Bangkok updates

BANGKOK'S continuing political unrest has led to more travel warnings being issued while tourism groupings are asking for the government to end the state of emergency to reassure tourists’ confidence.

Immediately following the declaration of the state of emergency on Tuesday, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the UK issued travel warnings to their citizens.

At press time, seven more countries – France, Denmark, China, Taiwan, New Zealand, Switzerland and Singapore – have also issued warnings against travel to Thailand.

To raise tourists' confidence, Thai tourism groupings reportedly issued a statement pleading the government to end the state of emergency as soon as possible to minimise the damage done to the industry.

Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said the association feared tourism revenue about 100 billion baht (US$2.9 billion) would be lost for the high season if the state of emergency continued to end-September.

The Thai Hotels Association has reported the impact on main tourist destinations in the Kingdom; for example, occupancy rates in Phuket were reduced 30 per cent, while the rates in Pattaya and Koh Samui's decreased five to 10 per cent from last month.

Hat Yai airport authority reportedly cancelled all morning flights from Bangkok to conduct security check in the area seized by the protesters, but flights in afternoon were operating as normal.

The cancellations included flights of Thai Airways International, Nok Air and Thai AirAsia. Some train services to the southern part of Thailand have also been halted.