Bangkok “State of Emergency” is less scary than it sounds

KUCHING- The two recent bombs which exploded in demonstration areas and injured almost 60 people have shown the urgency for the Thai government under the supervision of acting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring the situation under control. The enforcement of the emergency decree will apply to the entire Bangkok metropolitan area but also to part part of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan provinces. It is taking into effect from this Wednesday and will last for 60 days.

The Emergency decree gives to the Government the power to censor media, ban public gatherings and call for a curfew. It is normally put into practice by the police and the army. So far, army and police forces have shown restraint in the handling of the anti-government protests which have been blocking Bangkok for nine days. Talking to the media during a press conference, acting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declared that the police will be in charge of apply the law under the emergency decree. “We will use peaceful negotiations with the protesters in line with international standards... We have told the police to stick with international standards, to be patient with the protesters," she explained.

It should then normally help policemen to better control the situation and prevent a further escalation of the conflict. On Tuesday morning, Thai army chief General Prayuth Cha-orcha indicated on Monday that violence could only harm the country and destabilize it.

While the number of policemen and military present in Bangkok will remain the same, the police will have wider powers to apply the law. The police will now negotiate with the leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to clear road’s barricades which have hindered traffic for now over a week.

The number of security personnel involved in operations to deal with the anti-government Bangkok Shutdown protests will remain the same, with 50 police units and 40 military companies on the job. On Monday, two new sites were added by protesters to Bangkok Shut-down: Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Rama VIII Bridge. In total, some 20 roads have been closed or partially closed by the protesters including Chaeng Watthana, Phahon Yothin, Din Daeng, Lat Phrao, Phaya Thai, Ploenchit, Ratchadamri, Henri Dunant, Rama 1, Rama 4, and Sukhumvit.

The police force will always put negotiations over violent acts to stabilize the situation and help Bangkok coming back to a more normal situation. However, learning about the emergency decree –which was widely expected since the bombings- anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban indicated that his movement will defy the Emergency Decree application. However, the acting Thai government warned that such a behaviour will be considered as a breach of law.

For tourists, the dismantling of the protest groups – if the emergency decree is fully implemented- will bring normality again to Bangkok while life is due to remain basically the same. The tourism authority of Thailand (TAT) continues to update everyday information about the country and the evolution of the situation under tatnews.org/category/tat-releases/situation-update/.

According to new TAT governor Thawatchai Arunyik, who delivers on Wednesday his first official presentation to foreign media at nthe ATF 2014 in Kuching, the Kingdom of Thailand remains safe for travellers beyond Bangkok with the number of tourists remaining unabated in Chiang Mai, Pattaya or Phuket. “ We emphasize more the whole Thailand to foreign travellers and continue to have a total transparent communication policy on the current events”, he says.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews