We are just back also and stayed around Patong. No trouble and locals are unhappy with the damage caused by the publicity. Low season, but all seasons would be good. Markets are not crowded.
Cheers

I had a quite (probably only quite in daytime!)beer at the Dolphin Bar on the corner across from Absloute and the bus terminal at the Patong beach front. They have a online computer for the customers which was handy. While I was using it I followed a link to a web camera of the beach front which was real time. Does anyone know a link?
Cheers

Whilst the demonstrations stopped the issue itself hasn't gone away. It will keep happening until there is a democratically elected government in place. Nothing has been resolved in that respect. The last deomnstrations ended in a very unsatisfactory manner in the eyes of many UDD (red shirt) supporters.

There are some spooky times ahead for Thailand. The King's health, IMHO, is this country's biggest concern. Without him, as the moral compass, God knows what these egotistical SOB's are capable of.

That said, for those in Bangkok now, there is a travel expo at Queen Sirikit Center, running Thursday through Sunday.

There is a democratically elected government in place.
But that has nothing to do with the demonstrations anyway. Those are just a struggle for power between several factions in Thai society. And one of them lost for the moment, so yes, that faction is not happy.

Here are a few snippets of information some may be interested in.

Last week we flew from Oslo (Norway) to Bangkok in an airbus, I think they hold around 300 passengers. Premium economy had only 8 passengers with 42 seats available, there were less people in first class and business class, whereas economy class was full.

On Monday night We flew from BKK to Sydney in an airbus with no premium economy.However, only 4 people in business class but a few elderly people in first class who were in wheel chairs, possibly a second world war reunion I thought. Economy class was pretty full with only 8 seats free. I thought that the cheap seats promotion currently being run by Thai airlines may be attracting the tourists back but the higher paying ones are not being enticed back as yet.


We stayed at a hotel next to the MBK centre (4 star.) I thought it was only 1/3 full. We turned up at 7am and got a room immediately after the 11 hour flight- on other trips we generally have had to wait for a few hours for a room.

Hey just back from 7 days southern thailand in August, rainy, sunny, quite, absolutely delightful, many business's hurting thanks red shirts you certainly know how to take the gloss off, and make life very tough for your fellow country men....going back november 5 days Phuket, 2 days Bangkok, looking forward to it ........this last demonstration along with the ones before it has really hurt, however we are noticing more tourist based products purchased on our web site so just may be things are on the increase..... thank you Air Asia flying KL to Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Perth Australia, most flights Full...

I've been a avid traveller to thailand for many years. What i find recently is that the attitude of businesses and a handful of THAIs are very very different from those 10years or more ago. All they are interested is, is in making tourist money and due to this they started to rate customers on their nationality and color!. The THAI smile is gone! What is left is faces stamped with $$$. I pray that Thais can look back and remember what it was like back in the past and with that i do hope that Thailand can bounce back and become the destination hub of that region.

I've lived here since 2007, but been visiting since the 90's. In that short time, I have seen a mark change in the attitude of the visitors, simply reflected in the Thais.

In the past, visitors respected the culture and sensitivities of the Thai people. Now, for so many, the attitude is "it's my holiday, my money, I will do as I please."

So, the Thai attitude has become "Have your holiday, spend your money, and go home!"

I think the visitors need to look at themselves and ask how can I make myself more acceptable.

I believe that Thai people do look back at the past and cringe at what the see today. Unfortunately, for most visitors, there is no past, only "my holiday"

Not only do the Thai's cringe, but I also cringe. Torremolinos, Costa Del Sol, Broadbeach Queensland, Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast, Coral Coast Fiji, Samoa - all the same crowd or the same ilk, completely ignorant of local mores and cultures and impervious to the politite reminder that they are the temporary guests of another country.