Travel warning levels upped for Cambodia

Australians have been warned to avoid visiting Battambang (above), Cambodia's second city, and tourism hub Siem Reap, amid ongoing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

The Smart Traveller website published by the Australian Government this week upped its warnings for the south-east Asian nation.

"We’ve reviewed our advice for Cambodia and have raised the overall travel advice level," the website says. "We now advise exercise a high degree of caution overall due to ongoing conflict and its security risks.

"The security situation remains unpredictable. We continue to advise do not travel to areas within 50 kilometres of the Cambodia-Thailand border and reconsider your need to travel within an additional 30 kilometres of that border (and all of Battambang city) due to ongoing armed clashes including military strikes and violence, and the presence of landmines and unexploded ordinance."

Land border crossings between Cambodia and Thailand remain closed.

Tourists are advised to check local and international media for updates, follow the instructions of local authorities and pay close attention to their personal security.

It is advised avoiding the provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, and Koh Kong, "due to ongoing armed clashes including military strikes and violence, and the presence of landmines and unexploded ordinance".

See https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/

Visiting this country? Be very afraid

The US Department of State issues travel advisories for its citizens visiting destinations around the globe.

Its website has several warnings for one particular country that "terrorists have targeted, and could continue to target".

Visitors should "remain vigilant toward their personal security and exercise caution".

They should be "aware that robberies, burglaries, assault, and auto theft are common in larger cities and that foreign visitors in popular tourist areas are targets for pickpockets, purse-snatchers, and petty thieves."

Night-time is particularly dangerous. 

"Be careful when visiting bars or clubs in the entertainment areas of major cities, as “bar brawls” and other assaults sometimes occur. You should watch out for drink spiking when consuming alcohol with unfamiliar people".

Which country are are our trigger happy US "friends and allies" talking about? Australia, of course.

Check out the dangers here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Australia.html

Note: As of March 31, a total of 208 people had been killed and 419 people had been wounded in 125 shootings in the US this year. In Australia there has been one mass killing in 2024, in which seven people died.

Image: Juli Bell, Scop.io 

Tourists warned they could be terror targets

The US wants to be the world's policeman.

But the global arbiter of what is good and evil - and the country that is what war more often than any other - has admitted that its politics put its citizens at increased risk around the globe.

The US State Department this weekend issued a global travel warning for all Americans abroad.

It advised all US nationals around the world to "exercise increased caution because of tensions in various locations around the world".

Increased tensions have the potential for ‘terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against US citizens and interests, it said.

So look out loud, gum-chewing, baseball hats on backwards types. You are easy to spot.

The warning came as a response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and terrorist group Hamas.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said: “We take a number of factors into consideration when making the determination.

“It’s not necessarily any one thing but everything that we’re watching around the world."

Travel advisories for Lebanon and Israel are currently at the highest level, with non-essential government staff and their families are asked to leave, Travel Mole reports.

Global travel warnings are fairly rare but the State Department issued a similar worldwide advisory last year when al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed.

US citizens are advised to "stay alert in locations frequented by tourists".

Australians - whose government has taken a strong pro-Israel stance - have been issued with a similar warning from the government's SmartTraveller app. 

"We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall due to the volatile security situation, including the threat of terrorism, armed conflict and civil unrest," it said over the weekend.

"We continue to advise do not travel to Gaza, border areas with Gaza and border areas with Lebanon closed by Israeli authorities. We now also advise do not travel to the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) due to the volatile security situation.

"The situation is highly challenging and rapidly changing. Australians who want to leave are strongly encouraged to take the first available option. Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport remains open and commercial flights are available."