Most people will have heard of the "Red-Shirt" and "Yellow-Shirt" demonstrations in Thailand earlier in the year. Given that our trips depart in 4 months time, it is appropriate to reflect on the current situation and the degree of protests going on. The dispute stems from 2008 when the elected Prime Minister was ousted in a coup, and he was charged (and subsequently convicted) of corruption charges. The red shirts are seeking to have him brought back to power, while the yellow shirts are promoting the military-led government. In saying this outside of Bangkok, there is virtually no sign of any politics as people just want to get on with their every-day lives and make an honest living.

The current situation is that the protests have stopped and there are no more demonstrations or group meetings.Traffic and air travel are all flowing smoothly.

I take my cue from the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs website http://www.safetravel.govt.nz: As at today, this website ranks countries as either SOME RISK which is defined as "we advise caution", HIGH RISK which is defined as "we advise against tourism and other non-essential travel" and EXTREME RISK which is defined as "we advise against all travel".

Thailand and Bangkok are generally rated as Some Risk, with a few areas (where we don't go) rated as high risk. To put this all into perspective, countries which are rated as Some Risk include France, Spain, Greece, Italy, USA, Malaysia, Fiji, Tonga and Singapore. Those at High Risk include Kenya, Algeria, Chile, Turkey, and Jamaica. Some of those in the Extreme Risk category are Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco and Philippines.

Generally motorbikers are reasonably conservative folk and don't go out of their way to encounter trouble. On our trips we stay well away from any protest meetings and use common sense when it comes to getting involved in local politics. So if you are worried about your personal safety, you are more likely to be accidentally trampled upon by a tame elephant or bitten by a curious monkey than hurt in political violence. In saying that, however, I wouldn't encourage you to wear red or yellow t-shirts!