Integrity Legal

Please be advised that the following was posted on the official website of the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand:

Updated Warden Message: Curfew Extended, Embassy to Reopen on May 25

(May 23, 2010) This warden message alerts U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Thailand that the Royal Thai Government through the Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has announced that it will impose a shortened curfew for at least one more day and will evaluate the need to extend the curfew on a day-to-day basis.  To find out if the Royal Thai Government has extended the curfew, please refer to local media and our website.  We will not send out another email warden message solely regarding the curfew, but will update this message on our website.

The curfew is in place tonight, Sunday, May 23 from 11:00pm to 5:00am.  This curfew applies to the Bangkok metropolitan area and to the Thai provinces listed below.  Royal Thai Government officials may change this list after this Warden Message is sent out, so please refer to media or local officials for the latest information.  Reports indicate that troops have authority to shoot on sight in response to acts of inciting unrest.  American citizens should maintain a low profile and refrain from nighttime outside activity until the situation improves.

If you will be flying out of Bangkok in the next several days, we recommend that you leave for the airport well in advance of the curfew hours.  If you are arriving at a Bangkok airport during curfew hours, we recommend that you stay at the airport until after curfew hours.  Reports indicate that Airports of Thailand (AOT) may coordinate transportation for passengers from Suvarnabhumi Airport to a few central locations in Bangkok during curfew hours.  However, they are evaluating providing this service on a day-to-day basis.  Passengers may not be able to find any transportation from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok during curfew hours and may need to wait until after curfew hours to go to Bangkok.

The U.S. Embassy, including visa operations, will be closed Monday, May 24.  We will reopen all operations, including all consular services, on Tuesday, May 25.  On Monday, May 24, American Citizen Services (ACS) will be at our temporary location at the Westin Grand Sukhumvit.  Please see details in our recent announcement. ACS is also available by phone at 02-205-4049.  For after-hours emergencies, please call 02-205-4000.

A curfew from 11:00pm to 5:00am has been declared in the following provinces:

·       Ayuthaya

·       Bangkok metropolitan area

·       Chaiyaphum

·       Chiang Mai

·       Chiang Rai

·       Chonburi

·       Kalasin

·       Khon Kaen

·       Lampang

·       Mahasarakham

·       Mukdaharn

·       Nakhon Pathom

·       Nakhon Ratchasima

·       Nakhon Sawan

·       Nan

·       Nong Bua Lamphu

·       Nonthaburi

·       Pathum Thani

·       Roi Et

·       Sakon Nakhon

·       Samut Prakarn

·       Sisaket

·       Ubon Ratchathani

·       Udon Thani

U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence with little or no warning.  U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas that may be targeted for demonstrations and to exercise caution in their movements around Bangkok.

Since May 15, 2010, the Department of State has advised U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Bangkok and all non-essential travel to the rest of Thailand.  You should review the Department’s most recent Travel Warning for Thailand.

The Department strongly encourages U.S. citizens in Thailand to register with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok or through the State Department’s travel registration website. For information on general crime and security issues, U.S. citizens may also consult the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Thailand and the Worldwide Caution, located at the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website.  U.S. citizens may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada, or 202-501-4444 from overseas.

The American Citizen Services section of the U.S. Embassy Bangkok is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.  The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049 and by e-mail at [email protected].  The emergency after-hours telephone number is 66-2-205-4000.

Please note that the Embassy is scheduled to resume normal operations on Tuesday May 25th. That being said, routine follow-up matters for the Immigrant Visa Unit can only be dealt with on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Therefore, document remittances in response to 221g refusals for travel documents such as the K1 visa or the CR1 Visa will likely only be accepted on Wednesday May 26, 2010.

For more information about recent Post closures in Bangkok please see: US Embassy. For information about attorney assistance with American Immigration matters please see: US Visa Thailand.

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