Tourists cancel bookings to Thailand

200,000 jobs at risk as tourists cancel bookings
Published: 14/04/2009 at 04:29 PM

Thailand's battered tourism sector could shed up to 200,000 jobs this
year, industry experts warned after the violent street battles in
Bangkok triggered mass cancellations.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents,
said that television images beamed around the world of troops firing
volleys of gunfire to disperse protesters had alarmed potential
visitors. "Layoffs are inevitable. We may lose up to 200,000 people
this year if the situation is not resolved," he said.

Bewildered tourists in Bangkok said they feared for their safety,
while others were irritated that major shopping centres were shuttered
as protesters loyal to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra rampaged
through the capital.

It was not exactly the "Land of Smiles" many visitors had expected.

Thailand's tourism industry accounts for 5% of gross domestic product
and employs two million people, or up to 7% of the country's total
workforce.

The industry has already been worn down by the SARS epidemic in 2003,
the 2004 Asian tsunami, a 2006 coup and last year's devastating
closure of Bangkok's two airports by a separate protest movement.
Continued instability will wreak more havoc on the tourism sector,
which is already bruised from the impact of the global economic
crisis. "The question is how far and how long this situation will go
on," said Robert McIntosh, a specialist in the hotel sector with
property consultancy CB Richard Ellis.

"The declaration of the state of emergency and the issuance of travel
advisories by other countries can be very detrimental to international
travel," the Singapore-based McIntosh told AFP. "People will redirect
their holidays to places like Bali and Vietnam."

Australia, China, Russia and Hong Kong have joined governments around
the world in urging their citizens to avoid or reconsider travelling
to Thailand as the protests raged.

Mr Apichart said that 1,000 people booked to travel on a cruise ship
from Singapore to Thailand had opted to stay in the city-state.
"Our overseas partners know that Thailand is split... They are scared
of what's happening," he told AFP.

(...)The challenge is "how to restore Thailand's image
internationally," he said. "It has been battered on many fronts and
the impact has been cumulative. That could take some time."
Mr Koldowski said even if the situation settles down, "there will
always be the fear that things could boil over again very quickly and
people will avoid Thailand because of that".

full article at:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...ancel-bookings

On Apr 15, 4:32*am, (Magnus) wrote:

(...)The challenge is "how to restore Thailand's image
internationally," he said. "It has been battered on many fronts and
the impact has been cumulative. That could take some time."
Mr Koldowski said even if the situation settles down, "there will
always be the fear that things could boil over again very quickly and
people will avoid Thailand because of that".

full article at:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...sk-as-tourists...


****** There you go Maggie, a whole new ballgame and no one knows you
here.
I'll leave it all to you and your new audience.

Good luck.

Your Doctor.

I still feel bangkok is safe, even with those protests. much safer
than KL
I'm a KL guy
On Apr 15, 12:32*am, (Magnus) wrote:
200,000 jobs at risk as tourists cancel bookings
Published: 14/04/2009 at 04:29 PM

Thailand's battered tourism sector could shed up to 200,000 jobs this
year, industry experts warned after the violent street battles in
Bangkok triggered mass cancellations.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents,
said that television images beamed around the world of troops firing
volleys of gunfire to disperse protesters had alarmed potential
visitors. "Layoffs are inevitable. We may lose up to 200,000 people
this year if the situation is not resolved," he said.

Bewildered tourists in Bangkok said they feared for their safety,
while others were irritated that major shopping centres were shuttered
as protesters loyal to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra rampaged
through the capital.

It was not exactly the "Land of Smiles" many visitors had expected.

Thailand's tourism industry accounts for 5% of gross domestic product
and employs two million people, or up to 7% of the country's total
workforce.

The industry has already been worn down by the SARS epidemic in 2003,
the 2004 Asian tsunami, a 2006 coup and last year's devastating
closure of Bangkok's two airports by a separate protest movement.
*Continued instability will wreak more havoc on the tourism sector,
which is already bruised from the impact of the global economic
crisis. "The question is how far and how long this situation will go
on," said Robert McIntosh, a specialist in the hotel sector with
property consultancy CB Richard Ellis.

"The declaration of the state of emergency and the issuance of travel
advisories by other countries can be very detrimental to international
travel," the Singapore-based McIntosh told AFP. "People will redirect
their holidays to places like Bali and Vietnam."

Australia, China, Russia and Hong Kong have joined governments around
the world in urging their citizens to avoid or reconsider travelling
to Thailand as the protests raged.

Mr Apichart said that 1,000 people booked to travel on a cruise ship
from Singapore to Thailand had opted to stay in the city-state.
"Our overseas partners know that Thailand is split... They are scared
of what's happening," he told AFP.

(...)The challenge is "how to restore Thailand's image
internationally," he said. "It has been battered on many fronts and
the impact has been cumulative. That could take some time."
Mr Koldowski said even if the situation settles down, "there will
always be the fear that things could boil over again very quickly and
people will avoid Thailand because of that".

full article at:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...sk-as-tourists...

In article fd5c1f24-3f42-46bb-b2c5-
, henrik says ...
I still feel bangkok is safe, even with those protests. much safer
than KL
I'm a KL guy

Tell us why you think KL is unsafe.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

increasing obnoxious brainless teens who hang out together in big
crowds
increasing number "mat-rempits" on drugs, doing motorbike stunts,
stealing, robbing, snatching pregnant's woman's handbag.
more and more of them jobless, lazy to work
increasing gory murders
our prime minister getting away from murder
crime is getting worse in KL

really, i feel much safer in bangkok.

On Apr 15, 6:07*pm, Alfred Molon wrote:
In article fd5c1f24-3f42-46bb-b2c5-
, henrik says ...

I still feel bangkok is safe, even with those protests. much safer
than KL
I'm a KL guy

Tell us why you think KL is unsafe.
--

Alfred Molonhttp://www.molon.de- Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

In article 1b048660-77a6-4265-8d4d-
, henrik says ...
increasing obnoxious brainless teens who hang out together in big
crowds
increasing number "mat-rempits" on drugs, doing motorbike stunts,
stealing, robbing, snatching pregnant's woman's handbag.
more and more of them jobless, lazy to work
increasing gory murders
our prime minister getting away from murder
crime is getting worse in KL

I hear such stories too, but have never seen it myself and I fly every
year to Malaysia.
No problem withdrawing huge amounts of cash from the ATM and walking
around with it. The only danger in KL are the Indian taxi drivers who
overcharge you.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe