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Phuket is one of Thailand's most widely used holidaymaker destinations, yet visitor numbers are well down on previous year. The beaches and streets in Phuket are quiet and businesses are beginning to have the strain. Thailand's political problems have already been well documented by the media, so much so that the country is portrayed to be in complete anarchy. Even though the problems have now been centered in Bangkok, they have 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 received numerous problems over the years, from coups to bombings. However, it was only the tsunami that really affected tourism over time. Thailand's internal dilemmas usually develop a few short-term ripples and the media writes of chaos in the streets, but also for people living in Thailand, they are going to let you know 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 effect on a will be worse in the long run compared to the tsunami. It's such a dire situation, but it is also completely unnecessary. Travel advisory warnings also don't help.

If you were to visit Phuket News right now you'd see a peaceful island. You can find forget about dangers than normal and every thing is safe. There's no fighting in the streets and tourists aren't being victimized or attacked. Actually, there's probably never been an improved time to visit Phuket because the island is less crowded than usual.

The beaches are still there and the popular sites are waiting for people to trickle in. Of course, travelers should still exercise exactly the same caution they would when visiting Phuket any moment of the year. Traveling alone on a motorcycle at night isn't a good idea and care ought to be taken when out and about. But don't let the news reports put you off a trip to Phuket.

It's a sad situation, but hotel-booking web sites have been reporting an enormous decline in bookings. The same is true of airlines, that are now throwing out offers left, right and center to entice people to visit Thailand. There are bargains to be purchased at the moment.

So if Phuket is safe for tourists, then think about Bangkok, where most of the trouble has been? There were protests and airport closures and all sorts. But unless you had a plane to catch during that time, in the event that you were in Bangkok, you wouldn't have noticed much out of the ordinary besides when you turned on the news headlines. Everything carried on as usual. It always does.

After the latest 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 develop into a bloodbath, just like revolutions of the past, but such events did not materialize.

Forums, blogs and phone lines have been inundated with people asking if Phuket continues to be safe for travel. It really is safe, plus it likely will soon be for a long period in the future.

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