POLL: Tourists care less about protests
March 10, 2014 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 10 March 2014: Bangkok University Research Centre says one-third of foreign tourists, who participated in a survey, admitted they had visited anti-government protest locations and more than half described the protests as peaceful, while the majority of them said that the emergency decree had little impact their travel plans.
Released late last week, the conclusions are based on interviews with 1,094 international tourists (649 men and 445 women) at Suvarnabhumi Airport 1 to 2 March. Of that, 650 respondents came from Europe, 246 Asia, 128 Americas, 58 Oceania and 12 Africa.
The survey indicated that 96.4% of the people interviewed said they were aware of the protests even before travelling to Thailand, while only 3.6% said they had visited the country with knowing about the decree.
TAT: Bangkok’s heart beats normally
March 6, 2014 by e-NewsWire
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 6 March 2014: Most major streets and shopping districts in Bangkok are back to normal – streets packed with office workers and tourists, road jammed with cars.
Protester who had occupied junctions in down town Bangkok since 22 January moved to a single site at Lumpini Park by Monday.
For security reasons the overpass on Rama IV Rd at the intersection with Silom Road is closed nightly to prevent incidents.
Most of Bangkok protest free
BANGKOK, 4 March 2014: Thailand’s first poll re-runs passed peacefully Sunday, while anti-government protesters in the capital consolidated their positions by moving to a single base in Lumpini Park.
There are just two protest sites now: the main one at city’s downtown park and one run by a prominent Buddhist monk at the government complex on Chaeng Wattana Road ,around 20 km from the city centre. Both protests have been free of violence as military units beefed up security at site perimeters.
The 2 February election failed to ease a four-month political crisis when protesters seeking to topple Yingluck’s government caused the closure of around 10% of polling stations, many in opposition strongholds. Now 30 days later the caretaker government is running out of time .
Travel bookings take flight
February 26, 2014 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 26 February 2014: Association of Thai Travel Agents says Thailand’s political crisis is damaging the industry’s ability to compete and neighbouring countries are picking up more business that should have gone to Thailand’s travel firms.
Speaking at the association’s members meeting, Tuesday, ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn encouraged tour operators to continue to work and find solutions to encourage recovery.
However, he noted that Malaysia was benefiting the most as tour operators shifted bookings. Also, the latest statistics showed that all of Thailand’s top 10 supply markets were in decline with China recording a whopping 61% drop so far this year.
Dire warnings from security chiefs
BANGKOK, 26 February 2014: Thailand risks sliding into civil war after a wave of political violence in which 22 people have been killed, officials warned Tuesday as the unrest claimed the life of a fourth child.
Near-daily gun and grenade attacks in protest-hit Bangkok have raised concerns that a nearly four-month-old political crisis is entering a dangerous new phase with both sides refusing to back down.
More than 700 people have been wounded since demonstrators took to the streets for rolling rallies aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and ending the political dominance of her billionaire family.
TCT calculates losses
February 25, 2014 by e-NewsWire
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 25 February 2014: The Tourism Council of Thailand estimates that if violence and protests continue, tourist arrivals will decrease by 1.1 million, resulting in a loss of revenue for of the entire year of more than Bt90 billion.
The forecast made by Tourism Council of Thailand’s vice president of marketing department, Pornthip Hirankate, concluded that the five-month protests have crippled tourism related business in specific districts of Bangkok; Ratchaprasong, Pathumwan and Sukhumvit due to the rally sites closing roads, while hindering access to shopping malls and offices.
The assessment was posted by the National News Bureau of Thailand on its website, last night, and compares accurately with estimates made by other private sector organisations, although the Ministry of Tourism and Sports indicated the million tourist arrivals could be lost in the first quarter alone.
Three children die in weekend violence
BANGKOK, 24 February 2014: A six-year-old girl died early Monday from wounds sustained during a grenade attack on a busy Bangkok shopping area, hospital officials said, taking the number of children killed in Thai political violence over the weekend to three.
The attacks, which appear to mark an escalation of unrest in nearly four months of political crisis, earned condemnation from UN chief Ban Ki-moon while Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra labelled them “terrorist acts”.
The girl’s four-year-old brother also died after the grenade struck on Sunday afternoon as shoppers mingled with anti-government protesters at a rally in one of Bangkok’s main commercial areas.
TAT cancels media welcome dinner
February 20, 2014 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 20 February 2014: Tourism Authority of Thailand says it was forced to cancel its mega media fam trip welcome ceremony, 19 February, at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok due to political tension.
The media trips are supposed to convince journalists that it is business as normal, but they were given a first-hand introduction to the uncertainties of hosting events in the capital while protests continue.
TAT deputy governor for marketing communications, Sugree Sithivanich, said due to the political situation and the government’s decision to reclaim demonstration areas the TAT decided to cancel the gala-dinner welcome ceremony Wednesday. However, the remaining programme is still on track.
Thai PM cornered by corruption case
BANGKOK, 19 February 2014: Thailand’s embattled premier will be charged with neglect of duty, anti-graft officials said Tuesday.
The announcement came shortly after clashes between police and opposition protesters left four dead and dozens wounded in central Bangkok.
Critics said it was politically motivated and part of the campaign to oust the caretaker government.
Indian tourists best bet for Thailand
February 10, 2014 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 10 February 2014: Tourism Council of Thailand is recommending a shift in travel promotions to markets that are less sensitive to Bangkok’s civil disturbances.
The national council, that draws experts from the private sector to represent the industry in business dialogues with the government, recommends the industry eases the throttle on promotions in China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong where the biggest declines have been registered since mid-December 2013.
Booking setbacks have been recorded in Chinese speaking markets particularly Hong Kong, which raised the security alert on Thailand to the highest level.
