BANGKOK, 6 January 2014 Suvarnabhumi airport authorities stated that the number of tourist arrivals has already shrunk by 40 percent due to political protests.
Airport director Rawewan Netrakavesna said the political impasse has eroded the tourism market’s confidence as the number of Chinese, Hong Kong and Singaporean visitors dropped by 40 percent.
Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Hong Kong Airlines have recently decided to reduce flights to Bangkok from the middle of this month to avoid the political conflict. Singapore Airlines in particular has cancelled all flights to Bangkok during January 14 to February 25.
The airport is also bracing for the People’s Democratic Reform Committee’s (PDRC) threatened shutdown of Bangkok next week as it is holding meetings with the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) and the Airline Operators Committee.
The airport may ask Atta to group its passengers in small numbers and take them to check in at the Makkasan Airport Rail Link station to speed up the process.
