AIBU to think my friend shouldn't take her small DC to Thailand?

[Chiana]

A friend recently announced that she, her DH, and their DC would be spending part of the Christmas break in Thailand. I of course congratulated her, but on the inside I was thinking, "Thailand is being run by a junta after a military coup, and isn't not a particularly stable place to take small DC!" Of course, they'll probably be fine. They'll be at a beach resort far away from Bangkok, and tourists haven't been targeted so far. But still, I wouldn't take my kids to Thailand at the moment.

DH says I'm just jealous, because Friend is going on an exotic sunshine break and we aren't. I probably am just jealous. But I was talking last week with the waitress at our local Thai restaurant, as I was waiting to pick up a takeaway, and she was obviously worried about her extended family back in Thailand.

I'm being unreasonable, aren't I?

There are lots of ethical reasons not to go to Thailand.

There are lots of people who don't care about ethics.

Yabu and I assume you've never actually been to Thailand, I don't see the issue

Yes YABU. The majority of Thailand hasn't been affected by the military coup at all!

Hmmmm, I would say YABU. I had friends who were on holiday on Koh Samui when the coup happened and apart from a couple of whispers about it, they knew nothing about it!

If you're seriously worried about your friend, how about asking innocently 'Aren't you worried about the political situation?' or 'What is the FCO advice on visiting Thailand at the moment?'.

Often dangerous areas are quite localised. My aunt, for instance, is currently in Kenya. There have been some serious terrorist atrocities in Nairobi and Mombasa in recent months, but the area she's going to is deemed safe by the FCO and they aren't recommending that tourists avoid it, so she felt comfortable going.

Also, many local people rely on tourism to survive, so if everyone boycotts a country because there is trouble in one or two areas it can have a catastrophic impact on people who have very little to start with. If it was me, I'd encourage her to look into the political situation, but its up to her where she takes her family on holiday.

Thanks for all the responses, ladies. The general consensus seems to be that I'm being UR. Which does not come as a total surprise.

Thailand is always in political upheaval.

They overthrow the government every few years and last time I went it was a military coup!

It's an amazing place to take a family esp with small children.

stop being so jealous!

I once went to Butlins knowing full well it would be overrun by unsavoury, potentially violent types. Like chavs. I lived to tell the tale. Just

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand

Yanbu if it's any of those areas. I know babies and children live in those areas and I wish i could take them away from it.

Having lived in Bangkok through two coups in the early 90s I would say YABU.

We got stuck in Bangkok during a period of huge upheaval - was fine!

I would love to take my kids to Thailand.
Lucky buggers!

I wouldn't take my kids to Thailand. ( And I lived there for a year). Too many health issues.

I wouldn't go - too many British paedophiles doing trip to rape children.

I wouldn't go to any country that had so little regard for child abuse.

yabu - if the FO and the travel companies and airlines are fine with it, then I don't see a problem. in fact I am thinking of taking my you g children there next year.

We have very good Thai friends who live in Thailand and have taken the kids there before. It's a great country for families.

I also lived and worked in Thailand a few years ago.

Coups and political unrest flare up every five years or so, but it's not like the Arab Spring or anything.

I don't think it's entirely fair to suggest boycotting the entire country because of sex tourism. Obviously it's anathema to us that children should be part of the sex industry there, but if you look at what's been happening over here with Operation Yewtree, Britain's hardly squeaky clean is it?

There's so much more to Thailand. It's not some dodgy third world country, it's very progressive, modern, clean and beautiful.

Yes but it's open, and condoned there now in 2014

Raping and abusing children has never been that here

I'm sure you know what it's really like since you have family there but a lot of tourists won't know about the systematic rape of children

Im not suggesting others boycott it - just that I would never go there because of the sex rape industry

I hear what you're saying namechange, but don't you think that depriving somewhere like Thailand from earning a living through "decent", family friendly tourism is even more likely to plunge parts of it into such desperate poverty that children are forced into the sex industry in order to survive?

In my long and radical life I have boycotted Spain, Portugal, Greece . Chile and South Africa. I now wouldn't go to China or Russia. As for Thailand, there are so many reasons for not going there - expressed well ^^. Nowhere's perfect but some places are beyond the pale.

I meant to add YANBU at all

Saucy - no, I don't. Many of the tourist hotels are owned by non-Thai chains and a lot of money doesn't go into the local economy.

The govt condone it by doing nothing, it's the govt I don't support.

There are many countries I wouldn't go to because of their govts, Thailand is the worst for me. A tropical paradise that condones the rape of children

YABU. Thailand is a fabulous country.

YANBU at all - lots of reasons not to go, well articulated above. In my long and radical life I have boycotted Spain, Portugal, Greece, South Africa, Chile for holidays ( and other things) and now wouldn't go to China or Russia. Nowhere is perfect but some places are beyond the civilised pale