Thailand’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has disregarded advice from foreign embassies warning travelers of possible political unrest during the vote on Sunday.
NCPO Spokesman Piyapong Klinphan responded by calling the warning misinformed and said the information that led to it has been incorrectly distorted by certain parties.
“If the situation turns out differently, the embassies that issued these warnings may appear less credible,” he told the Bangkok Post.
Since last month, seven countries have warned their citizens to be careful while traveling in Thailand and to avoid political gatherings. The United States also said in their Wednesday announcement: “Individuals including foreigners may be detained for publicly criticizing the National Council for Peace and Order.”
The United Kingdom also warned its citizens about restrictions on freedom of expression and told them to observe local laws at all times.
Other countries that issued warnings were Canada, Finland, Denmark, Japan and Myanmar.
Piyapong insisted the government is in control of the situation and that there has been no sign of political disorder. On the poll day, 200,000 police officers will be deployed all around the country to ensure the vote occurs peacefully.
“Thailand is actually much safer than many Western countries,” Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told the Bangkok Post. “Thailand is a peaceful country. People live here with peace of mind, but some countries may not realize this fact.”
Related:
U.S. warns its citizens traveling to Thailand about referendum vote
UK issues travel warning to their citizens ahead of referendum vote in Thailand
