Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the country by absolving him of criminal charges, which he is now evading through self-
imposed exile. The bill, which would also pardon government officials who ordered the
2010 military crackdown on civilian (Red Shirt) demonstrators, passed the lower house.
The Senate ultimately rejected the bill but it is unclear if amnesty is dead or just resting.
There was also a related political manoeuvre to ensure a more supportive legislature for
Thaksin and his allies by changing the make-up of the Senate to a fully elected body, but
the charter amendment was rejected by the constitutional court. Pro- and anti-government
groups (sporting bells and whistles, respectively) have once again flooded the streets of
Bangkok.
As a concession to the anti-government protestors, prime minister Yingluck called for
new elections in February 2014 but this gesture did little to solve the political stalemate as
Thaksin-allied politicians handily win the popular vote. Instead anti-government groups
see reforms of democracy as the only solution for their persistent Thaksin problem. By
staging large-scale political demonstrations, anti-government groups hope to provoke the
military to stage a coup in an attempt to restore peace and order. In January 2014, protest-
ors organised as the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) staged nearly a
dozen rallies at key intersections and important government buildings designed to shut-
down Bangkok. As this topic was going to press, the outcome of the so-called Bangkok
Shutdown was uncertain, but many European nations issued travel warnings to their cit-
izens to avoid travel in Bangkok during the shutdown. It is imperative to monitor to the
situation and to avoid any political demonstrations as violence does occur.
Other major hurdles for Yingluck's administration were the record-setting 2011 floods
that spread from the north through the manufacturing centres surrounding Bangkok and
beyond. International factories producing cars and computer drives suspended operations
during the floods and suffered damage to their factories. The most iconic image of the nat-
ural disaster was submerged planes on the tarmac of Bangkok's second airport, Don
Muang, designated a flood-relief centre. By 2012, though, manufacturing had recovered
and international investors remain committed to Thailand for its skilled workforce and
technology, according to a
Wall Street Journal
article. Flood mitigation projects totalling
US$11.7 billion were allocated by the government.
Thailand has also lost ground as one of the world's leading rice exporters thanks to an
ill-fated government scheme to boost rice revenues by buying the domestic product at
50% above market value, hoping that market prices would follow. Instead India and Viet-
nam supplied the missing inventory at lower prices, leaving Thailand with stockpiles of an
