The Tourism Council of Thailand said that the country’s tourism industry has now been seriously affected by the planned “Bangkok shutdown” by anti-government protesters set for Jan 13, with no new booking tours reported, especially from Chinese tourists.
Council president Piyaman Techapaiboon said the number of international tourists has decreased with no new bookings, noting that the council is collecting information on the exact figures of revelers, especially those from China.
She noted that the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration on January 31 is approaching.
Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said normally the first quarter of the year is considered as the “high season” for Thailand’s tourism industry. With ongoing political disorder, Ms Sisdivachr said, the industry has been definitely hit and the situation cannot be controlled by tourism-related operators.
He said that the number of Chinese visitors continues to drop due to the new Chinese regulations affecting tourism, which have been enforced since last October. The situation has worsened with Thailand’s mounting political tension as Chinese tourists feel reluctant to come here, with many opting to delay their tour bookings.
The ATTA president said the business operators still don’t know what they can do with marketing strategies, as well as how to answer questions from foreign customers whether the January 13 Bangkok shutdown will be prolonged or not.
If the protest continues, Sisdivachr said, it will affect the Chinese New Year period when Thailand usually welcomes the highest number of Chinese tourists.
With the possible enforcement of an emergency decree in the capital and unstable politics, the ATTA president said the situation is “beyond our control”.
“It will not work even if we try to explain to the visitors that they can go elsewhere, such as Pattaya, Koh Samet, Koh Chang, Phuket, Samui, Cha-am, Hua Hin or Chiang Mai,” said the ATTA president.
