Airports Reopen: Foreign Travellers Could Drop 40%

[george]

Airports reopen: Foreign travellers could drop 40%

BANGKOK: -- The number of tourists travelling by foreign airlines to Thailand may decline as much as 40 per cent following the recent shut down of Suvarnabhumi international airport by anti-government protesters, a senior airline official said on Thursday.

Airline Operators Committee (AOC) chairman Chaiwat Wararaj said the illegal shut down of the airport, east of Bangkok in the neighbouring province of Samut Prakan, from November 25 and ended on December 3 could negatively impact foreign airlines flying to Thailand as their travellers may fall to approximately 40 per cent.

Worse still, some foreign airlines may switch their operations from Suvarnabhumi to airports in other countries out of worry over Thailand's present political unrest, Mr. Chaiwat said.

PAD protesters vacated the airport Wednesday, one day after the Constitution Court ordered the dissolution of three political parties, including the ruling People Power Party led by then prime minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Senior executives of the three parties, including Mr. Somchai, are banned from political activities for five consecutive years.

Some international airlines may reduce their flight frequencies to Thailand and if the number of passengers declines heavily, they may move their operational base to other airports in this region, said Mr. Chaiwat.

If this takes place, he said, the kingdom's earnings from tourism will drop significantly and many airlines' employees will become jobless, he said.

The AOC suggested that armed security guards should be posted at Suvarnabhumi international airport to prevent the seizure by protesters in the future, he said.

The AOC represents more than 65 airlines and associated bodies.

-- TNA 2008-12-04

[dumball]

In the first part it says "could drop BY 40% "

In the second part it says " could be 40% of "

Now which is it ? Is this on top of the 30% already lost , or is it a further 40% off of the remainder or is it in total ?

Confusion reigneth yet again .

[Fore Man]

Airports reopen: Foreign travellers could drop 40%

BANGKOK: -- The number of tourists travelling by foreign airlines to Thailand may decline as much as 40 per cent following the recent shut down of Suvarnabhumi international airport by anti-government protesters, a senior airline official said on Thursday.

<snip>

The AOC suggested that armed security guards should be posted at Suvarnabhumi international airport to prevent the seizure by protesters in the future, he said.

-- TNA 2008-12-04

The issue still remains: will 'armed security guards' be willing to use force against women, elders and children if they approach the airport to mount a protest? This is at the very heart of the matter and authorities well higher than the AOT must make tough decisions on how to staff and deploy such a force...and what their explicit rules of engagement are to be. As Thai see unwilling to harm its fellow citizens bent on fomenting trouble, male, female; young and old alike, the best alternative may be a mercenary force without the fear of stopping an illegal act before it blows over into a major international embarrassment and the loss of hundrdeds of thousands of jobs. As this hiring of a non-Thai security force is extremely unlikely (Ghurkas come to mind), the problem is bound to recur at some point in time. A nasty precedent has now been set and only an equally nasty reaction will thwart it in the future. I am definitely not an advocate for violence and shudder at the very ideas I have ideated...but as Teddy Roosevelt once said "Speak softly but carry a big stick". You can't have it both ways Thailand.

[ratcatcher]

It seems the TAT, AOT and several other organisations are ready to blame PAD for the drop in tourist arrivals.

I am sure they have heard there is a recession happening in the rest of the world and people are curtailing their holiday plans until the economy starts to recover. Nothing surprising in that surely?

Certainly the closure of the airports by PAD sent a bad signal to many people, but given time and a recovery in the economies of the major countries, the tourists will surely return.

Thailand is still a friendly country albeit with a few major problems at the moment and with good guidance will recover from this in due course.

The strong baht is not helping either. Time for some adjustment?

[britmaveric]

Riot police - drag them away. They resist and put the police in danger then the club comes out. Not very hard - first few people who get clubbed will deter others from doing so. If you know their is no consequence to what you do then this just emboldens these lot.

