What if...........

Hi,

I am actually planning a trip with my family of 5 to BKK. What worries me is the current state of health of the Thai King.

I am NOT cursing the Thai Monarch. I will not and will never do it. I have great respect for him and I wish him good health.

What I am worried is in the event that I am in BKK and something bad happen to the Thai King, what will happen to the country?

I can think of the following,

1. Chaos and fight among the political factions. This will be a safety concern for me as the Thai King hold the nation together in a spiritual way.

2. Shutdown of the country. All the shops are closed. Shopping center closed for days. All entertainment ceased for days. If this happens, what is left for me to do?

As mentioned, I am not cursing him or wish him bad in anyway. I just want to get myself prepared in the case of such event though I can never predict what will happen.

Thanks.

What if...........

hi..

there;s no need to be scared of anything in thailand...to be honest..u sound really lame..just go to bangkok and have fun..r u really worried about the king%26#39;s health????? i seriously doubt it...

What if...........

Its something you can%26#39;t predict. This could also happen in other countries around the world too, their leader, king, queen etc dying. You don%26#39;t know it will happen or if it will when either..... so why worry about something you have no control over? :-)

badugi,

No, I did not say I am worry about the King%26#39;s health. I am just worried about any disruption to my plan (I am honest here).

It is not easy to organise a trip for my family due to logistics, finance and work concerns. Therefore, I cherish this trip and hope it will be a smooth one.

You may hop on a trip easily, but not my family and me.

If it worries you that much, perhaps you should find an alternative country for your holiday? But then what happens if their leader becomes ill, dies etc? Its something you just can%26#39;t control.

What about natural disasters? Tsunamis? earthquakes? fires? or what about terrorist attacks? These things can also ruin travel plans, but again they are out of our control. They can happen anytime. You can%26#39;t stop travelling based on a %26#39;what if.%26#39;

He%26#39;s looking for feedback based on a legitimate concern. There%26#39;s no need to act like a jerk and attack him. As everyone will die at some point, and given the age of the monarch, this is not a baseless assumption. At his current age and health this becomes more probable.

Based on the country%26#39;s respect and unity under the monarch his concern as an outsider is legitimate. Only those in the country who live there could really provide valid feedback on what they presume may happen in the country.

The Thai king is not ';just another leader'; but holds a unique place in Thailand%26#39;s culture and society that%26#39;s unlike any other present monarch. At the moment, with severe political dissention dividing the country, there%26#39;s a feeling that he%26#39;s the glue holding Thailand together. It%26#39;s hard to say what will happen when he does die, since the Crown Prince is not the charismatic figure Bhumipol is, and will probably not provide that unifying force.

Personally, I don%26#39;t think there will be armed rebellion or chaos in the streets. The army would make short work of that. But there may be a prolongued period of political unrest with a lot of mass demonstrations and attempts by conservatives and red-shirts to gain or keep the upper hand.

What is sure is that the country will go into a period of deep national mourning during which there will be attempts to rein in the wilder aspects of life in Thailand. But, aside during from the actual ceremonies connected with the mourning and funeral, most things will go on as normal, and I don%26#39;t think tourism will again be disrupted to the extent it was last year.

But, you never know. The airport closure last year took everyone by surprise.

Badugi - you obviously have no real concept of the role that the Thai monarchy plays in the society and culture of the country - reread Bill2p%26#39;s post for some idea. To call someone lame when he has a legitimate concern, as well as your previous postings where you describe everything as %26#39;lame%26#39;, %26#39;dirty%26#39; and the thai people %26#39;suspect%26#39; at best only reinforces what I have said previously!! If you had read the newspaper or followed recent world events you would have known that the Thai king is in fact in hospital with heart problems and his death would have profound ramifications on the psyche of the country. As with the OP I have spent considerable time and effort planning and saving for this %26#39;trip of a lifetime%26#39; for my family and the thought did cross my mind when I read of his condition. If anything happened it would not stop us from going but knowledge is power!!

If you do go I hope the weather stays fine for you.

Hope you get a favourable exchange rate for your trip.