Mr. Suthipong Pheunpipop, President of Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) has acknowledged that the political situation clearly affected tourism to Thailand in January, especially the number of tourists from ASEAN countries that fell by 50 percent. In addition the number of Thai tourists traveling abroad dropped 20-25 percent,. while European tourists continued to visit Thailand in large numbers.
The Association expects that this year about 26 million foreign tourists will come to Thailand but thinks that if the political crisis lasts longer than March, the number of tourists this year might not reach that figure . Meanwhile, the private sector would like to ask the government and the PDRC to enter discussions and find a solution together to end the crisis, as soon as possible.
