Ordinary Gweilo

Yesterday, all package tours from Hong Kong to Bangkok leaving in the next few days were abruptly cancelled after the government raised its first “red outbound travel alert”

Large gatherings of people and protests are expected in [Bangkok] in the coming days. The Security Bureau said Hong Kong people intending to visit [Bangkok] should adjust their travel plans. Those already there should avoid protests and large gatherings.

Hmm…  there were strong rumours that there would be trouble in Bangkok two weeks ago (when the courts ruled on Thaksin’s ill-gotten gains), and that turned out to be a false alarm.  This weekend there certainly will be demonstrations in Bangkok, but the protestors have promised they will be peaceful, and the security forces are well-prepared for any trouble that might occur. Clearly there are areas of the city that you might want to avoid, but it’s hard to believe that tourists will be in any danger.

It’s fair enough for governments to issue warnings, but if I had my holiday cancelled like that I’d be very upset (of course it wasn’t the government that cancelled the tours, but it might just as well have been). Mind you, I’ve never understood the appeal of going anywhere in a tour group, and if you booked your trip independently you are treated like an adult and can make your own decision (Cathay Pacific have said that passengers can change their flight booking without any penalty).  No such luxury if you booked a package tour.

This is the same government that has been making such a fuss about Swine Flu, forcing us to waste our time filling in stupid forms long after more sensible governments had realized it was a waste of time, so it’s no surprise.

Hemlock has more on this (Warning- Warnings Ahead):

The big excitement for government officials whose duty it is to raise alarms is the first-ever Red Outbound Travel Alert, advising Hong Kong people to avoid prolonged exposure to Thailand on account – as it happens – of matching Red Shirts, the supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin, who are planning a major march in Bangkok in the next few days.

The OTA system was introduced in October 2009 in response to widespread public whining after Hong Kong tourists suffered inconvenience when protests, also in Bangkok, shut down airports (Yellow Shirts on that occasion).  It covers the 50 countries Hong Kong people are most likely to visit, which is why the likes of Afghanistan and Somalia do not appear.

Under the easy-to-remember system, an Amber Warning (currently applying to five countries with predominant or large Muslim populations but obviously that’s just a coincidence) means ‘Everything is cool, you can probably relax, but don’t blame the Security Bureau if you get shot or kidnapped because we issued an Amber Warning’.