Swiss advised not to visit Thailand

A Buddhist monk passes a burnt-out bus set alight by anti-government protesters in Bangkok on Monday Keystone

The foreign ministry has updated its travel advice to Thailand as rioting spread on Monday in the Thai capital.

Around 1,000 Swiss tourists are estimated to have travelled to Thailand for what is the high tourist season because of Easter, according to the travel insurance company Elvia.

The foreign ministry told Swiss to keep in contact with their tour operators and to listen out for advice from the Thai authorities.

Tourists were also warned to avoid any kind of demonstration or public gathering of people.

The situation is not judged to be dangerous and Zurich airport has not reported any alterations to its flight plans to Thailand, but the Swiss government advised tourists not to travel to Thailand unless on urgent business.

The Swiss foreign ministry was not alone. Japan urged its nationals to avoid wearing the politically charged colours of red or yellow in Bangkok, while France and Britain advised citizens to stay indoors as violence continued to spread on Monday in the Thai capital.

Americans were urged to “exercise caution” in Bangkok and South Korea called on its citizens in the Thai capital “to return home [to Korea] if they are not on urgent matters”.

A violent showdown between soldiers and anti-government protesters flared in more than a dozen parts of central and northern Bangkok, as protesters burned public buses and set tires on fire that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky.

Troops in combat gear fired repeated volleys – mostly in the air – in efforts to restore order during a full-day of cat-and-mouse chases with the red-shirted mobs. More than 70 people were injured.

Large parts of the capital were untouched by the chaos, with revellers celebrating the Thai New Year holiday that started on Monday with traditional water fights.

“Exercise caution”

The protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

On Sunday a group of protesters viciously attacked Abhisit’s car by hurling chunks of concrete and metal barricades at his armoured vehicle, before he was able to escape. They wear red to distinguish themselves from rival protesters, who dress in yellow.

The US embassy issued a message urging Americans “to avoid the areas of demonstrations and to exercise caution anywhere in Bangkok”.

Thailand’s government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn repeatedly appeared on national television on Monday, at times speaking in English, with updates on the security situation.

Many of Bangkok’s major shopping malls closed on Sunday and remained shut on Monday.

Summit evacuation

Anti-government protesters began a sit-in outside the prime minister’s office on March 26, reviving the country’s protracted political turmoil.

The protests turned violent over the weekend when protesters stormed the venue of a summit of Asian leaders in Pattaya, about 100 kilometres south of Bangkok, prompting Thailand to cancel the summit and evacuate the leaders by helicopter.

Several countries whose leaders were airlifted out of the summit advised citizens to postpone travel, including Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia, while China warned citizens “to exercise caution” in Thailand.

The rioting comes just months after a rival group of yellow-shirted protesters shut down Bangkok’s two airports during a weeklong shutdown that stranded more than 300,000 travellers.

Increasing demand

Thailand is a popular travel destination for the Swiss, with 150,000 visiting the country every year, although the main influx of tourists from Switzerland does not get underway until November.

Analysts said tourists were returning to Thailand because the country had rebuilt itself after the devastating tsunami of 2004.

However, an increasing number of Swiss are buying one-way tickets to Thailand. Figures from the Swiss foreign ministry show Asia is proving to be a favoured destination of migrants.

The Swiss community grew by 12.8 per cent in China in 2006, ten per cent in Thailand and 21 per cent in Singapore.

Economically Thailand is an important trading partner for Switzerland, and Swiss exports to the country have trebled in the past decade to SFr1,045 million ($915 million). Over the same period Swiss imports from Thailand have doubled to SFr1,012 million.

Asian nations’ strong economies have done much to attract the Swiss. But there are others who have headed to countries such as Thailand and the Philippines in search of a warmer climate and a cheaper lifestyle for their retirement.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

5,318 Swiss live in Thailand.
150 Swiss firms do business in Thailand.
150,000 Swiss tourists visit Thailand every year.
Swiss exports to Thailand have trebled in the past decade to SFr1,045.71 million ($915 million).
Swiss imports from Thailand have almost doubled over the same period to SFr1,012.42 million.
Thailand is Switzerland’s second-largest trading partner in the region, after Singapore.
Switzerland is also well-known in Thailand since King Bhumipol spent seven years of his childhood in Switzerland.
(Source: Swiss foreign ministry)