The government only meant to urge travellers to exercise greater caution while travelling in France after its diplomats suffered a number of violent robberies around Paris, the foreign ministry said.

"The advice for Thai travellers 'against non-essential travel to France' was a technical slip-up," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The French foreign ministry has assured Thailand that "the French authorities attach great importance to this matter and will take necessary measures to ensure the safety of Thai tourists in Paris," it said.

The ministry continues to urge Thais traveling in France to take greater precautions against crime by keeping their personal possessions with them at all times and avoiding traveling alone.

On Wednesday, Thai Foreign Ministry cautioned Thai citizens to consider postponing or cancelling travelling to France particularly this period because of the threat of crime.

The ministry issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday which said that several robberies or thefts had occurred involving cars belonging to the Thai Embassy in Paris.

"In the past month, at least four robberies occurred to embassy cars and we would like to warn Thais who plan to travel to France to increase their safety measures or consider postponing or canceling travel to France in the summer which would be crowded with tourists and possibly criminals," read the statement.

A thief broke the window of an embassy car in which the Thai commercial attache was traveling when it had stopped at the intersection of a busy road. The diplomat was slightly injured when he resisted the thief, who attempted to snatch his bag, it added. The thief is still at large.

The Nation and Agence France Presse