Australia shuts embassy in Thailand

Australia's embassy in Thailand has closed its doors and foreigners have been told
to consider evacuating parts of Bangkok as violent clashes escalate.
Three Australians have been injured during the conflict, which has claimed at least
37 lives. The three were hurt in March and April.
The embassy in Bangkok was closed to visitors on Monday following heated protests on
the street outside.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) continues to warn Australians to
reconsider their need to visit Thailand. The United States and some other countries
have told their citizens not to visit Bangkok under any circumstances.
Australians living in the main protest area of Bangkok have been warned to "consider
leaving if it is safe to do so". Some DFAT staff have been offered a safer place to
stay.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith called on the Thai government and "Red Shirt" protest
leaders to negotiate.
"Can I again urge constraint on the part of all parties," Mr Smith told reporters in
Perth.
"We re-urge all parties to resume and continue negotiations."
Andrew Walker, an expert in Thai politics at the Australian National University,
called on Australia to play an active role in pushing for peace.
He said Australia had an interest in promoting solid democracies in the Asia-Pacific
and saw itself as a key player in the region.
"Thailand at the moment is not a good advertisement for democracy," Dr Walker told AAP.
"There's a role for Australia ... in using every diplomatic channel they can to
encourage parties to come to some sort of a ceasefire and reconciliation."
Dr Walker warned that while the riots were largely confined to Bangkok, the trouble
could spread to the country's north, including the tourist spot of Chiang Mai.
About 600,000 Australians visit Thailand each year; a small number are reported to
have become caught up in the protests, while others have postponed their holidays or
diverted from Bangkok.
According to media reports, a dozen Australians who were trapped in a hotel in
Bangkok's protest zone have left the city.
A spokesman for the Royal Thai embassy in Canberra was concerned the violence could
deter tourists.
"Of course, incidents like this are not good for tourists ... it's understandable,"
he told AAP.
The embassy has told tourists who have rung in that it's up to them to decide if
they should go ahead with their trips.
A spokesman for travel company Flight Centre said many Australians were pressing
ahead with Thai holidays although some were delaying their trips. In the medium
term, tourists might opt for Fiji or Bali instead.
Robert Taylor, national president of the Australian Thailand Business Council, said
businesses were looking beyond the country's political troubles.
Many businesses were located in industrial zones away from the protests, Mr Taylor
said.