Philippines becomes second ASEAN member state to warn its citizens to Thailand
Chhay Sophal
Cambodia News & New Youth
Bangkok (15 Jan, 2014): The Philippine government becomes the second country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Singapore to advise its nationals officially not to travel to Thailand due to political crisis.
The 10 nations of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
At least 46 countries and regions have issued travel warnings for Thailand and such warnings are affecting Thailand’s tourism industry.
On Tuesday 64-year-old Suthep Thaugsuban, the protest leader from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), threatened to detain 46-year-old Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra if she does not resign.
Suthep and his PDRC allege Yingluck’s government that it has been controlled by her brother – former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted by a coup in 2006 and sentenced to jail in absentia for abuse of power in 2008. He is now living in Dubai.
Yingluck, however, denies that her brother is not behind her administration and she argues that her government’s spending policies are designed to increase consumer spending across Thailand to reduce its dependence on exports.
On Tuesday evening, Sovannaphumi Airport looked unusually differing from the time before the protest started and according to Suvarnabhumi Airport website, the airport has a Passenger Facilitation Plan to help passengers travel to and from the airport during the political protest in Bangkok.
About 1,400 flights land at and take off from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports everyday while another 600 flights pass through the Thai airspace each day, according to Bangkok Post on Tuesday.
For Cambodia with Thailand, the two nations have agreed this week to increased their entry hours for the citizens at 5 international border checkpoints. Earlier, the crossing hourse started from 7am to 8 pm but from Monday 13 Jan, 2014, the times are increased from three hours more — from 6am to 10am.