Bomb ripples reach Cambodia

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, 3 September 2015: Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism says international tourist arrivals to the country, via Thailand’s border checkpoints, declined after the deadly bomb attack at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine, 17 August.

Posted on the tourism ministry website, Monday, Tourism Minister Thong Khon updated local media on the impact of the bomb explosion in Bangkok.

“Around 40% of tourists entering Cambodia travel via Thailand, by air or overland. During the course of the present turmoil in Thailand, linked to the bomb explosion in Bangkok, there has been a remarkable drop.”

He added: “According to statistics from overland international border checkpoints, international tourist entering Cambodia from Thailand decreased around 10%. There are nine flights per day from Bangkok to Siem Reap; and about seven flights per day from Bangkok to Phnom Penh and on every flight traffic has dropped.”

He noted travel via other gateway destinations such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Korea remained steady. The only problem we face is with Thailand.

The ministry reported that during the first seven months of the year the country attracted 2.6 million international travellers up 5% over the same period last year.

Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports said, last week, that tourist arrivals declined 7% due to the bombing.

Comparisons are made with August 2014, which was a poor month due to the impact of the May 2014 military coup and a dip in travel from European markets due to an economic downturn.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul is confident that Thailand tourism industry will still stay on track to achieve 28.8 million visits and generate THB2.2 trillion by year end.

Last year, Thailand attracted 24.80 million visits down 6.54% from 26.54 in 2013. Tourism revenue generated THB1.17 trillion, last year, a decline of 2.85% from THB1.20 trillion in 2013. The May 2014 military coup was blamed for the poor performance in 2014.

For full Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism on Bangkok explosion press release visit http://www.tourismcambodia.org/news/index.php?view=detail&nw=221#comp.

read more: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2015/09/bomb-ripples-reach-cambodia/

[zaphod reborn]

And Cambodia's tourism should suffer. The evidence is that ISIL was smuggling Uighur and other militants through Cambodia and crossing into Thailand at the Poipet-Aranyaprathet border. Immigration, police and other government officials from both countries either failed to do their duties, or received payments from ISIL to allow the human smuggling operation to flourish. Now that the border has been made a little less porous, the militants that remain in both countries are a danger to all who live there or visit.

[trigpoint]

this no surprise as western tourists who come to Thailand then on to Cambodia are down.

[ToddinChonburi]

We better wait for the spin from Thailand to say once again, Tourism Not Affected,

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

oh I see, there is a terrorist bombing in Thailand. Thailand's tourism dept. says that will not hurt Thailand's tourism industry but are happy to admit that Cambodia's tourism is down? TAT you have done it again!!!

[Ulic]

So... Nothing to do with the reports of increased crime rates against tourists along the coast.

Phuket is experiencing higher tourism rates as people leave Bangkok.

[kiwikeith]

Uighur's and trafficing gangs are on alert now as the expulsion of alleged corupt border police immigration officers has them worried.

[ggt]

I heard that the rumor that Thailand would be taking over Cambodia's tourism caused the decline in tourist entering Cambodia from Thailand...

[Kannikapor88]

“Around 40% of tourists entering Cambodia travel via Thailand, by air or overland. During the course of the present turmoil in Thailand, linked to the bomb explosion in Bangkok, there has been a remarkable drop.”

So who are we to believe : Cambodia saying they have a remarkable drop from Thailand or TAT saying bomb dont have any effect ... Lets see ... who is always coming with their utopia dream arrival numbers and fake propaganda

No doubt Cambodia speak the truth and the liars are as usual ... yes you guessed it

[cookee68]

oh I see, there is a terrorist bombing in Thailand. Thailand's tourism dept. says that will not hurt Thailand's tourism industry but are happy to admit that Cambodia's tourism is down? TAT you have done it again!!!

They always do, they are full of shit