On behalf of the ambassador, HM Consul Layla Slatter noted that Britons usually joined the ubiquitous waterfights which mark the festival but should keep their belongings safe. She continued by saying that valuables could be put into waterproof pouches for safekeeping.
The consul said roads are wet and also busy with traffic and accidents are prevalent during Songkran. She said the embassy advised its compatriots to exercise caution when using roads and to pay attention to what was happening around them.
The statement also explained what the embassy could and could not do for UK nationals in Thailand. Issuing an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) was at the top of the list of what consular staff could do. A few months ago, the embassy issued a warning saying that Brits in Southeast Asia needed to be more careful with their passports.
The embassy said then that more than 40 per cent of the 40,000 ETDs issued worldwide were in Southeast Asia. Public transport is exceptionally busy in the build-up to the start of Songkran on Wednesday and people planning on travelling are better off pre-booking their tickets for travel with 12GO ASIA.
Bangkok UK embassy issues advisory for Songkran Festival
News in Asia
The British Embassy in Bangkok has issued a travel advisory specifically for this week’s Songkran Festival. The statement said that while the annual festival is typically a time for fun there are a few things that visiting Britons need to keep in mind when joining the festivities.