Tour operators maintain that holidays to Thailand, with the exception of those involving stays in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, will continue despite a strengthening of Foreign Office advice.

Following the violence that has spread across the country after a crackdown on anti-government protesters, the Foreign Office warned against all travel to Bangkok and any non-essential travel to Chiang Mai. It had previously warned against all but essential travel to the Bangkok, but reviewed its advice amid clashes in which 1,800 people have been injured and dozens killed. It is currently advising any Britons in the Thai capital to stay indoors and to monitor local media or its travel advice. Those elsewhere in Thailand were advised “wherever possible” to take transport services which do not involve transiting Bangkok. The city’s Suvarnabhumi airport was operating as normal, and it was safe to transfer from Bangkok airports by road or air to other destinations.

A spokeswoman for Kuoni said that it was contacting tourists due to stay in Chiang Mai or Bangkok in the coming weeks to offer alternative itineraries within Thailand or further afield. All holidays to other parts of Thailand will operate as normal.

“If customers are due to travel to Bangkok or Chiang Mai within the next seven days, they can amend free of charge to alternative destinations, subject to availability,” she said. “Any additional cost more than the value of the original holiday will be passed on to customers.”

A spokeswoman for Abta, the travel association, said that those disinclined to travel would be considered on a case-by-case basis but should contact their operator as soon as possible.

Airlines confirmed that flights to Bangkok were operating as normal, but several carriers amended their policies. British Airways and Emirates were allowing anyone due to travel to the country to rebook to the same destination up until June 30. British Airways was also allowing passengers to switch their flights to an alternative destination, up to the price of the original ticket. Passengers now in Thailand have the chance to rebook on the next available flight home. Emirates said it would refund tickets to Bangkok if passengers cancel.

Intrepid, which offers group tours throughout Thailand, has cancelled its trips up to May 31.

Kongkrish Hiranyakij, chairman of the Federation of Thai Tourism Industries, estimates that foreign visitors may fall by 20 per cent in the next six months at cost of 120 billion baht (£2.6 billion) to the economy.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has been trying to assure tourists that it is still safe to travel to Thailand. “The major part of Bangkok remains open for tourists and business travellers, with hotels, shops and tourist sites open for business,” said Greg Duffell, PATA’s chief executive. “The popular tourist resorts such as Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Pattaya are unaffected”

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice[1]) is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous (< Latin glūtinōsus[2]) in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten; on the other hand, it is called sticky but should not be confused with the other varieties of Asian rice that become sticky to one degree or another when cooked.

Glutinous rice is a type of rice grown in China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia  and Vietnam. An estimated 85% of Lao rice production is of this type.[3]  Records of this rice go back at least 1,100 years, in this region. The improved rice varieties that swept through Asia during the Green Revolution were non-glutinous and Lao farmers rejected them in favor of their traditional sticky varieties. Over time, higher-yield strains of glutinous rice have become available from the Laotian National Rice Research Programme. By 1999, more than 70% of the area along the Mekong River Valley were of these newer strains. In China, glutinous rice has been grown for at least 2,000 years.[4]  According to legend, it was used to make the mortar in the construction of the Great Wall of China, and chemical tests have confirmed that this is true for the city walls of Xian.[5]  It is used in recipes throughout Southeast and East Asia.

Speaking in Tokyo two days after the Thai army cleared thousands of protesters out of central Bangkok, Mr Korn stressed growth in the rest of the year would depend in large part on “how quickly we can put our house in order”.

“I think we could reasonably have looked forward to anything like seven per cent growth for the year, without the political conflict. But with the conflict and the way it unfolded, it could easily be two per cent off that,” Mr Korn said in an interview.

Mr Korn’s comments came as Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister, delivered an untypically emotional address to the nation calling for reconciliation.

“Fellow citizens, we all live in the same house. Now, our house has been damaged. We have to help each other,” he said.

