard options, or from the little town north from Phuket, Khao Lak. The best time for diving is between October and May.
In general the Andaman Sea has more extensive coral reefs but similar visibility to the Gulf of Thailand, with most of the reefs around the offshore islands occurring on the east sides of the islands, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon; the west coasts tend to have rocky slopes descending to 10-30m in depth.
Towards the northern end of the Thai coastline, a series of granitic outcrops lie in deep, clear water with reefs descending to 25-30m and beyond in depth. Diving Similan Islands and Surin Islands, whose breathtaking underwater scenery and great diversity of marine life have gained them a considerable reputation in the diving community.
Given their proximity to Phuket, it is not surprising that these two island groups are among the country’s most popular destinations for liveaboard trips.
Diving Similan Islands Thailand
Further to the north in Myanmar is the Mergui Archipelago, recently opened to foreigners, offering real wilderness diving over unusual underwater terrain, with the added attraction of shark encounters.
The coastline of Phuket itself offers little for the experienced diver, although there are dive sites that can be (and are) used for training and are also a good option if bad weather prevents boats getting to the better sites.
These offshore sites are mostly to the south, and can be reached by relatively short boat rides of between one and two hours. They are all well worth the journey, but two in particular (Shark Point and Anemone Reef) stand out as being special in terms of the abundance of marine life.
Further south, the coastline at Krabi offers shallow fringing reefs around impressive limestone formations (ranging in size from underwater pillars to whole islands). Some of the best snorkeling sites in the country are to be found here.
Offshore, the Phi Phi islands, with their palm-fringed beaches, have been growing in popularity as a dive base for the last two decades. This is not surprising as the local waters experience great visibility complemented with a rich variety of corals and marine life; shallow fringing and patch reefs are an added attraction for snorkelers.
The most southerly established dive sites in the country are to the south of Koh Lanta. They feature pristine corals and spectacular fringing reefs in potentially excellent visibility. Here are some of the finest dive sites in the country, such as Hin Mouang, which features the deepest drop-off in Thailand, with depths in excess of 70m, and Hin Daeng, one of the few remaining dive sites where both manta rays and whale sharks are regularly encountered. Another dive destination in the Andaman Sea that is still in its infancy is Mu Koh Tarutao Marine National Park (just north of the Malaysian border), where dugongs have been seen.
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