Today there was a decisive move by the Thai authorities to end the six-week protests in central Bangkok. Throughout the day there were violent clashes as troops used force to remove the Red Shirt protesters from their rally sites in Rachaprasong, Din Daeng and Lumpini. By early afternoon the protestors had dispersed and the main Red Shirt leaders had submitted to the authorities. There have been further sporadic clashes throughout the afternoon but the main protest sites have now been cleared. The government have declared a curfew in Bangkok tonight from 20.00hrs to 06.00hrs tomorrow and all Thai citizens and foreigners have been asked to stay inside or in case of necessary travel to ensure they have their passports with them at all times.

We would like to let you know that all Exotissimo staff and clients in country are safe and will not be moving tonight during the curfew.

The security of Exotissimo clients visiting Thailand remains our highest priority. We would like to advise all clients scheduled to arrive in Bangkok tonight or early tomorrow morning to postpone their travels if possible. Any clients that do arrive will be transferred directly out of the city to avoid any potentially dangerous area. We have moved all clients in country away to safe zones either by the River or completely outside Bangkok. We are not offering any touring services in Bangkok and encourage clients to stay inside their hotels and are well taken care of and receive daily communications from our staff until they leave Bangkok.

The Airport is still open and clients transiting to other destinations will not be affected by the curfew. Elsewhere in Thailand the atmosphere remains calm and clients in Phuket, Samui, are not experiencing any difficulties although there have been disturbances in Chiang Mai and some cities in the north and north east of Thailand.

We are recommending clients scheduled to arrive in Thailand over the next few days consider changing their plans or postpone until the situation improves. We are doing our best to avoid cancellation fees on case by case basis. We will also be pleased to offer alternatives in any of our other destinations with no additional charges.

Exotisismo’s Bangkok office is located in Silom and we are still unable to access our building and will operate from remote offices this week and do our best to respond to all requests as quickly as we can. Our offices in Chiang Mai and Phuket are open as usual.

In case of an urgent or emergency situations only please contact the following senior staff:

Emergency Contacts:
Emergency Contact Number: +66 81 8672806
Edwin Briels (General Manager): +66 81 9337328
Ms. Waleerat (Operations Manager): +66 846418020
Hamish Keith (Managing Director): +66 81 8088395

We continue to follow developments very closely and update the travel advice as and when we judge that the risk changes. We sincerely hope that the events of today will signal the end of the violence and that peace and common sense will soon return to our beautiful country.

This week has seen the celebrations of ‘Songkran’, Thai New Year and one of the world’s greatest water fights take place. This is a time when many Thais return to their families to celebrate the New Year, meaning not only have the streets of the city been quieter than usual but many of the ‘Red Shirt’ protesters have left Bangkok to return to their hometowns, and are being encouraged not to return to the city. Many of the festivities have continued, the atmosphere has been great and revelers have enjoyed the traditional water fights on some of the streets both in Bangkok and throughout the rest of Thailand. Tourist sites, hotels and restaurants are all open and shops and businesses continue to trade as normal.

For any further information contact thailand@exotissimo.com

New Chiang Mai Hotel adds to boutique offerings
18-room Butterfly Resort located 10 minutes north of town

Located on the Ping River 10 minutes from Chiang Mai’s old town, the Butterfly is an independent resort featuring 18 deluxe rooms and 1 villa suite. The quiet location and spacious garden setting creates a relaxing atmosphere suited for couples or FITs and is winning accolades as being an oasis-like, unpretentious resort. Amenities include a riverside bar and lounge, all-day dining, a lap pool, plunge pool, library and free shuttle service to town. The large rooms have dark wood floors and furniture accented by local textiles and wifi internet is available throughout the property.

For more details and pricing click here
Booking and inquiries can be sent to: thailand@exotissimo.com

For total seclusion and the joy of having one’s ‘home’ while holidaying in Hoi An, Villa @ Red Bridge is the perfect choice. Overlooking Thu Bon River, this 300 square meter villa is located on a private compound between Hoi An ancient town and Cua Dai Beach. The self-contained villa offers expansive living and dining area, including a library, a fully-equipped kitchen and a fitness room spread across two levels. Each of the three bedrooms has a king sized bed, walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom. Featuring natural stone and wood finishing with a traditional style Vietnamese roof, the villa is surrounded by a vast garden filled with tropical flora. The adjacent property has a pool which guests may use.

Daily breakfast is included in the rate. Guests also have the option of using the private chef for in-villa dining or barbeques in the garden. A ’shopping list’ system is available for guests to stock up the kitchen with ingredients and drinks for self-catering. Nanny service is available for those travelling with children. A private car and driver can also be arranged or guests can take advantage of Red Bridge’s boat which goes to and from the town center 3 times a day.

Click here to view the villa details.

EcoSea Dive is currently offering exciting multi-day dive courses on Koh Rung Saloem, an unspoiled island paradise only 2.5 hours by boat from Sihanoukville. Established in 2001, EcoSea Dive is the first Cambodian dive center to offer both PADI and SSI courses. The lessons cater to divers of different levels and are conducted in several languages. The courses include boat transfers, equipment, dive manuals, board and overnight stays at the new EcoSea Resort on Rung Saloem Island.