Cost Of Hat Yai Hotel Attack Put At Bt1.5 Bn To Bt2.6 Bn

Cost of Hat Yai hotel attack put at Bt1.5 bn to Bt2.6 bn

The Nation

HAT YAI: - The economic impact of the Songkran attack on a hotel in Songkhla's Hat Yai district has been estimated at Bt1.5 billion, provided business recovers in the next three months, but could amount to Bt2.6 billion if the recovery period turns out to be six months.

Still, the province's overall economy remains strong, given that the hotel sector contributes only 7.8 per cent, said Pruettipong Srimachand, senior director at the Bank of Thailand's Southern Regional Office. The agricultural sector accounts for 31.9 per cent and manufacturing 12.7 per cent.

The regional office also reported that the Southern economy witnessed decelerating growth in the first quarter of this year, mainly on lower output of para rubber and palm oil. Travel warnings from a number of countries based on terrorism threats in the deep South, as well as the economic crisis in Europe, resulted in a drop in tourist arrivals.

Pruettipong expected the agricultural and manufacturing sectors to stage recoveries in the second quarter, thanks to persistently high prices of para rubber and palm oil. This will spur consumption, particularly property purchases, the director said, adding that Hat Yai was a new centre of development.

Compensation worth Bt16 million has been paid out to owners of vehicles and motorcycles damaged or destroyed in the March car-bomb attack on the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hat Yai district.

The money was given to owners of 24 vehicles and 46 motorcycles in three payments, Hat Yai district chief Seri Phanichkul said. Officials are waiting for a damage report from the provincial motor-vehicle office to determine how much should be paid to the foreign owners of large motorcycles damaged in the blast.

Owners of 131 shops are expected to request Bt39 million; Bt31 million has been earmarked pending final approval. The damage evaluation for the hotel itself is underway, Seri said.

Meanwhile, colleagues yesterday mourned four officials killed in an insurgent ambush in tambon Thung Khla in Pattani on Thursday. Sai Buri district chief Kraisorn Wisitwong offered condolences and tributes to the victims, two of whom were women.

Speaking at a news conference, Kraisorn said Suphaphorn Charoensuk was shot dead not long after her husband, making orphans of their two children, while kamnan Sangworn Suwannarat was a well-liked official who had encouraged strong ties among the three Buddhist and two Muslim communities in the area.

Kraisorn said security-camera footage showed the insurgents' vehicle suddenly emerging from behind a bend in a road, causing traffic to slow, before the attackers opened fire on the victims' vehicle, which sped up after the victims were shot, prompting the gunmen to fire into the victims' bodies.

He said the attack appeared to be well planned, based on leaked information. The fact that the victims were carrying Bt300,000 in payroll funds, which were stolen in the attack, was supposed to have been confidential, he said.

What hurt him most, Kraisorn said, was that the four victims had met with him shortly before leaving.

"The loss of their lives has caused great sorrow and had a big impact on the local population," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-05-05