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FACTBOX: Travel advice for Thailand after latest troubles

Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:09am EST

(Reuters) - Thailand's army chief told the government on Wednesday to step down and call a snap election as a way out of a deepening political crisis, but the government and protesters rejected the call.

A number of countries have issued travel warnings, and international airlines have canceled flights to and from Bangkok. Here are more details:

AUSTRALIA

Australia advised its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution because of the uncertain political situation.

CHINA

China's Foreign Ministry, in a short statement on its website (www.fmprc.gov.cn), advised its nationals to put off trips to Thailand. The country is a popular holiday destination for newly affluent Chinese.

DENMARK

Denmark advised its nationals to follow the situation carefully, and that they should be prepared to change plans and for the eventuality that they may not be able to arrive or leave as planned.

FRANCE

France has issued a recommendation against traveling to Thailand until the airport reopens. "We recommend travelers to postpone all travel to Thailand until the reopening of Bangkok's international airport," Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier told an online news briefing.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways canceled flights to Bangkok. It said its service to Bangkok and Mumbai would bypass Thailand and fly straight to the Indian city.

MALAYSIA

Malaysian Airlines also canceled flights to Bangkok, according to the Star newspaper. Malaysian budget carrier Air Asia also suspended flights to Bangkok.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines issued an advisory that non-essential travel to Bangkok be postponed until further notice.

The country's main two carriers, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air, announced cancellation of flights from Manila to Bangkok.

SINGAPORE

Singapore advised its citizens not to visit Thailand.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it will suspend all flights to and from Bangkok until further notice.

TAIWAN

Taiwan's two major international airlines canceled a total of seven flights to or from Bangkok. China Airlines canceled four flights, affecting 1,300 travelers, and Eva Airways canceled three, spokesmen for the airlines said.

THE NETHERLANDS

A spokeswoman for Air France-KLM in Amsterdam said KLM had decided to cancel its flights to and from the Bangkok airport on Wednesday.

A Bangkok-bound KLM flight from Amsterdam carrying 256 passengers on Tuesday had been diverted to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, but an earlier Amsterdam-bound flight with 267 passengers had taken off as scheduled.

VIETNAM

Vietnam Airlines has canceled two flights on Wednesday from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Bangkok for "security and safety reasons," the Hanoi-based airlines said. It said it would monitor the situation before deciding whether to resume services to Thailand on Thursday.



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