Bangkok emergency decree hurts

Tourism associations have demanded that the state of emergency be withdrawn.

Atta president, Apichart Sankary, said: “We have seen a loss during low season because of the economic decline, Euro 2008, and the Olympic Games in China. Now the statement of emergency and the travel warnings will trigger a continued drop that could go into the high season, from October to March, if the situation lingers until the end of September. Tourists from Europe, Russia and Scandinavia will disappear.”

He said the government’s 2008 tourism target of Bt600,000 million and 15.48 million arrivals from the international market would be impossible to achieve.

The industry has estimated a loss of 20% to 30% a day in tourist numbers, which would mean a decline of Bt300 to Bt450 million a day off the average Bt1,500 million earned daily by the tourism industry.