His government faces an uphill battle to reconcile with the red-shirt wearing protesters. More than 80 people – the vast majority of them protesters – died during the nine weeks of demonstrations, stoking the fury of a movement already angry over what they perceive as the double standards of the urban elite.

“We did not lose – we will start a new fight,” shouted one protester as hundreds of demonstrators arrived back to cheers in the city of Chiang Mai, deep in the rural heartland of the opposition. Almost a third of Thailand remains under curfew.

To reduce the impact of the protests and start reconciliation, the minister said he was finalising a “healing and reconstruction” plan to help individuals and businesses affected by the protests that he hoped would be ready for cabinet approval by Tuesday.

“The good news is that we have the money – government revenues are far exceeding the original budget because of the rapid economic recovery,” Mr Korn said.

The finance minister noted that Thailand had been fortunate as it had gone into the crisis with a “very robust” economy. With a low base set early last year, during the worst of the global slowdown, first quarter gross domestic product would also be up on a sequential basis – but the impact of the protests meant it would be “struggling” to sustain such improvement, he said.

Three weeks ago the Bank of Thailand raised its GDP forecast for the full year to 4.3-5.8 per cent, up from 3.3-5.3 per cent, saying that it expected export growth driven by the revival of the global economy would outweigh the costs of the protests.

The full cost of the demonstrations and their violent denouement has yet to be calculated, but the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand recently estimated the cost to the tourism sector, which accounts for 6.5 per cent of GDP by value, at some Bt120bn (£2.6bn, €3bn, $3.7bn).

The minister held out the prospect of an “early election” though he stressed this could only take place when the prime minister would be able to campaign without fearing for his life.

He blamed Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed as prime minister in a military coup four years ago and now lives in exile, for engineering the demonstrations. However, he said reconciliation talks would be open to many of his supporters.

Editorial Comment, Page 12 Video: Korn Chatikavanij on the country’s outlook, www.ft.com/thaieconomy

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

Two different styles of Pad Thai have evolved: the dry, light version found in the streets of Thailand and the version that dominates restaurants in the West, which is heavier and oilier.

Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand. The Thai economy at this time was heavily dependent on rice exports; Phibunsongkhram hoped to increase the amount available for export by launching a campaign to educate the poor in the production of rice noodles, as well as in the preparation of these noodles with other ingredients to sell in small cafes and from street carts.[1]

During the recession following World War II, the post-war government of Field Marshall Pibul, desperate in its efforts to revive the Thai economy, looked for ways to stem the massive tide of unemployment. Among the occupations the government aggressively promoted to give the populace a way to earn a living was the production of rice noodles and the operation of noodle shops. Detailed instructions on how to make the noodles and recipes were printed and distributed around the country. From these efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food.[citation needed]

Outside of Thailand, Pad Thai is one of the best-known Thai dishes, and is very popular in Thai restaurants worldwide.

More on cooking on ceramic knives sets site, original Shenzhen knives.

Victoria filmmaker Chandler Vandergrift, who underwent two surgeries after being hit with shrapnel from a grenade attack in Thailand’s violent protests this week, is now able to communicate, a Victoria friend said yesterday.

John Orser, a filmmaker and documentarian who runs a company called Visual Art Studios on Old West Saanich Road, recently returned from Thailand, but planned to head back when he learned his friend had been injured. That trip was delayed, however, when he received an e-mail from Don Vandergrift, Chandler’s father, who was headed to Thailand. Chandler’s brother, Brandon Vandergrift, and Toronto Star Asia bureau chief Bill Schiller were at the hospital.

Orser said the e-mail from Don and another note from Schiller described the 37-year-old’s condition as improving.

“He’s semi-conscious and heavily sedated, but he’s breathing without a ventilator,” Orser said. Despite having a tube in his mouth, Vandergrift was able to joke in writing with his brother.

Schiller said via e-mail that Vandergrift’s progress has been “remarkable.”

Nicole Sorochan, who is co-producing a documentary about the unrest in southern Thailand with Vandergrift, described encouraging signs soon after the surgery to remove shrapnel from Vandergrift’s brain, saying he appeared to recognize others in the room.

