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Phuket is one of Thailand's hottest tourist destinations, but visitor numbers are well down on previous year. The beaches and streets in Phuket are quiet and businesses are beginning to feel the strain. Thailand's political problems have now been well documented by the media, so much so the country is portrayed as being in complete anarchy. Although the problems have already been centered in Bangkok, they've impacted Phuket. But what's the reality of the situation? Should tourists be wary of traveling to Phuket?

The short answer is "no". For a little bit of perspective, Thailand has already established numerous problems through the years, from coups to bombings. However, it absolutely was only the tsunami that really affected tourism in the end. Thailand's internal problems usually develop a few short-term ripples and the media writes of chaos in the streets, but also for people living in Thailand, they will tell you that life goes on as usual.

In Phuket, tourism is way down. Hotels are nowhere near full and people on the island say that the impact on a is going to be worse in the long run compared to tsunami. It's such a dire situation, but it is also completely unnecessary. Travel advisory warnings also don't help.

If you were to see Phuket News today you'd visit a peaceful island. You will find no more dangers than normal and every thing is safe. There is no fighting in the streets and tourists are not being victimized or attacked. Actually, there's probably never been an improved time and energy to visit Phuket since the island is less crowded than usual.

The beaches remain there and the popular websites are waiting for visitors to trickle in. Needless to say, travelers should still exercise the exact same caution they would when visiting Phuket any time of the year. Traveling alone on a motorcycle at night isn't a good idea and care must be taken when out and about. But do not let the headlines reports put you off a trip to Phuket.

It is a sad state of affairs, but hotel-booking sites have been reporting a huge decline in bookings. The same is true of airlines, who are now throwing out offers left, right and center to entice visitors to visit Thailand. You will find bargains to be snapped up at the moment.

So if Phuket is safe for tourists, then how about Bangkok, where the majority of the trouble has been? There have been protests and airport closures and all kinds. Nevertheless, if you don't had a plane to catch through that time, if you were in Bangkok, you wouldn't have noticed much out of the ordinary other than whenever you turned on the headlines. Everything continued as usual. It always does.

Following the most recent coup, the tanks and soldiers became a tourist attraction. The resultant protests were mostly jovial affairs with picnics and concerts. Some media reports were speculating that Thailand was about to become a bloodbath, much like revolutions of the past, but such events didn't materialize.

Forums, blogs and phone lines have been overrun with people asking if Phuket is still safe for travel. It really is safe, also it likely is going to be for a long time ahead.

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