The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is advising all Filipinos to postpone all non-essential travel to Thailand, especially Bangkok, beginning Friday, March 12.
The DFA issued the travel advisory following reports of huge protest rallies set this week in the Thai capital of Bangkok by supporters of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
“In view of the protest rallies being planned in key areas of Bangkok starting Friday, March 12 and for the duration of the rallies, Filipinos are advised to postpone all non-essential travel to Thailand, specifically Bangkok,” the DFA advisory stated.
DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said Filipinos already in Thailand are advised to avoid areas identified as meeting areas and rally staging areas of Thaksin supporters.
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) is pushing with the red shirt rally this week with the aim of gathering one million people Bangkok.
Thai officials plan to invoke the Internal Security Act to secure the capital and prevent the rally participants from taking over vital offices similar to the incident in 2008 when the protesters took over the Thai international airport.
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