Orser said shrapnel pierced Vandergrift’s brain, abdomen and a lung, and he has reduced mobility on his left side.

“They don’t know if he’s suffered any permanent neurological impairment,” Orser said.

Orser did not know if plans are being made to transport Chandler back to Canada, but Orser, who has filmed in Thailand for the past 27 years, said the Bangkok Christian Hospital is an excellent facility.

In his last conversation with Chandler the day before he was injured, Orser said, he warned him of the intensity of the conflict and heightened danger, saying both the protesters and government forces were targeting journalists.

Orser said Chandler was nevertheless committed to the “necessary work” international journalists are doing in Thailand.

He said Chandler wore a motorcycle helmet for protection.

“Sometimes, when you’re on the ground, it’s like being in a hockey game,” Orser said. “You don’t know how intense it is because you’re in the game, and you tend to lose a little bit of perspective.”

Chandler is originally from Calgary, but has lived in Victoria for most of the past decade. He graduated in 2006 from the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Victoria, before taking graduate studies in conflict analysis and management at Royal Roads University.

Schiller reported in the Toronto Star that Vandergrift will graduate from Royal Roads in June with a master’s degree in Asian Studies. Schiller wrote that the Vandergrift family learned of Chandler’s wounding when his mother in Calgary turned on the television morning news and saw her son being carried out of the battle on a stretcher.

Vandergrift has been in Thailand for several years working on a documentary about the Muslim-led insurgency, and is the second Canadian injured in Bangkok in the past week. Journalist Nelson Rand was shot three times while reporting on the protests.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Victoria+filmmaker+injured+Thailand+protests+awakens+after+brain+surgery+remove+shrapnel/3057271/story.html#ixzz0of4bn1nW

1st class buses from Bangkok to the North Pattaya Road bus station are air-con, almost always have an on-board toilet, are essentially direct (ie no stops), and provide a no fuss, no frills, hassle-free service. Departures from the Eastern (Ekamai) Terminal and Northern (Moh Chit) Terminal are frequent (every 20-40 minutes, depending on the time of day; more frequent still at public holiday weekends) and usually take 2-2.5 hours; those from the Southern (Sai Tai Taling Chan สายใต้ตลิ่งชัน) Bus Terminal are less frequent and take a little longer.

Departure times & fares (as at June 2006):

- Ekamai (East) to Pattaya – first 05:20, last 23:00 – 127 baht
- Pattaya to Ekamai (East) – first 05:20, last 21:00 – 127 baht
- Moh Chit (North) to Pattaya – first 05:00, last 20:00 – 117 baht (tollway route: 121 baht)
- Pattaya to Moh Chit (North) – first 05:20, last 20:00 – 113 baht (tollway route: 121 baht)
- Sai Tai Mai (South) to Pattaya – 05:30, 08:30, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:30 – 117 baht
- Pattaya to Sai Tai Mai (South) – 06:00, 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 – 113 baht

Fares may vary slightly depending on the route taken – for example, at busy times when the Moh Chit service uses the elevated express tollway, a marginally higher fare applies – however exact prices are always clearly posted at the official ticket counters.

All 1st class direct services to/from Bangkok use the recently redeveloped bus station on North Pattaya Road. These buses are usually full when they depart, and must be boarded at the terminus. Tickets are sold at the bus station; it’s not possible to pre-book these services more than an hour or so in advance. Usually, if the bus that’s due to leave next is already full, there will be seats available on the next one. The longest queues are for the very early morning departures from Pattaya – to get a seat on the first bus of the day you need to be in the ticket queue at least 30-40 minutes early; however the bonus is that these pre-rush hour services can take as little as 90 minutes to get to Bangkok.

From the North Pattaya Road bus station songthaews (a cross between a pickup truck, a share-taxi, a local bus and two pews) depart when full (every few minutes). The fare to anywhere on Beach Road (“the beach”) is 20 baht; press the buzzer button on the underside of the roof when you want to get off.