[Journalist]

Certainly the closure of the airports by PAD sent a bad signal to many people, but given time and a recovery in the economies of the major countries, the tourists will surely return.

No, the problem visitors have now is that they can book an air ticket, and there's no guarantee that on the day of their inbound flight to Thailand that some group of folk in colourful shirts won't be back there to futz up the airport - uninterrupted by an indolent Police. And in that case your holiday is screwed and your insurer will tell you to go jump in the lake.

There's lots and lots of alternative destinations, its a big ask to expect putative holidaymakers to roll the dice on their vacation when sun sea and sand are available elsewhere too.

[dumball]

It seems the TAT, AOT and several other organisations are ready to blame PAD for the drop in tourist arrivals.

I am sure they have heard there is a recession happening in the rest of the world and people are curtailing their holiday plans until the economy starts to recover. Nothing surprising in that surely?

Certainly the closure of the airports by PAD sent a bad signal to many people, but given time and a recovery in the economies of the major countries, the tourists will surely return.

Thailand is still a friendly country albeit with a few major problems at the moment and with good guidance will recover from this in due course.

The strong baht is not helping either. Time for some adjustment?

Thou bemusith me sire , there cometh a tyme when all man must equate his foibles and fallacies .

[Ulysses G.]

It seems the TAT, AOT and several other organisations are ready to blame PAD for the drop in tourist arrivals.

PAD had a very negative effect on tourism and deserve lots of blame for getting rid of the tourists who decided to come here despite other negative factors. Shame on them!

[fongvin]

I think it's very late in the day for "AOT to suggest arming security guards", to do this in a International Airport environment is not practical whatsoever.

They SHOULD have trained armed police officers like other International Airports, and have factored this into Suvarnabhumi's initial plans, long before it was even built.

Edited December 4, 2008 by fongvin

[Maverell]

There's lots and lots of alternative destinations, its a big ask to expect putative holidaymakers to roll the dice on their vacation when sun sea and sand are available elsewhere too.

Correct ! There are many other destinations with similar beaches, climate, girls ( if you want them ) and fun. Thailand has not got a monopoly, i say this even though I live here ( at the moment ) !

With an unstable political situation, ever changing visa rules or interpretation of those rules, a strong baht, a weak pound / euro, 145 baht a beer in soi cowboy the incentives to stay are disappearing by the minute...

[BigSnake]

40 percent might be a bit high either way it is time to pay the Piper, I have two relatives and nine friends that have cancle their plans to visit the land of smiles for now. My guess is over the next year or so they as well as many other will regroup and visit Thaland, if all remind on the quite side. As one U.S. tourist put it she came to visit old Thai friends from her Peace Corp days, not to become a Pawn in a Political Battle, as put it her and most of her Aussie friends felt safe however stuck at an airport is bad News and will leave a bad memory.

[samgrowth]

Riot police - drag them away. They resist and put the police in danger then the club comes out. Not very hard - first few people who get clubbed will deter others from doing so. If you know their is no consequence to what you do then this just emboldens these lot.

I am quite sure, in this case, the riot police will be the one that get clubed. Not the protesters. They out numbered the police 100 to 1.

[dumball]

Should you be reffering to the BIB , i can agree with you , but a well trained sqad of riot police with appropriat equipment for the job would be a whole new kettle of fish . The Bib do not even have the balls for the job , just lots of reasons why they could not , such as , can't hurt my neighbour , we are buddhists etc .

[animatic]

Riot police - drag them away. They resist and put the police in danger then the club comes out. Not very hard - first few people who get clubbed will deter others from doing so. If you know their is no consequence to what you do then this just emboldens these lot.

This is a reasonable approach to preventing a take over.

Minimal force to do the job,

not punative force to make a statement.

[animatic]

Riot police - drag them away. They resist and put the police in danger then the club comes out. Not very hard - first few people who get clubbed will deter others from doing so. If you know their is no consequence to what you do then this just emboldens these lot.

