Bloody Protests In Bangkok
Thai tourism Industry may have lost more than one billion US dollars
The tourism sector has lost more than 35 billion baht (more than 1 billion US dollars) due to the intensifying mass anti-government rally and the bloody confrontations on Saturday between red-shirt protesters and security forces.
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), which made the tourism claim, also predicted the violence could take one per cent from the 2010 gross domestic product.
"Tourism and service businesses, restaurants, souvenir shops and shopping malls near the rally sites [at Ratchaprasong intersection and Phan Fa bridge] are all affected and could lose over 35 billion baht in total," FTI deputy chairman Thanit Sorat said on Sunday.
He said the GDP could drop a per cent from the government's forecast. The government predicted that the country's economy would expand by four to five per cent this year.
"More people from the middle class and businessmen would likely side with the red-shirt protesters after there were many casualties following the violent crowd dispersal yesterday," Mr Thanit said.
He said the loss of lives, regardless of any political colours, would cause difficulties for the government in dealing with the demonstrators.
He said a House dissolution proposal did not seem to be an appropriate solution at first but it could now be the answer.
"This is the time for the junior coalition parties to make a decision whether they will leave or remain with the Democrat-led government because everyone in the country is looking at them right now," he said.
He said the political violence had obliterated the country's investment atmosphere and the tourism industry would take a long time to recover again.
China's Dragon Air has cancelled all flights to Thailand until the political situation returns to normal, he added.
Comments
The Thai tourism industry has been obliged to deal with many challenges in recent years and the current protests would rank as among the most severe perceptual challenge for Thai tourism since the 2004 Tsunami.
It is natural that TAT (Thai Tourism Authority) would be anxious to downplay the impact of political protest on the overall safety of tourism in Thailand. However it also needs to be careful that it is seen as a credible source of information. While it is important to relate the actual extent of the impact of political protest and violence in Thailand TAT needs to be careful that in reassuring tourists and tourism industry stakeholders that it is not seen as an organisation which sweeps problems under the carpet.
Right now, TAT should be in damage control mode. Recovery mode may need to wait until there is a more defined resolution to the current political dispute.
Achieving the balance between being a responsible
and crebible source of tourism information and marketing tourism to recovery is a delicate balancing act. Clearly Thailand's source markets are nervous so TAT must act with caution.
The political unrest is one thing. That's not the only reason people become more sensitive and reluctant to fly to Bangkok/Thailand.
Particularly clients who are focused on to conservation and care about the destination's handling or treatment of animals are turning their back on to Thailand because the government hasn't reacted towards many complains in view to the abuse of Orang Utans at the safari park where the primates are forced to execute boxing fights for human entertaintment.
We experience people are becoming extremely sensitive when it comes to animal rights and animal protection - RIGHTLY SO.
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