Pattaya to the Eastern (Ekamai) Terminal: if requested, this bus will stop at the On Nut Skytrain Station (station map [4]) on Sukhumvit Road. Depending on your final destination and the traffic conditions, you may want to transfer to the Skytrain (system map [5]) there; if so, wait until the bus departs Pattaya and then confirm with the crew that you want to be dropped off at “On Nut”. NB: this bus does not stop to pick up passengers at On Nut (or anywhere else) on the outbound leg. Also on request the bus will stop along the Bangna-Trat Expressway opposite the Central Department Store Bangna.

Pattaya from/to the Southern (Sai Tai Mai) Terminal: if the direct bus is fully booked, take the Eastern (Ekamai) Terminal bus instead, and use the #511 (air-con, every 30 minutes 24/7, 20 baht) bus to connect between Ekamai and Sai Tai Mai.

Pattaya from/to Suvarnabhumi Airport: Bell travel Tel 038-370-0556, 02-747-4673 to Airport: 06:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00 and to Pattaya: 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00. Their bus travels directly from the terminal building to the northern bus station. This service includes delivery/pick up to/from your hotel in the 200Bt price(Feb 2009), although they will not go to hotels located at Sukhumwit rd or at Chayapreuk rd or further. You need to go to Bell Travel’s website [6] to book your travel from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya. They don’t accept walk-in requests.

Pattaya from/to Suvarnabhumi Airport: Governmental bus[7] 124 bath (as of August 2009) to Pattaya: 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 21:00. The bus departs directly from the airport at level 2 and makes stops along Sukhumwit rd at Pattaya Nua (north), Pattaya Klang (middle), Pattaya Tay (south), its bus station at the lower end of Theprasit rd and the bus station at Chaiyapreuk rd. Departing from the bus station at the lower end of Theprasit rd to the airport at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00. It is also possible to board the bus 20 minutes prior to its departing time at the bus station at Chaiyapreuk rd. No other stops are made.

These are connected by the three major east-west aligned roads: North Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Nua), Central Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Klang) and South Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Tai). North Pattaya Road is a dual carriageway and carries the highest volume of traffic to and from Sukhumvit Road.

Also connecting Beach Road and Second Road are a large number of smaller streets or “sois”. The main sois are numbered from 1 to 16, from north to south. Sois 1-6 are between North Pattaya Road and Central Pattaya Road; sois 7-13 are between Central Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road (including the “Pattayaland” sois, immediately north of South Pattaya Road); sois 14-16 are south of South Pattaya Road. Most of these east-west sois are (in theory at least) one-way.

Beach Road, Second Road, and North Pattaya Road (plus Naklua Road to the north) all meet at the Dolphin Roundabout landmark. Heavy traffic and frequent accidents here have resulted in a semi-permanent diversion being set up which, at peak times, prevents vehicles (except motorcycles) from continuing around this roundabout any further than the North Pattaya Road exit, pending the installation of traffic lights some time in 2006.

Second Road south of South Pattaya Road becomes Pratamnak Road, which shares a junction with both the southern end of Third Road and the northern end of the main road to Jomtien, Tappraya Road.

Beach Road south of South Pattaya Road is closed to vehicles in the evenings (currently 18:00-02:00) and is called Walking Street; it’s the main tourist area, both for nightlife and shopping. Other major tourism areas include the section of Second Road between sois 1-4, and the sois immediately north of South Pattaya Road.

At the southern end of Walking Street is the New Pier, usually called Bali Hai Pier (sometimes “Pattaya Pier” or “South Pier”). The Old Pier, close to the junction of Beach Road and South Pattaya Road, is still shown on most maps but was dismantled and removed at the beginning of 2006.

