AS OF Monday, Australia's travel warning to citizens contemplating a trip to Thailand has been reduced from the Level 5 ''Do not travel'' to Level 4 ''Reconsider your need to travel.''
The minor official adjustment comes as unperturbed tourists take advantage of plummeting prices for fares, accommodation and activities.
Budget flier Nok Air is now offering all-inclusive day trips to snorkel off Phuket from as little as1200 baht for two, with some qualifications.
Fortunately for Phuket and the Andaman region, many Australian tourists are determining for themselves that their official national warning in not appropriate for Thailand's holiday coast, especially on direct flights that bypass Bangkok.
The nation-by-nation alerts remain out-dated vestiges of a less international low-technology past. One rapidly-updating and area-specific global system would serve travellers around the world more efficiently in the 21st century.
American citizens travelling to Phuket became a little bit safer a few days ago. Australian travellers became less endangered today, although they still have to pass through Level 3 (''High degree of caution'') Level 2 ( ''Exercise caution'') and Level 1 (''Be alert to own security.'')
German and Taiwanese citizens, on the other hand, are officially safe on Phuket and have been for some time.
Travel alerts based on nation-by-nation distinctions and broad generalisations are being ignored more and more these days because they lack specifics, relevance and accuracy.
Almost every airline and resorts around the Andaman are offering lower prices to attract tourists back to Phuket and Thailand's Andaman holiday coast.
The minor official adjustment comes as unperturbed tourists take advantage of plummeting prices for fares, accommodation and activities.
Budget flier Nok Air is now offering all-inclusive day trips to snorkel off Phuket from as little as1200 baht for two, with some qualifications.
Fortunately for Phuket and the Andaman region, many Australian tourists are determining for themselves that their official national warning in not appropriate for Thailand's holiday coast, especially on direct flights that bypass Bangkok.
The nation-by-nation alerts remain out-dated vestiges of a less international low-technology past. One rapidly-updating and area-specific global system would serve travellers around the world more efficiently in the 21st century.
American citizens travelling to Phuket became a little bit safer a few days ago. Australian travellers became less endangered today, although they still have to pass through Level 3 (''High degree of caution'') Level 2 ( ''Exercise caution'') and Level 1 (''Be alert to own security.'')
German and Taiwanese citizens, on the other hand, are officially safe on Phuket and have been for some time.
Travel alerts based on nation-by-nation distinctions and broad generalisations are being ignored more and more these days because they lack specifics, relevance and accuracy.
Almost every airline and resorts around the Andaman are offering lower prices to attract tourists back to Phuket and Thailand's Andaman holiday coast.
Agreed that it makes little sense that Phuket is 'safe' for Germans but not for Aussies. But what to do instead? How would a global system work? Would it not require its own diplomatic machinery in every country in the world? Would it not be highly susceptible to corruption and political manipulation? Would countries be willing to surrender their citizens' safety to such a body? I think you should sketch out how this system might work.
Editor: How are international flying standards affected by corruption and political manipulation? Why do the nations of the world surrender the safety and care of their citizens to an international body when they leave the ground? A universal system of travel alerts would actually save the various nations the trouble and the cost of implementing the existing ineffectual stuff. Nations could still provide warnings to registered citizens via email and text messages. But the overall responsibility could be placed in the hands of one well-funded international body, with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of all travellers by providing accurate, updated information, regardless of nationality. Not so difficult, surely.
Posted by Dave Taylor on May 31, 2010 20:35