Thailand Tourism Chief Believes Deadly Clashes Will Not Significantly Affect Tourism

Thailand Tourism Situation Worsens

The head of Thailand's tourism promotion authority has predicted the bloody and violent clashes between police and ant-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters last Monday (Oct. 7, 2008) will have an insignificant effect on the country's tourism.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Phornsiri Manoharn said the clashes happened only in limited areas near Government House, the PAD's stronghold, with the affected area spanning only three square kilometres, leaving other areas of Bangkok unaffected.

While Ms Phornsiri said the TAT had yet to estimate the impact on the incoming high season, she pledged to closely monitor the situation.

She said that in the wake of the latest violent clashes she had called an urgent meeting of all deputies and senior officials to assess the situation and to immediately explain the clashes to the TAT's 22 overseas offices.

Ms Phornsiri's assessment is in direct contrast to that of other Thailand tourism chiefs, who have all but written off the coming peak season.

Porntip Hirunkate, secretary-general of the Tourism Council of Thailand, predicted the bloody clashes would result in losses of at least 10 billion baht (about $US 290.4 million) in tourism revenue in the remaining three months of this year alone.

Similar views were echoed by Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thailand Travel Agents, who said, "don't ask me about the country's image. It's gone already in the eyes of foreigners.

"What I can do now is pray the situation will improve as soon as possible."

Natwut Amornvivat, president of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said the violence would hurt the meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (Mice) market and that TCEB may reduce its Mice target of 1.2 million visitors next year due to the global recession and political turmoil.

"The Asian market, which accounts for 80 per cent of total Mice visitors in Thailand, will easily panic" he said.