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Tourism sector appeals for end to emergency decree
To convince tourists to visit Thailand, the tourism sector appealed to the
government to lift the emergency decree and speed up national
reconciliation.
Representatives of the Federation of Thai Travel Agencies, an umbrella
organization of eight industry associations, called on Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva Thursday to discuss the plight of the industry in the
aftermath of recent political upheaval.
Apichart Sangkha-ari, chairman of the Association of Thai Travel Agents,
said the meeting with the prime minister was scheduled ahead of the
federation’s meeting because Abhisit is gravely concerned about the impact
of the riots on tourism. The premier explained the necessity of retaining
the emergency decree to ensure a smooth transition to peace.
“We understand and support the prime minister, but we do not want the
emergency decree to remain in place for too long because it will hurt the
industry. To this, the prime minister said as soon as the situation is back
to normal - which should be within a week or ten days at most, the decree
will go,” Apichart told a press conference on Thursday.
Apichart said the operators also asked the prime minister to kick off the
process of reconciliation and ‘decolourisation’ as the chasm between the
yellow and red clad factions is hurting the image of Thailand. He cited the
travel advisory by the Japanese government asking its citizens to refrain
from wearing yellow or red shirts for the sake of personal safety and
security.
The federation chairman added that he and his peers believe that the
official target of 14 million visitors to Thailand this year is not likely
to be met. “A stable political climate could at best bring about 12 million,
yet should any further political storm be unleashed, the arrival figures for
this year could well be down to single digits,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prakit Chinamornpong, chairman of the Thai Hotel Association,
said some five star and super-luxury hotels are seeing only a five percent
occupancy rate, and many are averaging an unprecedented 10 percent. If this
persists, at least 10 percent of the workforce or about 5,000 jobs will be
made redundant, he said. (TNA)
Government investing Bt50 billion to develop four southern provinces
In an attempt to resolve violence in the four southernmost
provinces, the government will spend more than Bt50 billion to develop
infrastructure projects and the livelihood of people living in the area, Deputy
Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam said on Saturday.
Speaking to village heads in four districts of the southern province of
Songkhla, Thaworn said a special committee responsible for improving the economy
in the South had jointly agreed that more than Bt50 billion is needed for
development projects in troubled Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces - as
well as four districts of Songkhla - during 2010-2012.
Under the planned development projects, each village in the region will receive
Bt228,000 with villagers being expected to cooperate in planning development
projects for their village without intervention by the government, Thaworn said.
Also, more than 100,000 households in the region will be selected to join in an
economic self-sufficiency program, with each household receiving Bt6,000 in
leading the program, he said.
Part of the budget will be spent on developing both Buddhist and Islamic
religions, and an establishment of an Islamic court in which both plaintiffs and
defendants are Muslim, Thaworn added.
Over 3,500 persons have died in the troubled region since violence resumed in
early 2004. (TNA)
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