BANGKOK, 2 July 2013, The recent oil spill is going to cost Rayong’s tourism at least 100 million baht in terms of short-term damage.
According to President of the Thailand Tourism Council Piyaman Techapaiboon said the figure would have been much higher had the accident happened during the high season, adding that the council would closely follow up on the development of environmental impacts inflicted by the horrible incident over time.
According to Ms. Piyaman, this is not the first time the incident of this type has happened but the ninth in the past ten years, all of which should not have happened. Better safety measures by responsible parties must be clarified in order to regain confidence from the public and tourists. Samui Tourism Association, in Suratthani Province, where an oil-drilling rig is located, has also raised concerns about the issue.
Despite the impacts of the spill, the President of the Thailand Tourism Council said tourists, mostly Chinese, are still flocking over every tourist attraction in Rayong but Ao Prao.
