On Wednesday, 22 December 2010, the Royal Thai Government ended the Emergency Decree that has been in effect for Bangkok and surrounding provinces since the May 2010 political protests. The government ended the decree as the political situation in Thailand is stable and normal.
The Emergency Decree was declared to give authorities greater flexibility in responding to the political protests that took place in Thailand during May. It remained in effect in the areas around Bangkok, Thailand's capital city, to expedite investigations into the political demonstrations as well as limit political gatherings. Authorities will now use the Internal Security Act to ensure the political situation in Thailand remains calm. Political gatherings are permitted as long as they are peaceful and remain within government guidelines.
Even while in effect, the Emergency Decree had no impact whatsoever on visitors to the country. The number of visitor arrivals to Thailand has remained robust and on target throughout most of 2010. As of the end of November 2010, visitor arrivals to Thailand reached 14.039 million, an increase of 12.63% compared to the same period of 2009.
Given the stability of the situation in Thailand and that the country remains a favourite destination for international visitors, the Tourism Authority of Thailand encourages travellers to visit the country to join in activities such as the 2011 New Year Countdown & Festive Celebrations that will take place around the country.