I am quite sure, in this case, the riot police will be the one that get clubed. Not the protesters. They out numbered the police 100 to 1.

Well that was an utter failing of Police Leadership.

They had plenty of time and enough forces to intimidate

without causing chaos by being too small and challengable.

[PanzerJohn]

I think one problem for tourists will be getting travel insurance, most companies will not cover Thailand whilst government travel warnings are in place. Whilst that may not deter the single traveller so much ,families will be unlikely to take the risk. So, there goes ToT's "quality" tourist.

[WAERTH]

I think it's very late in the day for "AOT to suggest arming security guards", to do this in a International Airport environment is not practical whatsoever.

They SHOULD have trained armed police officers like other International Airports, and have factored this into Suvarnabhumi's initial plans, long before it was even built.

Ermmm why is it not practical. When I came back to Thailand through Amsterdam Schiphol airport I noticed that Schiphol is patrolled by many Marechaussee (an army police branch) carrying big guns with their fingers near the trigger. If they can do this at Schiphol why can't they do it at Suvarnabhumi. And these guys are patrolling all of the building both airside and landside.

[tso310]

I think it's very late in the day for "AOT to suggest arming security guards", to do this in a International Airport environment is not practical whatsoever.

They SHOULD have trained armed police officers like other International Airports, and have factored this into Suvarnabhumi's initial plans, long before it was even built.

Ermmm why is it not practical. When I came back to Thailand through Amsterdam Schiphol airport I noticed that Schiphol is patrolled by many Marechaussee (an army police branch) carrying big guns with their fingers near the trigger. If they can do this at Schiphol why can't they do it at Suvarnabhumi. And these guys are patrolling all of the building both airside and landside.

Armed police have patrolled openly in Heathrow Terminal 3 for more years than I can remember.

[dotcom]

Utter farce.

[fongvin]

I think it's very late in the day for "AOT to suggest arming security guards", to do this in a International Airport environment is not practical whatsoever.

They SHOULD have trained armed police officers like other International Airports, and have factored this into Suvarnabhumi's initial plans, long before it was even built.

Ermmm why is it not practical. When I came back to Thailand through Amsterdam Schiphol airport I noticed that Schiphol is patrolled by many Marechaussee (an army police branch) carrying big guns with their fingers near the trigger. If they can do this at Schiphol why can't they do it at Suvarnabhumi. And these guys are patrolling all of the building both airside and landside.

Armed police have patrolled openly in Heathrow Terminal 3 for more years than I can remember.

I agree with these two quotes, and aware that Schiphol & LHR have trained armed police & military attachments, as with many other International Airports. But since the launch of Suvarnabhumi Airport the security has always been private sector, would you trust these people with firearms, because thats what AOT seems to be suggesting.

Edited December 4, 2008 by fongvin

[DarloKnight]

Well I'm returning to Thailand in January with my family and my inlaws are going next week for a month, the trouble does not put me off returning, the only thing that would stop me is the economic pinch in the UK!! I can't wait to return

[ozfarang81]

armed police patrol changi also, with big looking rifles

[Robski]

It seems the TAT, AOT and several other organisations are ready to blame PAD for the drop in tourist arrivals.

I am sure they have heard there is a recession happening in the rest of the world and people are curtailing their holiday plans until the economy starts to recover. Nothing surprising in that surely?

Certainly the closure of the airports by PAD sent a bad signal to many people, but given time and a recovery in the economies of the major countries, the tourists will surely return.

Thailand is still a friendly country albeit with a few major problems at the moment and with good guidance will recover from this in due course.

The strong baht is not helping either. Time for some adjustment?

The bubble has already burst... for most people.

[chinthee]

We'll see who has the balls to return to Thailand. In Phuket, so far, it appears Ozzies are the most fearless.

