CharissaFarina77

Phuket is certainly one of Thailand's most widely used holidaymaker destinations, and yet visitor numbers are well down on previous year. The beaches and streets in Phuket are quiet and businesses are just starting to feel the strain. Thailand's political dilemmas have already been well documented by the media, so much so that the country is portrayed as being in complete anarchy. Although the problems have been centered in Bangkok, they have impacted Phuket. But what's the truth of the situation? Should tourists be wary of visiting Phuket?

The short answer is "no". For a bit of perspective, Thailand has had numerous issues over the years, from coups to bombings. However, it was only the tsunami that basically affected tourism in the end. Thailand's internal issues usually develop a few short-term ripples and the media writes of chaos in the streets, however for people living in Thailand, they'll inform you that life continues on as usual.

In Phuket, tourism is way down. Hotels are nowhere near full and people on the island are saying that the effect on a will undoubtedly be worse in the long term than the tsunami. It's such a dire situation, but it's also completely unnecessary. Travel advisory warnings also don't help.

In the event that you were to see Phuket News at this time you'd visit a peaceful island. There are no more dangers than normal and everything is safe. There's no fighting in the streets and tourists aren't being victimized or attacked. In fact, there is probably never been a better time for you to visit Phuket because the island is less crowded than usual.

The beaches continue to be there and the popular web sites are looking forward to people to trickle in. Of course, travelers should still exercise the same caution they would when visiting Phuket anytime of the year. Traveling alone on a motorcycle at night isn't a good idea and care must be taken when out and about. But don't let the news reports put you off a trip to Phuket.

It is a sad situation, but hotel-booking websites have now been reporting a massive decline in bookings. The exact same is true of airlines, who are now throwing out offers left, right and center to entice people to visit Thailand. You will find bargains to be purchased at the moment.

So if Phuket is safe for tourists, then how about Bangkok, where all the trouble has been? There have been protests and airport closures and all sorts. But unless you had a plane to catch through that time, if you were in Bangkok, you wouldn't have noticed much out of the ordinary besides when you switched on the news. Everything carried on as usual. It always does.

After the most recent coup, the tanks and soldiers became a tourist attraction. The resultant protests were mostly jovial affairs with picnics and concerts. Some media reports were speculating that Thailand was planning to develop into a bloodbath, similar to revolutions of the past, but such events didn't materialize.

Forums, blogs and phone lines have already been overrun with people asking if Phuket continues to be safe for travel. It really is safe, and it likely will undoubtedly be for a long time to come.

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