Thailand: safe for tourism

As Thai people at home and abroad prepared to celebrate the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Dec 5, clashes between anti-government protesters and Bangkok police diminished. Thailand’s Ambassador to China Wiboon Khusakul said the capital was safe for visitors, noting that as of last week, the embassy was still processing between 2,000 and 3,000 visa applications for Chinese at its eight offices around the country.

Khusakul predicted the revered king’s birthday, celebrated by Thais of all political stripes, would continue to ease political tensions after the holiday. “The king is the soul of the nation,” the ambassador said during an exclusive interview with China Daily.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered police to lift barricades on Tuesday “to reduce tensions”, and Khusakul noted “she has also said she is more than willing to talk to the people who took to the street recently. So I think that’s a good sign.”

Reporter: Mike Peters

Video: Andrew Xing, Cong Ruiting & Lou Yi

Photo: Wu Chuanjing

Producer: Yue Fenghua