we're going to Thailand on Nov.17, do you think it'll be safe there or we should cancel our tickets?

[C.A.]

I'm in Bangkok right now. Despite the fact that the flooding has been terrible for people in many parts of Thailand, most of the places you will go as a first time tourist aren't affected. You probably won't arrive until the 18th or 19th, and by then much of the water should have receded.

The old section of Bangok around the Grand Palace should be fine by then. The major shopping and hotel area for tourists in Bangkok have not been heavily impacted, if they have been impacted at all. Ayuttaya, the old capital about an hour north of Bangkok, will still have many problems because it was so heavily flooded, so you may want to skip that. Chaing Mai and Phuket are fine.

If you're American and want to be super safe, go to travel.state.gov just before you leave to check out the latest travel advisory. If you're British, try http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-livi.../thailand.

The travel advisories from the US State Department andBritish Foreign Office are always extremely conservative.

The rainy season will be over by then and you should have a great trip.