Is traveling to Thailand still safe for tourists after the earthquake?

People stand outside an office building in Bangkok, Thailand, after the earthquake. Source: AFP

At the very moment Bangkok (Thailand) was affected by the strong aftershocks from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on the afternoon of March 28th, a group of Vietnamese tourists from Viet Travel Company and Van Thinh Tour Company had just left a high-rise shopping mall in Bangkok. Despite the fear and panic, fortunately, none of the tourists were affected and they continued with their tour itinerary.

In the face of natural disasters, concerns about the safety of Vietnamese tourists traveling to Thailand, particularly regarding tours and travel arrangements, are growing.

According to travel agencies such as Vietravel , Vietluxtour, Viet Travel, Bestprice, etc., there have been no reported cases of Vietnamese tourists being injured or killed so far, and everything remains under safe control. The Thai partners of these Vietnamese travel companies have also not issued any warnings or advisories.

As the travel agency with the most tour groups traveling to Thailand in the country, Vietravel currently has 14 groups with over 300 customers on their way to explore the Land of Smiles. A representative from the company stated that the groups' schedules were not affected by the earthquake news, with one group still departing on the afternoon of March 28th. However, the company affirmed that they and their partners are monitoring the situation at their destinations to make timely adjustments if necessary.

According to Mr. Tú, BestPrice's partner in Thailand had not issued any warnings as of the night of March 28th.

Representatives from several travel agencies affirmed that they are closely monitoring the tour group's activities and the actual developments at the destinations along the itinerary to make appropriate and timely adjustments, with the safety of tourists being the top priority.

According to travel companies, the areas most severely affected are the high-rise buildings in the city center. Therefore, the local authorities have issued a recent announcement confirming that all tourist attractions in Bangkok are currently unaffected. Consequently, companies bringing Vietnamese tourists to Bangkok are not facing any obstacles as they are using dedicated buses.

Earlier that day, starting at 3 PM, local authorities had sent out notices to all residents and tourists advising them to seek safe shelter.

The earthquake in central Myanmar shook Bangkok, Thailand's capital, causing damage to several buildings. Aftershocks also caused many high-rise buildings and hotels to tremble, forcing residents and tourists to evacuate from the danger zone. Bangkok authorities declared it a disaster area, and the mayor was tasked with coordinating the response efforts.

According to preliminary information from Vietnamese representative offices in Myanmar and Thailand, as of now, no Vietnamese citizens have been reported to have been affected by the earthquake.

Following the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese representative offices in Myanmar and Thailand continue to maintain close contact with local authorities and Vietnamese community leaders in the earthquake-affected areas to closely monitor the situation; are ready to deploy citizen protection plans if necessary; and advise people to closely monitor announcements and comply with instructions from local authorities to prepare for aftershocks in the next 24 hours.

Vietnamese citizens in need of assistance can contact Vietnamese representative offices in Myanmar and Thailand, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Citizen Protection Hotline at the following phone numbers:

Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar: +95 966088 8998, email: vnembmyr2012@gmail.com

Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand: +66898966653, email: vnemb.th@mofa.gov.vn

Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Citizen Protection Hotline: +84.981.84.84.84.

TB (summary)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/du-lich-thai-lan-co-con-an-toan-voi-du-khach-sau-dong-dat-408299.html