Tourism group urges govt to end state of emergency
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 24 – The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) called on the caretaker government to revoke the Emergency Decree which, it said, has negatively impacted domestic tourism and compelled many countries to warn their people against visiting the kingdom.

TCT president Piyamarn Techapaibul said today’s TCT meeting agreed that the government should urgently nullify the decree which has prompted many countries to elevate their warnings from 2-3 to the highest 4-5 level.

The decree, in effect for 60 days starting yesterday, has led foreigners to feel unsafe if they visit Thailand and countries as well as territories like Hong Kong, US, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Russia and Taiwan have upgraded warnings, she said.

She said revenue loss from tourism is estimated at Bt50 billion in the first quarter when 1.1 million from the total 6.5 million tourists will not arrive, representing a 14 per cent decrease year-on-year.

Tourists started delaying their decisions to visit Thailand for fear of safety and booking for the second quarter has dropped by about 700,000 people, or a revenue loss of Bt32 billion.

Revenue loss in the first two quarters will possibly reach Bt82 billion, she said, adding that the Asian market is the most volatile.

Most affected are Bangkok and neighbouring attractions including Pattaya, Hua Hin, Cha-am and Kanchanaburi while further provinces like Chiang Mai and Phuket enjoyed 15 per cent growth.

The two conflicting factions – the government and the People’s Democratic Reform Committee – should negotiate to end the conflicts as soon as possible, she said.

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said travel agencies have tried hard to convince tourists to switch to other destinations within Thailand instead of cancelling their trips to the country but the invocation of the Emergency Decree has shaken tourists’ confidence towards the country’s safety.

A state of emergency is virtually a curfew in the eyes of foreign tourists, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-01-24

No doubt the state of emergency is bad for the Bangkok tourism industry but so are the protests

so you may as well get the interim government to end those as well. Funny enough my 80 year

old mother and her sisters who are here on a visit plan to go to Bangkok to see the sights next

week. They seem totally unperturbed.

What does the one on the right hand side of the picture holding in his hands?

The government should have stated in the Emergency Decree that foreigners will not be worried as they are exempted

to the decree

There was no reason whatsoever to impose the state of emergenycy. The police are toothless. Soon as they try to fight the protesters the army will enter the arena. So the extra rights police are given with the SOE are meaningless.

Chalerm wants to focus on arresting the protest leaders. Read Suthep. That will not be possible. Then Chalerm perhaps will try to have Suthep assassinated. That can happen. It will not disturb the process of kicking out the shinamaffia. We will see them running tails between legs.

Chalerm, Jutaporn and their co-criminals will not be safe anymore.

Maybe they should just tell The protesters to go home.

Then cancel the election because that's a booze free day. Any other red days coming up?