US Embassy offers to evacuate family of staff in Bangkok, tells American citizens to stay away

BANGKOK – BANGKOK — The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok is offering to evacuate family members of its staff in the volatile Thai capital and has issued a travel warning advising American citizens to stay away.

Embassy spokeswoman Cynthia Brown says the State Department has "authorized the voluntary departure" of relatives of its employees in Bangkok and "will provide financial assistance" for their travel.

Brown says the U.S. also issued a "travel warning advising all citizens to defer travel to Bangkok."

Until Saturday, the U.S. had placed Bangkok under a "travel alert" that advised citizens to defer nonessential travel.