[WISteve]

Seems we are not the only ones who think it's time to tighten things up a bit at Swampy:

Foreign envoys demand boosting of Thai airport security after protests

Foreign ambassadors urged Thailand Thursday to boost security at airports to prevent repeating of seizures of Bangkok airports which left hundreds of thousands of tourists stranded.

The ambassadors of the United States, European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand also called on all sides in Thailand's political crisis not to threaten airport operations again.

In a joint statement, the envoys welcomed the end of an blockade but said it was "most regrettable and highly inappropriate" that protesters had been able to seize Suvarnabhumi international and Don Mueang airports.

The Nation Breaking News

`````````````````````````

I remember the first time I traveled to Europe in the early 1980's and saw the German soldiers with machine guns in the Frankfurt Airport. It was rather chilling at the time to be honest, and they had just had a bomb go off near the El-Al ticket counter months before that so there weren't any smiles on those young faces.

If the TAT is serious about bringing the tourists back they need to act promptly, training a professional security force for both inside and outside the airport. Sleepy, middle-aged guards snoozing in the corner aren't going to cut it. Whether it is domestic politics or international terrorists, the Thai are certainly capable of training a formidable force tasked with protecting the airport property. The question is: do they have the will and initiative to do it?

~WISteve

[chuck6660]

Sounds like a business opportunity for my freinds at Blackwater Security! Now that would be interesting!!

[Danton]

Utter farce.

Really .

Take off your yellow blindfolds and ask yourself why did TG just announce dramatic capacity cutbacks on most of its european and asian routes???

But you think you know better .

[animatic]

I think it's very late in the day for "AOT to suggest arming security guards", to do this in a International Airport environment is not practical whatsoever.

They SHOULD have trained armed police officers like other International Airports, and have factored this into Suvarnabhumi's initial plans, long before it was even built.

Ermmm why is it not practical. When I came back to Thailand through Amsterdam Schiphol airport I noticed that Schiphol is patrolled by many Marechaussee (an army police branch) carrying big guns with their fingers near the trigger. If they can do this at Schiphol why can't they do it at Suvarnabhumi. And these guys are patrolling all of the building both airside and landside.

Armed police have patrolled openly in Heathrow Terminal 3 for more years than I can remember.

I remember seeing serious army machine gunners on a German airport back in 1973.

Flew in to ski in Innsbruck and getting off the plane in Germany was enlightening.

Been though Schiphol more recently and there was less obvious presence,

still there though, but then again the Red Army Faction was not active at that time.

Probably time to move from rentacops to real security...

Edited December 5, 2008 by animatic

[KireB]

Utter farce.

Really .

Take off your yellow blindfolds and ask yourself why did TG just announce dramatic capacity cutbacks on most of its european and asian routes???

But you think you know better .

People dont decide overnight to come to Thailand. Most people plan their holidays months ahead.

Drops in arrivals are the result of holiday decisions made montsh ago!

If PAD has any influence, which is doubtful, it will be noticed next year and not now.

[dude123]

Certainly the closure of the airports by PAD sent a bad signal to many people, but given time and a recovery in the economies of the major countries, the tourists will surely return.

No, the problem visitors have now is that they can book an air ticket, and there's no guarantee that on the day of their inbound flight to Thailand that some group of folk in colourful shirts won't be back there to futz up the airport - uninterrupted by an indolent Police. And in that case your holiday is screwed and your insurer will tell you to go jump in the lake.

There's lots and lots of alternative destinations, its a big ask to expect putative holidaymakers to roll the dice on their vacation when sun sea and sand are available elsewhere too.

So true. My family and friends have all canceled our vacation plans for Thailand for the next couple of years and have decided on Australia as the alternative. Together, that would be 10 of us from one circle of friends. 10x10x10.... well, everyone gets the idea.Thailand is a beautiful country with many lovely people, but it seems like a waist of time right now to gamble on it.

Edited December 5, 2008 by dude123