DFA lifts travel advisory to Thailand

As the floods there have already receded, the Philippine government on Wednesday lifted the non-essential travel advisory to Bangkok, Thailand.   The Department of Foreign Affairs issued an advisory saying Filipino nationals "may now undertake travels to Bangkok." On October 28 last year, the DFA urged travelers should reconsider travel plans especially if their trip is “non-essential" due to the flooding there   “The extent of the flooding situation in Bangkok is changing very rapidly. No one is certain what would happen between today and November 1, when the flooding is expected to peak due to the high tides and the large volume of water flowing from the northern provinces through the Chao Phraya river, which is now traversing Bangkok itself," the DFA quoted the embassy as saying, in a news release posted early Oct. 29 on its website.   At the time, it said top officials in Thailand have asked residents to move their belongings to higher ground in preparation for possible flooding.   However, on a news release on its website on Wednesday, the DFA said: "According to the Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC), the floods have now mostly receded and the government started to downsize the FROC on December 08," it said in a news release on its website.   It added that Central Bangkok remains dry and all popular tourist attractions and areas are mainly unaffected by the flood. - VVP, GMA News