Efforts by the local authorities over the past few years have improved the quality of the beaches, but they are still lacklustre by Thailand’s standards, and over-development has long since destroyed some of the natural charms the area once had. However, the plethora of hotels and guest houses, and easy access from the capital and airport, make it a popular weekend getaway. Catering for over five million tourists yearly, Pattaya is also able to offer an excellent range of eating choices and a wide variety of things to do and see. Its population is a colorful mix of nationalities and ethnicities from near and far.

Pattaya For Tourists

Activities include playing golf (21 golf courses within 1 hour of Pattaya,) go-kart racing, and visiting different theme parks and zoos such as the Elephant Village, where demonstrations of training methods and ancient ceremonial re-enactments are performed daily. The private Sri Racha Tiger Zoo features tigers, alligators, and other animals in daily shows. The Vimantaitalay tourist submarine offers underwater trips underwater to see corals and marine life just a few kilometers offshore. Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden about 15 kilometers south of Pattaya is a 500-acre (2.0 km2) site of botanical gardens and an orchid nursery where cultural shows with trained chimpanzees and elephants are presented.

Other attractions in Pattaya include The Million Years Stone Park, Pattaya Crocodile Farm, Pattaya Park Beach Resort Water Park, Funny Land Amusement Park, Siriporn Orchid Farm, Underwater World Pattaya (world-class aquarium), the Thai Alangkarn Theater Pattaya (cultural show), Bottle Art Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, and Underwater World, an aquarium where there is a collection of marine species in the Gulf of Thailand including sharks and stingrays. Khao Phra Tamnak or Khao Phra Bat is a small hill located between South Pattaya and Jomtien Beach that provides a panoramic view of the city of Pattaya and its crescent bay. The hill is topped by Wat Khao Phra Bat, a temple, and the monument of Kromluang Chomphonkhetudomsak, who is regarded as the “founding father of the modern Thai navy.” The Sanctuary of Truth is a large wooden structure constructed in 1981 by the sea at Laem Ratchawet, that was conceived from the vision that human civilization has been achieved and nurtured by religious and philosophical truth.

Mini Siam is a miniature model village which celebrates the heritages of Thailand with replicas of the most famous monuments and historical sites including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Democracy Monument, Bridge over the River Kwai, and Prasat Hin Phimai. Models of the Tower Bridge of London, Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Trevi Fountain are also displayed in the section called “mini world.” Wat Yanasangwararam Woramahawihan is a temple constructed in 1976 for Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the present Supreme Patriarch and later supported by His Majesty the King. Within the compound of the temple are a replica of the Buddha’s footprint, and a large Chedi containing the relics of the Lord Buddha.

As red-shirted protesters paraded coffins to mourn the casualties in the country’s most violent political standoff in 20 years, brand Thailand and its tourism appeal has yet again taken another serious beating.

An ominous sense of déjà vu is inevitable, as the country’s latest crisis is a bloody reminder of how Thailand has struggled with destabilisation and uncertainty since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted from office in a military coup in September 2006.

The pro-Thaksin protesters are fighting to bring the Government down. They are adamant that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to power illegitimately and is merely a puppet of the military. The protesters have so far clashed with military forces and police, and have called on Abhisit to resign and call fresh elections. As the demonstrations and fighting have continued, some 21 people including civilians have been killed while more than 800 people have been injured.

In light of the violent clashes, Thai tourism arrivals could slump 20 per cent this year according to the nation’s Fiscal Policy Office. At the time of writing, flights for the Kingdom’s New Year holidays have already fallen 4.1 per cent, while the country’s full-year tourism revenue may fall by as much as 20.8 billion baht (US$645 million).

In late 2008, protests saw the country’s airports come to a standstill amid a familiar state of emergency. Businesses were nervy while tourists and visitors were left in a state of flux. Tourism Thailand was then believed to have slashed marketing spend in a “hectic” scenario planning initiative, aimed at assessing how much of an estimated US$10 million annual budget remained to boost the country’s international image after the protests ended.

The tourism body no doubt worked steadfastly last year to rebuild confidence but its previous efforts may well have been in vain. For now, Thailand looks like it has to start from scratch yet again.