Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing, well this is more of a travel news update. I have done some videos here recently, given some updates as best I can based on news sources as to what is going on along the border. It's important to realize that the Thai Cambodian border is pretty far away from most tourism centres here in Thailand, and frankly most urban centres. The Border itself is kind of out in the hinterland if you will. Now it's only a few hours to drive; it's like four hours’ drive from Bangkok on the highway, but it's not up close to any urban centres. If you come to Bangkok, you wouldn't even notice this was happening in the sense that you are not going to hear like mortar fire or something like that off in the distance. That said, you would probably notice it was happening from the mood of the people here. We are pretty down at the moment; we’re not un-unified, and we are not unresolved by any stretch of the imagination, but there have been casualties, and we are all feeling it. 

That said, I thought a travel update was kind of in order just to kind of clear the air as to what is going on and to provide some insight for people who will be traveling in the region. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, pattayamail.com, from the ever erudite Mr. Barry Kenyon, hats off to you sir, a friend of mine down there in Pattaya. The article is titled: Thailand's holiday resorts unaffected by border crisis with Cambodia. Quoting directly: "Although several Governments have issued travel warnings, none has advised against visiting Thailand and Cambodia." Yeah, and that is really a good, that's an important thing to point out that Mr. Kenyon points out. Nobody is advising not to visit the tourism sectors in either country for that matter. Quoting further: "The British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office simply warns travellers not to go within 50 kilometres of the border in the at-risk provinces. The most popular destinations - Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin - are hundreds of miles from the scene of any shootings or panic. Cambodia's main attractions in Phnom Penh and the famous archaeological side of Siem Reap are similarly free from border-related violence." Quoting further: "Travellers intending to visit both Thailand and Cambodia should bear in mind that all land border crossings between the two countries are currently sealed." Yeah, that's a good thing to bring up. I have talked about that in other videos. As a practical matter, the Cambodian border with Thailand is a no-go option for border runs right now. I expect that is going to be the case at least into the immediately foreseeable future. Quoting further: "Although they occasionally open to let through emergency cases, such as the sick or young students, international tourists are banned from crossing. Air schedules between the two countries are reported as normal, but flights are said to be heavily booked. If the ongoing conflict were to get worse, air travel between the protagonists could be compromised in tit-for-tat name calling." Maybe, hard to say. I tend to think, I am hoping this will get resolved, especially I am hoping bilaterally the two countries can just sit down and resolve this and stop the violence. We have seen a lot of people displaced in terms of basically just moving away from the areas where this shelling, these rockets or whatever are being fired, on the Thai side. Not really sure what's going on in the Cambodian side. I know that there have been responses from the Thai Military. Exactly what sort of the fallout from that was on the other side of the border from my perspective is not the easiest thing to see. That being said, I don't think this should take away from any notion that you can travel here; the travel here is fine. I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article by Mr. Kenyon. He brings up at a later point in the article that there are similar warnings regarding the Southern border with Thailand and it doesn't stop anybody from going to places like Phuket when they are coming over here as tourists. So again, that's an important thing to point out is that at least here in Thailand and presumably over in Cambodia, at least the sectors that are predominantly tourism oriented, both of those zones are currently perfectly safe for tourists. Those who are looking to travel out here, there are options still open and foreign countries including for example the British, and to the best of my knowledge the Americans as well, have not issued any warnings against tourists coming to either of these jurisdictions. 

Hopefully this whole matter will get worked out. It sounds like they are currently working toward a ceasefire. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. That being said, the outcome of this situation will mean to be seen. We will certainly be keeping you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.